Student eligibility for free meals is determined by application or by direct certification. Although direct certification systems vary by State and LEA, all such systems are designed to eliminate the need for paper applications. Effective in SY 2011-12, LEAs must conduct direct certification three times per year: once at or around the start of the school year, and again three and six months after that initial effort. All direct certification systems now match student enrollment lists against SNAP agency records and the records of other assistance agencies whose participants are categorically eligible for free meals. The matching process, whether automated or manual, requires no action by the children’s parents or guardians.
This memo provides information about which states are eligible to waive Able Bodied Adults Without Dependents (ABAWD) time limits for participation in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program(SNAP) for fiscal year 2013. Under SNAP regulations at 7CFR 273.24(f)(2), a state can qualify for a 12-month statewide ABAWD waiver if the Department of Labor's Unemployment Insurance Service determines it meets the criteria for extended unemployment benefits.