208.070. Applications may be made at county office and shall be investigated--decision--notice to applicant.
Applications may be made at county office and shall beinvestigated--decision--notice to applicant.
208.070. 1. The department shall permit any individual who wants toapply for assistance pursuant to the temporary assistance or any otherpublic assistance program administered or supervised by the department toso apply. Such public assistance shall be furnished with reasonablepromptness in accordance with statute and rules of the department.
2. A request for assistance may be made at a county office of thedivision of family services in person, by telephone or by mail.
3. Whenever the division receives a request for assistance aninvestigation and record shall be promptly made of the circumstances of theapplicant by the division in order to ascertain the facts supporting theapplication. Upon the completion of such investigation the director of thedivision of family services, or someone designated by the director, shalldecide whether the applicant is eligible for benefits and if entitled tobenefits determine the amount thereof and the date on which such benefitsshall begin. The division shall notify the applicant of the decision.
4. During the investigation of any application or recertification ofassistance, the division shall:
(1) At the time of each application, provide each applicant householdwith a clear written statement explaining what acts the member of thehousehold shall perform to cooperate in verifying and otherwise completingthe application process;
(2) Assist each applicant household in obtaining appropriateverification and completing the application process;
(3) Not require any household to submit additional proof of a matteron which the division already has current verification, unless the divisionhas reason to believe that such information is inaccurate, incomplete orinsufficient; and
(4) Not deny any application for assistance solely because of thefailure of a person outside the household to cooperate in providinginformation.
5. The division shall complete the investigation within the timeallowed by federal law or state statute. If no time limit is otherwisespecified by federal law or state statute, benefits shall be provided notlater than forty-five days following the filing of an application.
6. The division shall explain to the applicant the nature of allcategories of public assistance, benefits and services for which theapplicant household may be eligible and may be given, and the consequencesof accepting temporary assistance benefits, including, but not limited to,lifetime limits and work requirements. If the applicant chooses not toreceive temporary assistance benefits, the division shall evaluate theapplicant's eligibility for medical assistance, food stamps and any otherpublic assistance benefits which the applicant or the applicant'sdependents may be eligible.
(RSMo 1939 § 9410, A.L. 1999 S.B. 387, et al.)