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Neighborhood
Legal Services, Inc. |
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PUBLIC ASSISTANCE, FOOD STAMPS,
MEDICAID AND FINGER IMAGING
© 1998-2006 by Neighborhood Legal Services, Inc.
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What is finger imaging?
Finger imaging is a process that uses a computer system to electronically take
fingerprints.
Who must comply with finger imaging?
All adults in a household must comply with finger imaging as a condition of
receiving public
assistance.
What if I am applying for food stamps only?
You must comply with finger imaging.
All adult and heads of households must have their finger images taken as a condition of receiving food stamps. The entire
household is ineligible when
any adult member or head of household refuses to allow finger images to be
taken. This is true even
if there is no legal responsibility for the other household member(s).
What about Medicaid and finger imaging?
Single adults and childless couples who are aged between 21- 64 and who are not
certified blind or disabled, whose public assistance cases are closed or denied
because of
finger imaging will not get Medicaid.
Applicants who are in the Family Assistance program, or under 21, or over 65, or
pregnant, or certified blind or disabled, or who have applied for SSI, must be
referred to
Medicaid for a separate determination.
What about Emergency Assistance and finger imaging?
Applicants must be finger imaged to get emergency assistance.
When will I have to be finger imaged?
Applicants for public assistance will be finger imaged at the time of
application.
Public assistance recipients will be finger imaged at their next recertification
or face-to-face
contact with DSS.
What if someone in my case refuses to be finger imaged?
Applicants who refuse to be finger imaged will be denied public assistance. When
a public assistance applicant or recipient who is legally responsible for other
case members
refuses to be finger imaged, that person and those members for whom she is
responsible will
be ineligible for public assistance.
Are there any exceptions?
For public assistance, yes. If the person who refuses to be finger imaged is not
legally
responsible for any other case members, the rest of the case will still receive
benefits. For
example, if an 18 year old student refused to get finger imaged, he would be
disqualified, but
he would not disqualify his parent's case.
Also, an applicant or recipient who refuses to be finger imaged may have good
cause
for refusing to comply.
What is good cause?
Good cause exists when:
1. The applicant or recipient has a physical or mental condition which prevents
compliance; or
2. The applicant's or recipient's failure to comply is caused by the DSS's
error;
or
3. Other circumstances beyond the control of the applicant or recipient exist
which prevent compliance.
