2012 Ops Memos

A list of DTA memos from 2010 to 2014 that DTA says are obsolete as of January 4, 2016.

Overview The Emergency Unemployment Compensation (EUC) Program is a 100% federally funded program that provides benefits to individuals who have exhausted regular unemployment compensation (UC) benefits. Unless Congress changes the law, EUC payments will end as of December 29,…

Overview Effective January 1, 2013, the Department of Early Education and Care (EEC) will implement changes to their Child Care Resource and Referral (CCR&R) contracted agencies. Some CCR&Rs will discontinue child care services and others will change their service areas. The changes…

List of all Operations Memos from 2012, and list of Obsolete Operations Memos from 2012.

Overview In October, the Department sent notices to any cash and/or SNAP householdinforming clients that DTA records show they had received more than fourreplacement cards within the past year and explained that EBT cards can beused continuously. The notice advised the client to call their case…

Overview With the implementation of Build 45.1, during the weekend of November18, the Department will begin mailing a new preprinted recertification formtailored specifically to elderly/disabled households with no earnings. Thenew recertification form is similar to the interim report form used in…

Overview The National Voter Registration Act requires the Department to providegeneral voter registration services to all applicants and clients (hereafterreferred to as clients). All states must comply with this law. There are veryspecific requirements for all programs:during application,during…

Overview On June 25, 2011, the Social Security Administration (SSA) expanded thenumber combinations used for the first three digits of Social Securitynumbers (SSNs). As a result of this expansion, all three-digit combinationsfrom 001 through 899, with the exception of 666, will be used when…

Operations Memo 2012-34 is obsolete.Purpose The Department is mandated to offer applicants and clients (hereafter calledclients) the ability to register to vote. To comply with that mandate, DTAmust track clients who register to vote to ensure that all forms are processedaccording to established…

BackgroundThe Heat & Eat Program is a partnership between DTA and the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD). Under this partnership, eligible SNAP households are identified and selected for the Low Income Heat and Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) twice each year, Spring and…

Overview In October, the Department will send notices to any cash and/or SNAPhousehold who has requested more than four replacement EBT cards withinthe past year.The notice will inform clients that DTA records show they have receivedmore than four replacement cards within the past year and explains…

Overview On July 27, 2012, a new state law was enacted which prohibits DTA cashclients from using DTA direct cash assistance held on electronic benefittransfer (EBT) cards to purchase:Alcoholic beverages;Firearms and ammunition;Gambling services;Jewelry;Lottery tickets;Pornographic material or…

The Notice of Missed Interview (NOMI) is mailed to clients who miss anapplication or recertification interview for SNAP. Currently, case managerscannot generate a NOMI to a client who is the grantee of a case that has beenpending for more than 30 days or to a client who is the grantee of a…

The Department has created an Interview page to capture information aboutthe application, revaluation, and recertification interview. The completion ofthis page is applicable for all Department programs. The Interview pageaffirms the Department's responsibility to interview clients at…

The annual SNAP COLA was processed during the weekend ofSeptember 22, 2012. This is a mass change affecting the entire SNAPcaseload. The recalculation will impact the household’s monthly benefit forOctober.

Effective with BEACON Build 44.9 (scheduled for October 1, 2012), if acase closing is submitted for a cash case that failed to keep a redeterminationappointment and there is less than 10 days until the release date, BEACONwill move the cash closing date to the next available closing date that…

The purpose of this memo is to inform Department staff about: changes to the MAP client portal; and the pilot project and the agencies which will be accessing MAP during the pilot.

Index of Field Operations Memos (and Operations Memos) issued by DTA in 2012.  (as of August 2012) 

This Operations Memo obsoletes Field Operations Memo 93-25.When a client reports a move to an address covered by another TAO, the caseshould be transferred, even if the new residence is not a permanent one.With a few exceptions, a client’s case should be serviced by the TAO wherehe or she…

The Department will issue a nonrecurring clothing allowance of $150 pereligible TAFDC client under the age of 19 for September 2012. ThisOperations Memo advises DTA staff about the clothing allowance.

Operations Memo 2011-55A informed TAO staff about changes to theReevaluation process. One of these changes included a cash case closing onthe same day as the associated SNAP case if a reevaluation appointment wasnot kept.Currently, when a cash case closing is submitted for a case that failed to…

The purpose of this Operations Memo is to remind TAO staff about voterregistration procedures so clients may register to vote if they choose. Pleaserefer to Operations Memo 2012-29 for an explanation of BEACON changesrelating to voter registration.

The FY ’13 State budget authorized changes to the Department’s administration of funeral and final disposition payments. Effective July 1, 2012, the maximum allowable expense for a funeral and final disposition is $3500. Effective July 1, all requests for funeral and final disposition…

As a result of a settlement in Delgado v. Galvin, the Department will conduct a mailing to ensure that any current and former applicants or clients who had an application, recertification, reevaluation and/or an address change between June 1, 2011 and May 31, 2012, are given the opportunity to…

TAFDC and EAEDC clients who claim a medical disability must completemedical and/or disability supplement forms as a condition of eligibility.Under prior guidance, clients were required to provide originals signed by theclient and/or competent medical authority.Effective immediately, faxed, scanned…

In response to staff request for practical system enhancements that will assistcase managers to process cases, the following forms will be added toBEACON:SNAP Change Report (SNAP-5);School Verification (SV-1); andCertification of Immunization Status (TAFDC-2).

This Operations Memo updates DTA staff about the scope of information that DTA can provide on an "Income Verification Notice." DTA issues these notices for clients who need to verify their income sources for public housing or other non-DTA programs that require documentation of DTA…

This Operations Memo:advises staff about the Form SSA-3288 Consent for Release of Information attached to the Disability Supplement;provides guidance for helping clients complete Form SSA-3288 Consent for Release of Information; andadvises staff about the updated DTA/DES Medical Records Release…

The purpose of this Operations Memo is to inform TAO staff of obsolete Field Operations Memos and other obsolete documents relating to the homeless child care services that were formerly provided through DTA.The memo also serves to communicate the homeless child care services available to DTA…

The country of Somalia was originally designated for TPS on September 16, 1991 due to ongoing armed conflict. Since that date, DHS has both extended and redesignated Somalia for TPS several times.Recently, DHS extended and redesignated TPS for Somalia on May 1, 2012 for an additional 18 months…

The purpose of this memo is to inform Department staff about the planned voice mail upgrade.

This Operations Memo advises DTA staff that effective May 29, 2012, procedures for referring pregnant and parenting teens to DCF for an assessment and possible placement in a TLP have changed as described in the Ops Memo. 

The purpose of this memo is to inform staff of procedures for processing this special group of SSP-only, Bay State CAP cases that will be converted to regular SNAP benefits effective with their June benefit issuance.

On March 29, 2012, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) designated the Syrian Arab Republic (Syria) for Temporary Protected Status (TPS). TPS is a temporary immigration benefit, authorized under Section 244 of the Immigration and Nationalization Act (INA) granted by the U.S. Citizenship and…

The current EBC notice generated to an applicant/client (hereafter called client) advising that his or her case is going to be denied, closed or reduced for failure to provide verification(s) does not identify the missing verifications or the person(s) for whom the verification(s) is…

The regulations at 106 CMR 705.350 provide for a relocation benefit to certain TAFDC families and EAEDC caretaker family households currently in shelters or teen living programs. The relocation benefit will help defray certain expenses that would prevent clients from securing permanent housing.The…

This memo will:review H-EAT Fuel Assistance Program criteria; explain the responsibilities of DTA and DHCD; describe notices to H-EAT clients; provide instructions for restoring lost SNAP benefits to certain H-EAT households; inform case managers of households who are ineligible to be reheated;…

This Operations Memo advises staff of:TAO; and the CORI process for these clients.expansion of the population eligible for the community service activity;the maximum amount of time a client can volunteer in the TAO;the suggested duties of clients enrolled in the community service activity;the…

Effective April 1, 2012, the Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA), in partnership with University of Massachusetts Medical School (UMMS), will assume the administration of the state portion of Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments.This Operations Memo:explains how this change will…

In an effort to improve the nutritional status of working families and to increase the amount of services available to them, the Department developed the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance (SNA) program. SNA is a work incentive benefit provided to families in receipt of SNAP-only benefits who meet…

Effective with BEACON Build 44.6, scheduled for February 6, 2012, several changes in functionality occurred. This Operations Memo:highlights and explains the new functionality to TAO staff; andprovides procedures for using this new functionality. 

Effective with BEACON Build 44.6, scheduled for February 6, 2012, the changes occurred to the Verification tab.This Operations Memo:explains the new functionality to TAO staff; andprovides procedures for using this new functionality. 

Medex is a Medicare supplement policy that is offered through Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Massachusetts (BCBSMA). BCBSMA has announced Medex premium rate changes for the following non-group plans: Bronze (Supplement 1), Core, Gold, Silver, Standard, Basic, Core Plus, Basic No Rx and Core Plus No…

Pursuant to the 2008 Farm Bill, the asset limit for SNAP households that include an elderly (age 60 or older) or disabled member has increased from $3,000 to $3,250. This change is retroactive to October 1, 2011.  

Effective January 2012, Social Security Benefits and federal SSI payments increased by 3.6 percent. The base level Medicare Part B Premium is set to $99.90. The Medicare Part B Penalty Premium is identified in the 2012 Medicare Part B Surcharge Premiums chart on page 5 of this memo.This Operations…