(1) With certain exceptions, each person who applies for or receives cash, medical or food assistance benefits must provide to the department a Social Security number (SSN), or numbers if more than one has been issued. For SSN requirements for immigrants, see WAC
388-424-0009.
(2) If the person is unable to provide the SSN, either because it is not known or has not been issued, the person must:
(a) Apply for the SSN;
(b) Provide proof that the SSN has been applied for; and
(c) Provide the SSN when it is received.
(3) Assistance will not be delayed, denied or terminated pending the issuance of an SSN by the Social Security Administration. However, a person who does not comply with these requirements is not eligible for assistance.
(4) For cash, medical, and food assistance benefits, a person cannot be disqualified from receiving benefits for refusing to apply for or supply an SSN based on religious grounds.
(5) For food assistance programs:
(a) A person can receive benefits for the month of application and the following month if the person attempted to apply for the SSN and made every effort to provide the needed information to the Social Security Administration.
(b) If a person is unable to provide proof of application for a SSN for a newborn:
(i) The newborn can receive Basic Food with the household while effort is being made to get the SSN.
(ii) For the newborn to continue receiving Basic Food benefits; the household must provide proof of application for SSN or the SSN for the newborn, at the next recertification, or within six months following the month the baby is born, whichever is later.
(6) For medical programs, a newborn as described in WAC
388-505-0210(1) is eligible for categorically needy (CN) medical without meeting the SSN requirement until the baby's first birthday.
(7) There is no SSN requirement for the following programs:
(a) The consolidated emergency assistance program;
(b) The refugee cash and medical assistance program;
(c) The alien emergency medical program; and
(d) Detoxification services.
[Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.005, 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057, 74.04.510, 74.08.090, 74.08A.100, 74.04.770, 74.04.0052, 74.04.655, 74.08.043, 74.08.335, and 2011 1st sp.s. c 36. 12-10-042, § 388-476-0005, filed 4/27/12, effective 6/1/12. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.08.090, 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057, 74.04.510, and Title 7, 273.6 C.F.R. 10-17-101, § 388-476-0005, filed 8/17/10, effective 9/17/10. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.08.090. 03-20-061, § 388-476-0005, filed 9/26/03, effective 10/27/03. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.08.090 and 74.04.510. 99-17-025, § 388-476-0005, filed 8/10/99, effective 10/1/99. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057 and 74.08.090. 98-16-044, § 388-476-0005, filed 7/31/98, effective 9/1/98. Formerly WAC 388-505-0530.]