Complete SAR 7

General Guidelines

In order to be considered complete, the following general guidelines apply:

All questions must be answered.
All boxes must be checked.
All evidence/proof/verifications must be attached.
The form must be signed by the appropriate person(s), and returned by the last day of the submit month.
Explanations/information must be clear and complete in order to determine accurate eligibility and benefit amount.

When a periodic report is incomplete for one or more programs it must be recorded as such and a “Y NOA” must be sent.

If the SAR 7 or required verifications are not provided by the end of the month, the case will be discontinued at the end of the month.

Address

The address along with other information provided on the SAR 7 must be sufficient for the county administrative purpose of locating the client.

All clients must provide a specific mailing address in the county for purposes of receiving General Assistance Notice of Action. Post Office boxes will only be acceptable for rehabilitation houses and specific areas of Alviso and South County which are not provided with home delivery by the Postal Service. The information MUST be verified PRIOR to using a P.O. Box mailing address.

Homeless Address

General Assistance (GA) homeless applicants/recipients may use an alternative mailing address, such as, address of a friend, family, U.S, or P.O. Box address. The form “Social Services Mail Request/Agreement” (SCD 1483) must be completed by clients to indicate an alternate mailing address where they which to receive mail from Social Services. Workers must verify local address and/or P.O. Box. At no time shall an “out-of-county” address be used. Refer to Homeless Mailing Address for specific procedures.

When processing a SAR 7 and the client reports an address change and does not provide the verification, the EW must contact the client for clarification. If unable to contact the client, it must be recorded as “Incomplete-Not OK” and a “Y NOA” must be sent.

Signature

The following are the SAR 7 Signature requirements:

The signature of the client is required.
If signed with an “X”, the witness to the mark must also sign the SAR 7.
For married couples living together, both signatures are required.
The SAR 7 may be completed in ink, pencil or any other writing utensil the client has at their disposal.

Reminder: The SAR 7 must be in Imaging.

Telephonic Signature for Incomplete Periodic Reports

A telephonic signature (TS) is a type of electronic signature using an individual’s recorded spoken signature or verbal assent in place of an actual written signature and is considered legally enforceable.

When an incomplete Periodic Report (SAR 7) is received, the client may be contacted by phone to provide any missing information and to sign and date the report by phone with a TS. [Refer to "Periodic Report Process" in the DEBS BP].

Other Informational

Other information must be sufficiently complete to make eligibility determinations.

If clarification is needed on pay days, and/or no check stubs are provided, or if verification has not been provided for all income claimed, EW will mark the SAR7 as incomplete. Reported income must include all earned, unearned, exempt and nonexempt income.

Reminder: For purposes of the GA Program, the income and needs are always prospectively budgeted.

Note: It is not necessary for the client to list the GA payment as the department has a record of it.

Earned income — Verification from the employer must include the gross income amount, mandatory deductions, and the date received.
Unearned income — Verification of amount and the date received is necessary.
Verification of income is required:
- At intake,
- At initial receipt of payment, or
- At the time of any change in the amount of payment.
The EW must mark the SAR 7 as incomplete and send a “Y NOA” to the client when:
- The information pertaining to income is not listed or is listed incorrectly but verifications are attached and the budget can be computed.
- The information pertaining to income is listed but verifications are not submitted.

Consistency of Information

All information on the SAR 7 must be consistent with other information which the county has previously verified as accurate. If there is an inconsistency which brings eligibility or the grant amount into question, the EW must mark the SAR 7 as incomplete and send a “Y NOA” to the client.

[Refer to "SAR 7" in the DEBS BP].