6.1.2 Six Month Reporting Requirement

7 CFR 273.12(a)(iii)

Food units certified for 12 months and subject to simplified change reporting requirements are required to submit a six-month report form (SMRF) in the sixth month of the certification period. The form and any required verification must be submitted by the end of the sixth month (month the SMRF is due) to avoid a break in service.

Elderly, Blind, or Disabled (EBD) food units without earned income with 12-month certification periods are exempt from the six-month reporting requirement.

Food units with 36-month certification periods may be required to complete SMRFs every six months (see SECTION 2.2.1.2 36-MONTH CERTIFICATION PERIOD).

The following changes in income must be reported on the SMRF for FoodShare members:

A change of $125 or more in unearned income based on the most recently verified amount.
Changes in earned income (from the most recently verified information) that must be reported include:
- Rate of pay.
- Number of hours worked.
- Loss of job.
- Change from full to part-time.
- New employment, but only if the first paycheck has been received by the time the SMRF is completed.
- New or significantly changed self-employment.
- Income verification at SMRF is only required for employment that meets the criteria listed above. An IM worker should not request verification of previously verified earned income that has not changed.

Self-employment income that has already been averaged is not to be re-verified unless a significant change is reported.

Other changes that must be reported on the SMRF are:

Household composition (persons that have moved in or out, including newborns)
New addressAddress refers to the actual place where the household resides. • An address is required to be provided unless a household is homeless, a migrant, or newly arrived in Wisconsin. Verification of address is not required. • A household does not have to reside in a permanent dwelling. • A household may use a general delivery address when it applies. Contrast this with "residence" in the glossary. and resulting changes in shelter expenses
Change in legal obligation to pay childA person's biological, step, or adopted son or daughter, regardless of age. If a child is adopted, the adoption severs the biological tie to the parent. support (see Section 4.6.5 Support Payment Deductions)
New substantial lottery or gambling winnings (see SECTION 6.1.1.1 Lottery or Gambling)

The SMRF must be signed by the primary person or by any adult food unit member or, if applicable, an authorized representative or legal guardian.

Food units can complete and submit the SMRF using the paper form, ACCESS, and by phone. A “no-changes” SMRF (all information on the mailed form is current and correct) can also be signed and submitted through MyACCESS.

Note

The paper SMRF and the online form are available to members on ACCESS Renew My Benefits (RMB) and will have the employment, self-employment, unearned income, and child support expense fields pre-populated to reflect the most recently verified information in CWW. This is the income and expenses that are being used in the current FoodShare benefit calculation (the prepopulated information may not reflect all the income and expenses that factor into the budget).

Completed SMRFs must be submitted with all required verification by the end of the month the SMRF is due to avoid a break in service. When a SMRF is submitted in the month it is due with changes requiring verification, a verification checklist will be sent giving 20 days to provide the requested verification. When the due date for verification goes into the month after the SMRF was due (months 7, 13, 19, 25, 31), FoodShare will reopen with a break in service unless verification is submitted by the end of the SMRF due month. If the food unit submits verification in the month after the SMRF was due, their benefits will be prorated from the date they submitted the required verification.

Example 1

Emma is certified for FoodShare from January to December. Emma's SMRF is due in June. Emma returns the SMRF June 27 and reports new employment. Emma did not provide verification of the new income with the completed SMRF. Verification of the income must be requested. Although Emma returned the SMRF at the end of the month it was due, the due date for verification extends into July because 20 days must be allowed to provide verification. Emma provides the requested verification on July 12, prior to the due date of July 17. Emma’s certification period for FoodShare remains the same, January to December. Benefits are prorated from July 12.

If FoodShare closes for lack of SMRF, verification, or other reasons and the food unit takes the required action in the month after the SMRF was due (7,13,19,25,31), the agency shall reopen FoodShare under the break in service policy and issue prorated benefits from the date the food unit took the last required action. If the food unit submits a completed SMRF in the month after it was due and submits required verification later in the same month, benefits are prorated from the date verification was submitted.

Example 2

Jon had a SMRF due by the end of March. Jon submits the SMRF on April 7. He reported a change in hours worked at his existing employment. Verification is requested and is due April 29. Jon submits the verification on April 27. Jon’s benefits are prorated from April 27.

Example 3

Lillie was required to submit a SMRF by the end of August. Lillie submits SMRF on August 29. On the SMRF, Lillie reported new pension income. Verification of pension income is requested with a due date of September 22. Lillie provides the required verification on September 30. Lillie’s benefits are prorated from September 30.

If FoodShare closes due to agency delay in processing a SMRF that was submitted in the month it is due with no outstanding verifications, or if FoodShare closes due to an agency delay in processing required verification that was submitted in the month the SMRF was due, benefits are issued from the first of the month with no break in service.

If the SMRF process is not complete (a completed form and all verifications submitted) by 4:30pm on the last business day the month after the SMRF was due, a new application must be submitted. When a completed SMRF is submitted in the month after it was due and verification is required, verification must be submitted before the end of that month, which may result in the member having less than 20 days to provide the verification.

Example 4

Gwen is required to submit a SMRF in February. Gwen submits the SMRF in month seven on March 26. Gwen must submit verification of her employment change by March 31. If verification is not provided, Gwen will need to reapply in March because the required verification was not submitted by the end of month seven.

Example 5

Joe had a SMRF due in September.

Joe returns the SMRF with required verification on October 25, but the SMRF is incomplete and missing a signature. The SMRF is returned to Joe indicating a signed SMRF must be submitted by October 31, or he must reapply.

Joe returned the signed SMRF on November 2. Since the completed SMRF was not submitted by the end of month seven, Joe will need to reapply for FoodShare.

Complete Paper SMRF

To be considered complete, all of the boxes must be checked, and a signature must be provided on the SMRF. If a box is checked indicating a change but verification of the change has not been provided, it is still a complete SMRF. Missing details related to changes must be requested or the worker must contact the member for verification.

If the SMRF does not have all of the boxes checked or is missing a signature, it is an incomplete SMRF (see Process Help, Section 14.6 Six Month Report Forms (SMRFs) for processing instructions).

When an incomplete SMRF is received, the household is notified that it must provide the missing sections that were not completed. The household is only required to return or provide the worker with the information needed for the sections that were not completed. The agency already has the completed sections of the form.

Example 6

Midge has a SMRF due in June. Midge returns her SMRF on July 10. She completed the household information section and signed the form; the rest is incomplete. Midge is sent a new SMRF with a notice that her original SMRF was incomplete. On July 25, Midge submits an unsigned SMRF. Every section, except the household information section, is completed. Since that section was already completed and submitted and the SMRF was signed on July 10, the form is considered complete. All sections have been completed and submitted, and the SMRF was signed. Midge’s benefits are prorated from July 25.

This page last updated in Release Number: 25-02
Release Date: 08/13/2025
Effective Date: 08/13/2025