Illinois

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Illinois Automated Phone System Interview
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Waiver

• FNS granted a waiver of the face-to-face
  interview requirement and authorized us to use
  the Phone System Interview for recertifications.
• FNS approved the script prior to initial project
  approval and has requested accuracy information
  and other data for us to renew each year.

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Project History

• Implemented July, 2007 to households with
  earnings
• Expanded July, 2008 to include non-assistance
  households
• Expanded December, 2009 to Family Medical Cases

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Simplified Reporting

• In Illinois we use 6 month certification periods
  (as opposed to 12 month certification periods
  with an interim report at 6 months)
• One recertification is a face to face interview
  regulations require a face to face interview
  every year
• One recertification is a mail in

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PSI Process

• Central Notice that benefits are expiring has
  invite to use PSI and includes
• Special Codes to Access System
• Worksheet to follow along with the call
• Dates PSI is available

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Behind the Scenes

• Our system sends a daily file of data for every
  customer that is eligible to call in to our
  vendor
• --data includes- details about people in the
  case, income, housing costs
• Our vendor sends call data responses to the
  questions back to our system

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Customer Calls

• IVR System available 24/7
• English/Spanish
• Speech recognition
• Can switch to keypad

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PSI Interview Script

• 8-10 minute interview
• Considered their "signature" when they access
  system using special codes provided in the notice
  
• First ask to confirm accuracy of case name and
  address (if they say no, they are locked out and
  cannot use PSI system)

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PSI Interview Script (cont)

• Questions continue about
• Household members, student eligibility
• Income
• All deductions - shelter, child support
  deduction, dependent care
• Change in health insurance
• Optional survey contains racial/ethnic

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PSI Interview Script (cont)

• System asks customer to confirm accuracy of each
  answer
• If system doesn't understand, it will ask again
  sometimes in a different way
• If system doesn't understand 3 times, it will
  disconnect

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Partial Calls

• If a caller hangs up or gets disconnected, they
  can call back same day and script continues where
  they left off
• If they hang up and call back another day, it
  starts over
• If they call and don't finish, we send a notice
• The notice tells them they didn't complete and
  the date they need to reapply for benefits to
  continue to be timely

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Complete Call

• When customer gets completion number
  interview/application is complete
• If verifications are needed, central notice for
  verification is generated

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Complete Call (cont)

• System registers the application with a special
  designator of P
• Appears on office/caseload pending list the
  following day
• Call data also transfers to legacy system called
  Automated Case Management (ACM)

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Caseworker Tools

• Questions asked and customer responses from the
  call transfer electronically to a web based
  system called Caseworker Tools that worker can
  see immediately
• Verifications needed are highlighted for the
  worker

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Complete Call (cont)

• Once verifications are received, worker processes
  the application

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Number of Recertifications

• With the IL SNAP caseload at 860,000 cases, we
  send an average of 120,000 notice of expirations
  each month
• 73 are invited to use PSI as a way to reapply.

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Fast Facts of Complete Calls

• Most recent quarter we received average of
  31,000 complete calls per month
• 35.4 of those offered opted to used PSI

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Fast Facts After Hours Calls

• 37.6 of complete calls are done after work hours
  or on weekends

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Fast Facts Partial Calls

• Over the last 3 months, we sent an average of
  5000 notices each month to callers who started a
  PSI interview and didnt finish it the same day.

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Customer Survey Results

• For June, 2011 of over 8800 callers who opted to
  take the survey
• 97.4 said the interview was convenient and easy
  to use
• 97.9 said the questions were easy to understand
• 98.6 said they would use PSI again

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Accuracy

• Quality Control
• For first half of FY 2010 sample, we had 36
  reviews done on cases that used PSI for their
  recertification.
• 3 cases had errors resulting in an error rate
  of .2, 12.7 of the total 1.58 state reported
  error rate.

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Accuracy (continued)

• ACE reviews - (includes process documentation
  errors)
• PSI Cases reviewed 823 - accuracy rate 83.5
• Non PSI cases reviewed 4608 - accuracy rate
  87.5

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Lessons Learned

• Develop the script you think you want before your
  vendor comes on board - gives you a starting
  point
• Make sure you have a test system
• Decide up front the reports you need
• Think about what success looks like 

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Ongoing Costs

• Telecom Bill for the last 3 months for the toll
  free lines for PSI averaged 12,000 each month

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Questions?

• Contact
• Jan Freeman, Manager
• Illinois SNAP Director
• Bureau of Policy Development
• Illinois Department of Human Services
• Jan.Freeman_at_illinois.gov
• 217-782-1239