C

Claims and Reports

Claim for Reimbursement. Form SOE-25-2562-39/07/00 is the CNP Claim for Reimbursement form. It must be completed and submitted to the SA on or before the fourth working day of the month following the month being claimed. A copy of the form, a sample completed form, and complete instructions for filling out the form are included in the Policy Materials manual.

Amended Claims. During the course of the school year, it may be necessary to revise a previously submitted claim. A copy of the original claim is retained by the LEA. There are spaces on the claim form to enter amended figures opposite the original ones. In these spaces, enter the figures which will correct the claim; for example, if the original claimed 100 meals and the correct figure is 105 meals, line through the incorrect material and write the correct number in the amendment space in bold colors. Write "amendment" on top of the claim form. This amended copy of the claim form should then be re-signed, re-dated, and resubmitted to the SA. The LEA should retain a file copy.

Claim revisions that result in additional reimbursement (increases in the number of meals claimed) must be received by the SA within 90 days after the end of the month being amended. Downward amendments may be submitted anytime.

The SA may grant an exception for an upward-amended claim which exceeds the 90-day required period. A formal request must be made to the SA for this one-time-only exception which will be forwarded to the USDA Regional Office. This formal request must address the problem contributing to the lateness of the amendment and outline the actions to be taken to avoid future late amended claims. The decision to grant the exception for a late amended claim can only be made by the USDA Regional Office, based on the acceptability of the Corrective Action Plan (CAP).

Late Claims. Institutions must submit original claims to the SA within 60 calendar days following the month to be claimed to be eligible for reimbursement. The SA may grant an exception for a claim which exceeds the 60-day period. A formal request must be made for this exception which is available only once every three years. To receive the exception, the LEA must submit an acceptable corrective action plan (CAP) to the SA. The plan must address the problem contributing to the lateness and outline the actions to be taken to avoid future late claims. The decision to grant the exception will be made by the SA based on the plan's acceptability.