Once you have your voucher, certain changes in your life must be reported to your CCR&R. Others you can report if it benefits you. Some changes don't need to be reported until your next reauthorization. Here's how to sort it out.

Changes You MUST Report Within 30 Days

These are non-temporary changes that require mandatory reporting. Failure to report these within 30 days can result in an Intentional Program Violation (IPV).

Change	Why it matters
Your income exceeds 85% of SMI	You may no longer be income-eligible
You move out of Massachusetts	You must live in MA to receive assistance
Your contact information changes (phone, email, address within MA)	Your CCR&R needs to be able to reach you
You lose your job or stop attending school/training and it will last more than 12 weeks	Your service need may no longer be met

If You Lose Your Job or Stop Your Approved Activity

This is one of the most important change scenarios. Here's what happens:

1. Report to your CCR&R within 30 days
2. A 12-week grace period starts from the time you report — you have 12 weeks to find and certify a new approved activity
3. If you certify a new activity within 12 weeks: You receive a new 12-month authorization
4. If you don't certify within 12 weeks: Your assistance may be terminated

See the full Job Loss event chain for the step-by-step timeline.

Important: The 12-week clock starts when you report the change, not when the change happens. Report promptly. If EEC later discovers you retained a voucher during a period when you wouldn't have been eligible, you may be required to repay fees.

A Common Distinction: Income Up vs. Activity Loss

Your income going up does not require mandatory reporting unless it crosses the 85% SMI threshold. What does require reporting is losing your approved activity — your job, your school enrollment, your training program — when that loss will last more than 12 weeks. These are two different rules that families often confuse.

Changes You Report at Reauthorization

Everything else gets reported when you renew. This includes:

• Changes in household composition (someone moved in or out) that last more than 30 days
• Changes in child custody arrangements
• Reductions in work or school hours (as long as you're still participating)
• Any other changes to your circumstances not listed above

Not reporting these at reauthorization will NOT result in an IPV or disqualification. This is different from the mandatory changes above.

Changes You CAN Report Early (If It Benefits You)

You can voluntarily report changes before your reauthorization if they would help your family. The most common example:

• Your income went down → Reporting this early could lower your parent fee immediately, instead of waiting until your next renewal.

You are never penalized for voluntarily reporting a change that benefits you.

Temporary vs. Non-Temporary Changes

The system distinguishes between changes that are temporary (and don't require action) and changes that are non-temporary (and do):

Temporary Changes (No Reporting Required)

• Time-limited absence from your activity due to illness or caring for a family member
• Seasonal worker between regular work seasons
• Reduction in hours (but you're still working/in school)
• Any break from your activity lasting less than 12 weeks
• Moving within Massachusetts

Non-Temporary Changes (Reporting Required)

• Income exceeding 85% SMI
• Out-of-state move
• Contact info change
• Loss of activity lasting more than 12 weeks
• Change in household composition lasting more than 30 days
• Change in child custody

What Happens If I Don't Report a Mandatory Change?

If you fail to report a mandatory change within 30 days, you may be issued an Intentional Program Violation (IPV). The consequences escalate:

• First IPV: Warning notification
• Second IPV: 12 months disqualification
• Third IPV: 24 months disqualification
• Fourth+ IPV or substantiated fraud: 36 months or until debt repaid

See Sanctions (1.21) for full details.

Why contact info matters so much: If your CCR&R can't reach you because your phone number or email changed, you may not receive reassessment notices, termination notices, or other critical communications. And you would have no grounds to appeal if your CCR&R reached out to old contact information you never updated. This is one of the easiest changes to report and one of the most damaging to forget.

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Next Steps

• Lost your job? You have a 12-week grace period — see Service Need (1.3)
• Income changed? See Income Eligibility (1.2)
• Worried about an IPV? See Sanctions (1.21)
• Preparing for your renewal? See Reassessment (1.11)
• Contact your CCR&R to report a change