The following automated sources of proof or information are available:
Social Security Number Posting System.
This system provides a listing of the newly issued Social Security numbers that have been posted to the CIS/e-CIS database.
Income Eligibility Verification System (IEVS).
IEVS can be used to confirm unemployment compensation, SSI benefits, and Social Security benefits. It may also have information on earned income, private pensions and unearned income reported to the Internal Revenue Service.
Commonwealth Judicial Inquiry System (CJIS).
This system provides criminal histories from the Administrative Offices of Pennsylvania Courts (AOPC), Department of Corrections State Prisons (DOCS), the Department of Corrections County Prisons (DOCC), the First Judicial District of Philadelphia Municipal Courts (FJDM), and the First Judicial District of Philadelphia Common Pleas Court (FJDC).
MCI interface with the Social Security Administration (SSA) to verify citizenship and identity from SSA’s records.
This process is used to verify citizenship and identity for individuals who declare to be United States (U.S.) citizens.
The CAO will use automated sources of information on a need-to-know basis. The individual’s consent is not needed. DPW applications state that an individual’s Social Security number may be used in an automated match. However, the CAO will:
Give the individual the chance to provide other proof if he or she disagrees with the automated information.
Not delay an eligibility determination if automated sources are not available.
Complete information and instructions for use of IEVS are found in “IEVS: A User’s Guide to the Income Eligibility Verification System.”
IEVS data may only be used to get information about applicants, recipients, and other individuals (such as legally responsible relatives) whose income and resources are used to determine MA eligibility. 55 Pa Code § 105.1(d)
The CAO will allow access to IEVS only to staff members who help provide benefits. Information from IEVS must be protected. Improper or unapproved use of IEVS to get information about people other than applicants, recipients or those whose income and resources must be considered, may result in fines, imprisonment or both.
IEVS uses an individual’s Social Security number to get income and/or resource information from the following sources:
The Office of Employment Security (OES) Wage file and Unemployment Compensation file.
The Social Security Administration (SSA) BENDEX Master Benefit Record (MBR) and BENDEX Earnings Reference File (ERF).
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Unearned Income File.
NOTE: IEVS also uses an individual’s name, date of birth or Social Security Number (SSN) to get criminal history from the CJIS.
Data exchanges are conducted at regularly scheduled times by the automated system for each source. An individual is included in the match if their SSN appears in an active budget at the time of the exchange.
NOTE: The SSN of an individual living in the household but not a member of the applicant/recipient group is also included if that individual is listed in the CIS/e-CIS database.
In addition to scheduled exchanges, the CAO will begin a match by completing an online “Information Request” transaction.
When screening applicants for information.
When adding a new member to the applicant/recipient group
At renewal, if the CAO believes that more recent information may be available.
For information about an individual whose income and resources are counted but whose SSN is not included in an active budget.
When the CAO believes that the applicant/recipient group’s income or resources have changed.
Examples:
The CAO believes there has been a change in a recipient’s unemployment compensation that took place after the most recent scheduled unemployment compensation data exchange.
The CAO verifies that an adult recipient is using a minor’s Social Security number for employment purposes.
Information from data exchanges will be reviewed at the time of application or renewal. The CAO will act on new or changed information that is identified by the system within forty-five calendar days of the posting of the information to IEVS.
Exception: The CAO will act on SSI dispositions within ten days of the posting of the information on Exchange #6 (SDX).
Information from OES-UC and SSA BENDEX-MBR is considered verified upon receipt and may be used without other proof unless it does not match information provided by the individual. Information from OES-WAGE, SSA BENDEX-ERF, and IRS always requires proof.
NOTE: The Department of Labor and Industry (L&I) has developed an Exhaustion of Unemployment Compensation letter (UC-50) that an individual will supply to the County Assistance Office (CAO) when the CAO needs to verify an individual has exhausted unemployment compensation and the information is not clearly available on Data Exchange 2. The letter confirms the last week payable, not the date the final benefit was issued. Only the individual may request the UC-50 form from L&I.
If information from IEVS was not reported or does not match information given by the individual, the CAO will:
1. Send a Client Verification Request Form (PA 162-VR), allowing the recipient ten calendar days to respond.
2. Send an Advance Notice to close the budget if the recipient refuses or fails to cooperate or does not respond within 10 calendar days.
3. Ask for proof of income and resources from third parties to find out whether there is an overpayment.
4. Take action based on information found through IEVS, including sending an Advance Notice to close MA, if that is needed.
The information received from IEVS is posted to either the History or Detail screen. If posted to Detail, the CAO will enter a disposition of the information within 45 days.
NOTE: All information received for an individual who is entered as an applicant (Type A) results in a disposition.
A disposition is required for the following situations:
Exchange #1, Wage Information.
The income codes 001–009 do not appear on CIS/e-CIS.
The employer number is new or different from earlier IEVS information.
Exchange #2, Unemployment Benefit (UC) Information.
The first character of First Name/First three characters of Last Name matches and the UC adjustment code of 010 does not appear on CIS/e-CIS.
The UC information is new, a UC check was issued within the last 90 days, and the UC income code does not appear in CIS/e-CIS.
Exchange #3, Master Benefit Record (MBR) Information.
The category is A, J, or M, and the activity status on CIS/e-CIS is different than the status on BENDEX; for example, the status is active on CIS/e-CIS, but inactive on BENDEX.
Active RSDI, SSI, Black Lung, or Railroad Retirement benefits appear on BENDEX, but income is not adjusted on CIS/e-CIS.
The amount of RSDI, SSI, Black Lung, or Railroad Retirement benefits is different from earlier IEVS information.
Information shows that the individual went from nonpayment status to payment status.
Exchange #4, Earnings Reference File (ERF).
Benefits were received during the tax year covered by ERF data.
There is no earned income budget adjustment for the same tax year.
Exchange #5, Unearned Income.
The match shows that income was received from the following document types:
|
31 – Tuition |
86 – Government Payments |
67 – Stocks |
Interest income for the following categories was more than the amounts shown:
|
PC, PS, PU |
$ 15.00 |
|
PCN, PCW, TA, TAN, TAW, TB, TC, TJ, TJW, TU, TJN |
$ 36.00 |
|
PJN, PJW, PM, PMN, PMW, PJ, PA, PAN, PH, PAW |
$ 45.00 |
|
PG |
$ 90.00 |
|
PI, PW |
$150.00 |
Exchange #6, SDX Information.
Newly Authorized SSI Cases.
A disposition reason code appears in the upper right corner of the detail inquiry screen for Exchange #6. This code will indicate why the disposition has been set.
|
01 |
Non-payment of SSI Benefits to a Disabled Adult Child (DAC). |
|
02 |
Active on SDX, not found or active in the appropriate SSI category on CIS/e-CIS. |
|
04 |
Active on CIS/e-CIS in federal SSI category. Not found active on SDX. |
|
05 |
Inter-state Move. Individual moved to another state. (NOTE): System will automatically process another request to obtain the out-of-state address.) |
|
06 |
Payment amount change. |
|
08 |
Intra-state move. Individual has moved to another address within Pennsylvania and/or the payment name has changed. |
|
09 |
Intra-state move. Individual has moved to another address within Pennsylvania and/or the payment name has changed and there is a change in the payment amount. |
|
10 |
Record was sent for auto SSI opening and failed Master Client Index (MCI) file clearance. |
Exchange #7, Buy In.
A match shows that there are differences in demographic information between CIS/e-CIS and Buy-In or data in one database suggests that the situation in one or more of the other databases may be wrong. A discrepancy code is set.
Exchange #8, Deceased individuals Match.
A match shows different information in the databases. Status Codes 02 and 03 are the only records targeted for worker review and action.
Exchange #9, Interstate Match.
A worker disposition is created when all data elements match for individuals who are currently active on CIS/e-CIS and appear on the eligibility file of the matching state.
Exchange #10, CJIS.
CJIS exchange sources send the department criminal background information on individuals who meet the Act 20, Act 35, and PRWORA criteria. A match is created from the information received from the exchange sources. The information is not always confirmed by the source at the time of collection. The accuracy of some CJIS exchange source information is uncertain. Because of this situation, CJIS information passes through an extensive matching process with the CIS/e-CIS database to find all possible matches of a CJIS individual with CIS/e-CIS. Even after this matching process, the CAO worker must determine whether the match is really the CIS/e-CIS applicant or recipient.
The information from NCIC on IEVS Exchange 10 information is strictly historical information. It may or may not be currently accurate and should not be considered verified upon receipt. DPW has not received updated information from NCIC for several years.
Currently, no information received on IEVS Exchange 10 from any of the data sources should be considered as verified upon receipt. The information may only be used as a lead to help the IMCW identify the possibility of past or current criminal history.
Updated February 14, 2012, Replacing October 29, 2008