Federal changes include periodic cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) and other mass changes to the following: 7 CFR § 273.12(e)(3)
Social Security Retirement, Survivor's, and Disability Insurance (RSDI)
Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
Veteran's Administration (VA) benefits
Black Lung benefits
Railroad Retirement benefits
Other federal benefits
When there is a COLA or other mass change in federal benefits:
SAR households do not have to report mass grant changes unless the mass grant change causes the total gross household income to go above the 130% FPIG limit.
Non-SAR households with unearned income have to report if the mass grant change causes the household’s gross monthly unearned income to change by more than $50.
When information about a mass change is not available through the Income Eligibility Verification System (IEVS), such as for VA, Black Lung, and Railroad Retirement benefits, the CAO must contact the household to determine whether there is an income change.
The CAO must adjust the benefit amount when it learns about a mass change.
The CAO must change the benefit amount by the time the second benefit is issued after the month in which the change occurred.
If the household's certification period ends before issuance of the second benefit, the adjustment must be made at renewal.
The CAO must verify mass changes in RSDI benefits through BENDEX, State Data Exchange (SDX), or IEVS. 7 CFR § 273.2(f)(7)
VA, Railroad Retirement, and Black Lung information is not available through system matches. Households receiving these benefits may or may not receive the COLA. The information must be verified case by case.
A household not required to be enrolled in SAR does not need to provide verification until the next renewal if there is an unearned-income change of $50 or less. 7 CFR § 273.2(f)(8)
Reissued March 1, 2012, replacing April 16, 2008