The following automated sources of verification and information are available:
Data Exchange (DX) —Verifies unemployment compensation, SSI, Social Security benefits, and Lottery winnings. This is also a resource for unverified information on earned income, private pensions, unearned income reported to the Internal Revenue Service, criminal history, and assets.
The CAO can use automated sources of information on a need-to-know basis without the person’s consent. The CAO must:
Give the person the chance to provide other sources of verification if they disagree with the automated information
Not delay timely determination of eligibility if automated sources are not available.
The OIM Procedures Manual, Using DX, has complete information and instruction for Data Exchange use. See Appendix C for a DX desk guide.
DX may be used only to get information about applicants, recipients, and other persons, such as LRRs and stepparents, whose income and resources are considered to determine eligibility.
The CAO must restrict access to DX to persons involved in the administration of benefits. It is important to protect information in DX. Improper, unauthorized use of DX to get information about persons other than applicants, recipients, or those whose income and resources must be considered may result in fines, imprisonment, or both.
DX uses the person’s Social Security number (SSN) to get income or resource information from the following sources:
Office of Employment Security (OES) wage file and UC file
Social Security Administration (SSA) Bendex Master Benefit Record (MBR) Bendex Earnings Reference File (ERF), and Supplemental Security Income (SDX)
Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Unearned Income File
Department of Revenue/Lottery Winnings
Lexis Nexis/Accuity/Asset Verification System (AVS)
Veterans Affairs
Headquarters conducts data exchanges for each source at regularly scheduled intervals. A person is included in the match if their SSN appears in an active budget at the time of the exchange.
NOTE: The SSN of a non–budget group member living in the common residence is also included if that member is listed in eCIS with an eligibility status code of NS or NA.
In addition to the scheduled exchanges, the CAO can begin a match by completing an on-line "Information Request" transaction:
At the time of the screening interview, to get information on applicants.
When a new member is added to the budget group.
To get information about a person whose income and resources are counted but whose SSN is not included in an active budget.
Between the scheduled exchanges, when the CAO believes that the budget group's income or resources have changed.
Examples:
The CAO suspects that a recipient's unemployment compensation status changed due to filing a claim, exhaustion of a claim, or an increase or decrease in amount, and the change took place after the most recently received UC Exchange 2 match.
The CAO verifies that an adult budget group member is using a minor's SSN for employment purposes.
The CAO must review information available from Data Exchanges at application or renewal. The CAO must act on "new" information identified by the system within 45 calendar days of the posting of the information to DX.
Information from OES-UC, SSA BENDEX-MBR/SDX and Department of Revenue-Lottery is considered verified upon receipt. It may be used without further verification, unless it conflicts with information provided by the budget group.
NOTE: If the UC status is unclear, the CAO should ask the individual to verify the status of their benefit by providing their most recent Notice of Financial Determination or the Exhaustion of Unemployment Compensation (UC-50) letter. The Department of Labor and Industry (DLI) has developed an UC 50 letter that an individual will supply to the 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. The CAO must determine when that benefit was received via Data Exchange 2. Only the individual may request the UC 50 form from DLI by contacting their local service center or calling 888-313-7284. The letter will be mailed to the applicant or recipient and instructs the UC claimant that they remain responsible for reporting any change in UC eligibility to concerned parties.
Information from WAGE/Exchange 1, IRS/Exchange 4, Unearned Income/Exchange 5, Deceased Persons/Exchange 8, Paris Match/Exchange 9a, CJIS/Exchange 10, and AVS/Exchange 12 always requires further verification.
If information revealed through DX was not reported or conflicts with statements made by the person, the CAO must take the following actions:
Send the Income Verification Request Form (PA 162-VR), allowing the person 10 calendar days to respond.
Send an Advance Notice to close the budget if the person refuses or does not cooperate within 10 days.
Request verification of income and resources from the appropriate third party to determine if an overpayment has occurred.
The DX system will match the information already known and will not require a disposition for those exchanges. A disposition is required based on the exchange information if:
Exchange #1 Wage:
The income reason codes 001-009 do not appear in eCIS, verification must be requested.
The employer number is new or changed when compared to previous IEVS/DX information, verification must be requested.
The amount of total wages for the quarter changed by $100.00 or more (increase or decrease), verification must be requested.
If verification is received, take action according to verification provided.
If verification is NOT received; send Advance Notice to close.
Exchange #2 Unemployment Compensation (UC):
Information received on Exchange 2 is considered verified upon receipt unless:
The first character of First Name/First three characters of Last Name matches and the UC adjustment code of 010 does not appear on eCIS, verification must be requested;
NOTE: The Department of Labor and Industry (DLI) has arrangements to assist OIM staff in verifying the availability of UC benefits in cases where Exchange #2 appears to contradict an individual's statement. This process will only be available when the EUC program is not actively making payments. For those cases where Data Exchange 2 appears to contradict an individual’s statement regarding UC/EUC benefits, the caseworker will:
NOTE: The CAOs will not contact their Area Staff Assistants before a thorough review of Data Exchange 2 information.
EXCHANGE 3 BENDEX Master Benefit Record (BENDEX):
Information received on Exchange 3 is considered verified upon receipt
Any discrepancies between data received and client attested information or case information must be verified
If verification is received, take action according to verification provided; or
If verification is NOT received, adjust benefits and/or case information according to information received on Exchange 3.
Exchange 4 BENDEX Earnings Reference (ERF):
State benefits were received during the tax year covered by ERF data and there is no data on Wage Exchange 1 for the same tax year, verification must be requested
If verification is received, take action according to verification provided; or
If verification is NOT received, send Advance Notice to close
NOTE: Information received from Exchange 4 should NOT be printed and must be annotated in the record as an Exchange “match” without indicating the source of the information as Exchange 4. See SHB 930.61.
Exchange #5 Unearned Income (UI):
Benefits were received from the state during the tax year covered by the unearned income information, verification must be requested.
The match indicates income received from document types 32, 79, 86, 97, or 98, and the person received state benefits during the same tax year, verification must be requested.
If verification is received, take action according to verification provided.
If verification is NOT received, send Advance Notice to close.
NOTE: If document type 86 is shown, an additional edit is performed on the ZIP code of the payer. A disposition is set if this ZIP code is not within Pennsylvania.
NOTE: Information received from Exchange 5 should NOT be printed and must be annotated in the record as an Exchange “match” without indicating the source of the information as Exchange 5. See SHB 930.61.
Exchange 6 State Data Exchange (SDX):
Address or birth date mismatch between case information/client attested information and data received from SDX, client contact must be initiated for verification purposes, verification may be requested if needed
Note: If discrepancy is with data received from SSA, worker must advise client to contact SSA to update incorrect data.
If requested verification is NOT received, adjust benefits and/or case information according to information received on Exchange 6.
ONLY an SDX 8036 file is considered verified upon receipt and used for automation purposes
Note: A, J, or M automation will only occur with an 8036 file on SDX with a C 01 or T 01 pay status. TPQY and SOLQ-I files are not considered verified upon receipt and will not initiate automation or allow workers to open A, J, or M budgets.
Exchange 7 Buy-In:
Information received on Exchange 7 is considered verified upon receipt
Any discrepancies between data received and client attested information or case information must be verified
If verification is received, take action according to verification provided; or
If verification is NOT received, adjust benefits and/or case information according to information received on Exchange 7.
Exchange 8 Deceased Person Match (DPM):
Department of Health match is considered verified upon receipt.
If matches are received from sources other than Department of Health; verification must be requested
If verification is received, take action according to verification provided; or
If verification is NOT received, send Advance Notice to close
Exchange 9a Interstate:
No information received on Exchange 9a should be considered as verified upon receipt and verification must be requested
If verification is received, take action according to verification provided; or
If verification is NOT received, send Advance Notice to close
Exchange 9b Veterans Assistance (VA):
An increase of more than $50 in gross monthly unearned income from a known source, verification must be requested
Unearned income from a new source, verification must be requested
If verification is received, take action according to verification provided; or
If verification is NOT received, send Advance Notice to close
Exchange #10 Commonwealth Judicial Information System (CJIS):
Currently, no information received from any of the data sources should be considered as verified upon receipt and may only be used as a lead to help the IMCW identify the possibility of past or current criminal history and verification must be requested.
If verification is received, take action according to verification provided; or
If verification is NOT received, send Advance Notice to close.
Exchange 11 Lottery (Lotto):
Information received from Exchange 11 is considered verified upon receipt
Review and adjust benefits accordingly
Exchange 12 Asset Verification System (AVS):
No information received through Exchange 12 should be considered verified upon receipt
Client attested resources do not match AVS reported resources and over the resource limit, verification must be requested
If verification is received, take action according to verification provided; or
If verification is NOT received, send Advance Notice to close
Updated September 24, 2025; Replacing October 12, 2021