3520 Social Security Administration (SSA) Prisoner Verification Inquiry | SNAP

Georgia Division of Family and Children Services
SNAP Policy Manual

Policy Title:

Social Security Administration (SSA) Prisoner Verification Inquiry

Effective Date:

November 2019

Chapter:

3500

Policy Number:

3520

Previous Policy Number(s):

MT-51

Updated or Reviewed in MT:

MT-57

Requirements

The prisoner verification inquiry is a computer interface between the Gateway system and the Social Security Administration (SSA) that determines if a member of an assistance unit is incarcerated. Prisoner verification inquiry may also occur between the Gateway system and the Department of Corrections (DOC).

Basic Considerations

A prisoner alert is generated when the SSN is matched with the SSN of an individual who is in a federal, state or local correctional or other detention facility for more than 30 days. The purpose of generating the alert is to address AU composition, rather than lawbreaker status, to determine if an individual should be included in the food stamp AU. Prisoner alerts are addressed at application and renewal.

Chart 3520.1 provides the basic considerations for prisoner verification inquiries.

CHART 3520.1 - PRISONER VERIFICATION INQUIRY
PRISONER VERIFICATION INQUIRY (Data returned from SSA)
IF	THEN	AND
An Applicant/Recipient (A/R) is included in an active or pending FS AU, AND has a status of In the Applicant Group on the Applicant Group Summary Page AND is 18 years of age or older and has a primary SSN	The A/R’s SSN is sent to SSA for matching when a case is registered when a new AU is finalized when a case is reopened in the month prior to the review month, when the AU is selected for review if a primary SSN is changed OR when a SSN is added through the add-a-person or interim change function	The returned data from SSA is received as an alert to the worker. The alert contains one of three codes from SSA. The codes are 11011, 11012, and 11023. The worker will navigate to the respective interface screen to access the data.
PRISONER VERIFICATION INQUIRY (Data returned from DOC)
IF	THEN	AND
An Applicant/Recipient (A/R) is included in an active or pending FS AU, AND has a status of In the Applicant Group on the Applicant Group Summary Page AND is 18 years of age or older and has a primary SSN	The A/R’s SSN is sent to DOC for matching when a new AU is finalized when a case is reopened in the month prior to the review month, when the AU is selected for review if a primary SSN is changed OR when a SSN is added through the add-a-person or interim change function	The returned data from DOC is received as a task to the worker. The task contains one code from the DOC. The code is 11049. The worker will navigate to the respective interface screen to access the data.

Follow these guidelines when taking a case action on prisoner verification alerts/tasks.

An alert/task is generated in Gateway to notify the worker of an inquiry hit. The worker will navigate to the respective interface screen to access the data.
Check the name, spelling, SSN, date of birth, and any other identifying information. Based on the information received from SSA and DOC, some prisoners may give someone else’s identifying information as their own. Carefully review and compare inquiry information with the case data.
Prisoner verification inquiry information is not considered verified upon receipt. During the intake and the standard renewal interview, the worker should go to Interfaces and select Prisoner Inquiry for each adult and discuss confinement dates, release dates, dates the individual in the alert was included in the FS AU, conviction dates and reasons for conviction. Also discuss if the offense was a felony or misdemeanor. Document the date that you spoke with the customer regarding the information in the match. A verification checklist must still be mailed to the AU within 10 days of receipt of the alert/task to determine AU composition for the appropriate months. The verification checklist must request all the above stated information and the consequences of failing to respond to the request. Failure of the AU to respond to a request to determine AU composition will result in a case closure. Eligibility cannot be established if there is no response to the request for information. When completing an alternate renewal, mail a verification checklist requesting the above information. The AU can submit written verification from the Department of Corrections, Probation/Parole Officer, or copy of release papers.
If third party verification is obtained, it must consist of oral or written statements from landlords, parole officers, neighbors, or documents such as letters, bills, or correspondences which verify the A/R’s name and residential address for the time periods in question. Third party verification is used to resolve the issues.
The prisoner verification inquiry may provide information that result in the application of lawbreaker policies.
When appropriate, create an overpayment for historical months if an agency error or inadvertent household error is determined. Refer the AU to the Office of Inspector General (OIG) if the individual identified in the alert was receiving food stamps while incarcerated for more than 30 days.

Prisoner verification alerts/tasks are addressed and processed at each initial application or review. Refer to 3715 Interim Changes for policy on when to act on system generated alerts/tasks.

Procedures

Chart 3520.2, Procedures for Prisoner Verification Inquiry, is used to determine the appropriate case action to take when a prisoner verification alert/task is received by the agency.

CHART 3520.2 - PROCEDURES FOR PRISONER VERIFICATION INQUIRY
ALERT/TASK ID	ALERT/TASK	ALERT TO WORKER	GATEWAY STEPS
11011	Alert	Prisoner match found but data cannot be disclosed. SVES prisoner match response returned	In Data Collection under the Individual Information submodule, select the Logical Units of Work and select Persons. On the Individual Applicant Group Summary page click the “R” to select the AU member with the prisoner match. On the Persons Details page, press Next to get to the Person Applicant Group Status page. For the Applicant Group Verification field select “requires additional information” from the drop-down menu. Press Next to commit the data and then complete the interview. Run EDBC. Select the VCL and add the following text to the Special Notes: Please provide verification regarding confinement dates, release dates, conviction dates, reason for conviction and if the offense was a felony or misdemeanor.
11012	Alert	Prisoner match found. Data is available. SVES prisoner match response returned.	In Data Collection under the Individual Information submodule, select the Logical Units of Work and select Persons. On the Individual Applicant Group Summary page click the “R” to select the AU member with the prisoner match. On the Persons Details page, press Next to get to the Person Applicant Group Status page. For the Applicant Group Verification field select “requires additional information” from the drop-down menu. Press Next to commit the data and then complete the interview. Run EDBC. Select the VCL and add the following text to the Special Notes: Please provide verification regarding confinement dates, release dates, conviction dates, reason for conviction and if the offense was a felony or misdemeanor.
11023	Alert	Prisoner match found.	In Data Collection under the Individual Information submodule, select the Logical Units of Work and select Persons. On the Individual Applicant Group Summary page click the “R” to select the AU member with the prisoner match. On the Persons Details page, press Next to get to the Person Applicant Group Status page. For the Applicant Group Verification field select “requires additional information” from the drop-down menu. Press Next to commit the data and then complete the interview. Run EDBC. Select the VCL and add the following text to the Special Notes: Please provide verification regarding confinement dates, release dates, conviction dates, reason for conviction and if the offense was a felony or misdemeanor.
11049	Task	The Department of Corrections has found a match for individual Client ID on a FS Cases.	In Data Collection under the Individual Information submodule, select the Logical Units of Work and select Persons. On the Individual Applicant Group Summary page click the “R” to select the AU member with the prisoner match. On the Persons Details page, press Next to get to the Person Applicant Group Status page. For the Applicant Group Verification field select “requires additional information” from the drop-down menu. Press Next to commit the data and then complete the interview. Run EDBC. Select the VCL and add the following text to the Special Notes: Please provide verification regarding confinement dates, release dates, conviction dates, reason for conviction and if the offense was a felony or misdemeanor.