Temporary COVID-19 Verification Procedures

Permanent Procedures

Self-Declarations

With the release of OLGT 2021-39: Cross Programs: Telephonic Signature, new procedures were issued regarding how to verify self-declarations. See Self-Declaration.

 

Certain Temporary COVID-19 Procedures Have Been Rolled Back to Pre-COVID Procedures

The following procedures no longer fall under Temporary COVID-19 procedures. For these topics, you must follow the procedures outlined in the Regular Online Guide:

 

Temporary COVID-19 Procedures

Appointments

The ability to schedule and generate in-office appointments has resumed to ensure that clients who cannot be serviced through the phone have access to Department services at their local office. An in-office appointment may be scheduled for a client to provide Department services in accordance with an ADA accommodation, if they cannot be reached due to having no working contact number, or if an in-office appointment is requested by the client.

Other circumstances, such as client concerns for confidentiality or safety, may also warrant an in-office appointment. A consultation with the DV Specialist is required when the request is related to domestic violence to determine the best way to work with that client.

 

SVES

Cross Programs

Application

BEACON will automatically submit a SVES request for all household members for a new application when the number held in the SSN field does not begin with 99. A SVES request is not required at application unless Identity can only be verified by SVES overnight for the grantee, or verification of reported RSDI and/or SSI income is needed.

Recertification/Reevaluation

Case managers must conduct a SVES request at recertification/reevaluation for new household members. A SVES must only be run on existing household members who are receiving or presumed to be receiving RSDI and/or SSI when the RSDI and/or SSI income has not been updated within the last year. A SVES request is not to be submitted for Bay State CAP clients because SSA updates a Bay State client’s case as new information is reported to SSA. In addition, DTA cannot make income changes to Bay State CAP cases.

Case managers will be able to determine if the income has been updated within the last year by clicking on the External Agency – Other Income button in the selected client’s Other Income Status page. The Current Effective date will have the most recent date the income was updated. Use the income listed in the External Agency – Other Income screen if it has been updated within the last year. BENDEX and/or SDX will batch in new data as it becomes available.

 

Case Maintenance

SVES requests are not required at case maintenance.

Remember

When a SVES request is completed, BEACON automatically creates a Process SVES Query Action, so that the person making the request, can review the returned SVES data. EAEDC and TAFDC case managers must review the Returned SVES Inquiries view to review the data received.

 

 

Disability

SNAP-Only

SNAP-only clients must be certified as federally disabled through the Social Security Administration, through MassHealth, through the Veterans Administration at 100% disability or by one of the other sources outlined in the SNAP Disability Requirements and Verifications Online Guide page.

Important

If the client does not provide verification of their disability, and there is no data on SVES or MassHealth, you must process the case without coding the client as disabled.

 

 

Self-Declaration

Terminated Income

SNAP

If a client reports that an income source has been terminated, it must be ended in BEACON. If a client reports that they are not terminated, but currently have no hours/pay the income source must be zeroed out. If it is unclear whether they are still employed, two cold call attempts must be made to try and clarify. If cold call attempts to the client are unsuccessful, the source must be ended in BEACON.

A verbal self-declaration that a client is no longer working must be accepted for SNAP only. Similarly, if a client submits a written note indicating they are not working, or if they include this information on a Recertification form, it is acceptable verification of proof of termination. No additional verification is needed as terminated income is not being counted at this time.

Exception: If there is a Work Number Match that is active and displaying wages within 30 days of the case manager reviewing the case, and the client reports that they are unemployed, they must provide documentary evidence for proof of termination from the employer. If the client reports having trouble obtaining this verification, the case manager must institute collateral contact to assist. Each attempt at collateral contact must be recorded in the narrative. As a last resort, a written self-declaration that the client is no longer employed may be accepted. Terminated income, if any, is still not countable.

SNAP

If unemployment compensation has ended for a client, the terminated unemployment income that falls within the client’s initial cyclical month of application period must be counted. Since DUA is a verified upon receipt source, this is the only terminated income that must be counted. Case managers must also remove this income after it is used in the initial month of application.  For more information regarding unemployment income ending, please see Processing Cases with Pandemic Unemployment Compensation.

 

Work Requirement

SNAP

With the end of the public health emergency, ABAWD Work Rules are no longer suspended. The temporary exemption ABAWD Work Rules Suspended (COVID-19) has been removed from BEACON as an exemption

DTA received waiver approval from Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) to allow residents of a waived area not meeting any other exemptions to be exempt from the ABAWD work rules. This waiver includes 13 counties and 9 cities and towns in Massachusetts with high unemployment rates. BEACON will apply Resident of a Waived Area as an exemption to household members not meeting other exemptions and are residing in a waived area.

Additionally, the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 introduced three new ABAWD exemption reasons:

The rules for applying these new exemptions, as well as the other existing exemptions, are detailed in the Online Guide page: ABAWD Work Rules Exemptions.

At this time no individual will be subject to the ABAWD Work Rules (time limited benefits). However, when staff are interviewing clients, they must still screen for ABAWD exemptions and enter the exemption into BEACON.

Many exemptions are verified through information provided by the client or known to DTA through data sources. For example: under age 18 or age 50 or over; working 30 hours a week; and UC recipient. Exemptions may also be self-declared until additional guidance is provided. For example, Pregnant, Veteran, and Homeless. No VC-1 should be sent requesting verification of an exemption.

For individuals that do not meet one of the exemptions, including the waived area exemption, they will receive a Discretionary Exemption (formerly known as 15% Exemption). The Discretionary Exemption cannot be applied by local office staff and will be automatically applied in BEACON for existing cases and upon wrap up for new cases until further notice.

The Department is reinstituting ABAWD Work Rules in a phased approach. You must follow the guidance outlined in ABAWD Work Rules Exemptions.  

 

The Work Number

SNAP

Application

If a client reports earned income and the wages are available on Work Number, you must confirm with the client during the interview whether the employer and wage information listed is correct. If the client confirms that the Work Number information is correct, the Earned Income page must be updated with Work Number information.

If the client indicates they are no longer employed or the wages in Work Number are not accurate, a mandatory VC-1 must be sent for the applicable item, i.e., wages or proof of termination.

If the client is stating they are having a hard time obtaining information, you must attempt collateral contact. Remember to document all attempts of collateral contact in the narrative. If collateral contact is unsuccessful, a written self-declaration will be accepted as a last resort.

If a case manager is reviewing a case and Work Number has an employer that is active with no wages displayed within 30 days of the date the case manager is reviewing the case, and the client has indicated no earned income, disposition the match as a terminated source in BEACON.

If the client has indicated no earned income and Work Number data is displayed as inactive in BEACON, even if there are wages listed within the last 30 days, disposition the employer as a terminated source.

 

Recertification

If the client is at Recertification and an outstanding PI Checklist item appears for Work Number, the match must be acted on.

If the Work Number match is listed as active, there are recent wages within 30 days of the date the recertification is being reviewed by the case manager, and the employer is not known to BEACON or the client reports no earned income, you must perform two cold calls.

If the client answers, and states Work Number information is correct, update the case using Work Number information. If the client indicates they are no longer employed or the wages in Work Number are not accurate, a mandatory VC-1 for either wages or proof of termination must be sent.

If the client states they are having a hard time obtaining information, you must attempt collateral contact. Remember to document all attempts of collateral contact in the narrative. If collateral contact is unsuccessful, a written self-declaration will be accepted as a last resort.

If the client does not answer, a mandatory, user-entered VC-1 for Additional Verification must be entered in the Details field: Earned Income. In the Document(s) of evidence field enter:

“You indicated that (household member name) had no earned income. Our data sources show earnings from (employer name) within the last 30 days. Please provide proof of your last 4 weeks earnings or proof of termination.”

If a Work Number match that appears on the PI Checklist is listed as active and there are no wages within 30 days of the recertification being reviewed by the case manager, and the client reported no earned income or no changes to their existing earned income, disposition the match as a terminated source and do not use Work Number information.

If the wages displayed on Work Number is for an existing job known to BEACON and the match is active, you must update the wages based on the match. If Work Number appears as an outstanding PI Checklist item, it must be addressed.

Example 1: A client states on their recertification form that they are working and receive wages of $400 per week at Stop and Shop (these wages are not listed on the Work Number). A different employer, Target, is listed on Work Number and shows current wages of $625 per week. The case manager performs a cold call and the client answers.  The client confirms the information for Target listed on Work Number is correct and that they are no longer are working at Stop and Shop. The case manager must update the case using the Work Number information and end the Stop and Shop income in BEACON. No additional verification is needed.

Example 2: A client calls in and completes a telephonic recertification including a telephonic signature. There is a PI Checklist match for an active Work Number and has wages within 30 days of the case manager reviewing the case. The client states they just ended the job last week and that they are no longer receiving wages. The case manager must send a mandatory VC-1 for proof of termination.

 

SLAM

SNAP

During the COVID-19 Public Service Emergency, the department suspended most rules pertaining to SLAM. DTA has now resumed SLAM procedures for SNAP. Please see Addressing SLAM.

 

Voter Registration

If a client submits a voter registration form and it populates as an Action to Process Scanned Document or is available in the Scanned Document History page in the ECF or Available/Reviewed Scanned Documents view, disposition the document as Reviewed Not Relevant. These must not be printed and mailed on behalf of the client. You must conduct a courtesy call and inform the client that they can register to vote online at: https://www.sec.state.ma.us/OVR/. However, if the client does not have access to the internet and would like a new mail-in voter registration sent to them, you must send an email with the client’s name and address to your management team and copy your supervisor. The management team will determine which in-office staff will be assigned to mail the form from the local office.

 

  Last Update:  March 14, 2024