426-3 INTERIM ASSISTANCE REIMBURSEMENT (IAR)

426-3 INTERIM ASSISTANCE REIMBURSEMENT ( IAR )

426-3 A. IAR AGREEMENT WITH SSA

Alaska has an Interim Assistance Reimbursement ( IAR ) agreement with SSA . This agreement allows SSA to reimburse the state from an individual’s initial SSI payment for some or all of the IA benefits DPA pays an individual while he or she waits for a final SSI eligibility decision. For IAR purposes, an initial SSI payment is the successful SSI applicant's first SSI check which includes both any retroactive SSI entitlement and the first current month's SSI payment. APA applicants must agree to allow DPA to recover the cost of their IA benefits as a condition of receiving IA .

426-3 B. IAR AUTHORIZATIONS

In order for SSA to reimburse DPA from an individual's initial SSI payment, the individual must sign an IAR authorization

1. Protective filing.

The date a signed IAR authorization is received by DPA may act as a protective filing date for SSI , but only if the individual submits a signed SSI application to SSA within 60 days of that date. Case workers must inform applicants of this provision and advise them to begin the SSI application process as soon as possible in order to preserve their protective filing date for SSI benefits.

2. Life of the IAR authorization.

An IAR authorization is effective for at least 12 months. The 12- month period begins the date SSA receives the authorization form from DPA and ends 12 months later unless the individual files for SSI within that time. If the individual does apply for SSI within the 12-month period, the IAR authorization remains in effect until one of the following events occurs:

SSA makes a final SSI eligiblity determination (including a determination on appeal), or

SSA releases the initial SSI payment on an individual's SSI claim, or

The Division and the individual agree to terminate the authorization.

3. Notification of a signed IAR authorization.

Upon receiving a signed IAR authorization, the case worker must distribute copies of the signed authorization within 30 calendar days. Because the signed authorization may act as a protective filing date for SSI , a copy must be sent to SSA even if, for some reason, the APA application is denied. Copies are distributed as follows:

Original to: SSA District Office.

Copy to: Client.

Copy to: Casefile.

Note: Because of the protective filing provisions for SSI , case workers should obtain a new signed IAR authorization whenever an APA applicant who appears eligible for Interim Assistance applies or reapplies for APA .

426-3 C. INTERIM ASSISTANCE REIMBURSEMENT PROCESS

SSA will notify the Claims Unit of any SSI application approval for which IAR is involved, including those made on SSI applications going through the SSI appeal process. For each approval, SSA will identify all months for which the state may claim reimbursement. Within 10 working days from the date the claims unit receives this information, it must request reimbursement from SSA through a secure Internet-based process. SSA will then compute the amount of reimbursement due the state, notify the state of the reimbursement amount, provide details of their computation, and transmit the reimbursement payment to an account designated by the state.

The initial SSI payment is used to repay IA benefits beginning with the day of the month in which the client is first determined eligible for an SSI payment, or with the first day of the month that DPA receives a signed IAR authorization, whichever is later, and ending with the month the initial SSI payment is made.

The Division may use the SSI funds to repay IA benefits only for months during which the client was eligible for both an SSI payment and an IA payment. The amount of the repayment obligation for any month is the amount of the IA payment or the amount of the SSI payment for that month, whichever is less.

After the IAR payment is received from SSA , the Claims Unit will:

Send EIS notice P900, Interim Assistance Repayment Agreement Fulfilled

Note: This notice informs the client they have fulfilled their agreement to repay IA benefits.

By e-mail, notify the office responsible for the individual's Interim Assistance case of the individual's SSI eligibility. At the same time, the Claims Unit will forward information from SSA regarding the individual's eligibility and monthly grant amounts for retroactive SSI benefits.

Maintain records of all transactions relating to Interim Assistance and the allocation of the individual's initial SSI payment.

SSA will also notify the Claims Unit of any initial SSI denial for all SSI applicants for whom they have an IAR authorization on file. By e-mail, the Claims Unit will notify the office responsible for the IA case of the initial SSI denial and forward copies of any paperwork received from SSA regarding the initial SSI denial. SSI will not notify the Claims Unit of any denial resulting from the SSI appeal process.