Connecticut Department of Social Services Uniform Policy Manual: 1599.05 Verification - Qualifications of Individuals

CONNECTICUT DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICESPRIVATE UNIFORM POLICY MANUAL ______________________________________________________________________________ Date: 7-1-06 Transmittal: UP-10-13 1599.05 ______________________________________________________________________________ Section: Type: Eligibility Process POLICY ______________________________________________________________________________ Chapter: Program: AFDC Verification AABD _______________________________________________________________ MA SNAP Subject: Qualifications of Individuals ______________________________________________________________________________

1599.05 A. Except for MA, individuals may be required to provide verification of their identity if they are not known to the Department or if their identity is otherwise questionable.

B. MA

1. Except for those listed in 1599.05 F. 8 who are otherwise exempt, all individuals applying for or receiving MA who claim to be U.S. citizens shall verify their identity. Such verification shall be required only one time, unless later evidence raises a question about the person’s identity or the Department’s prior record is no longer available to the Department.

2. Individuals are required to provide information to the Department that allows the Department to verify their U.S. citizenship through a match with Social Security Administration (SSA) records, as requested by the Department for this purpose. Verification of U.S. citizenship through this SSA match also verifies an individual’s identity for purposes of eligibility for MA.

3. Individuals are not required to provide verification of identity in order to be and remain eligible for MA when:

a. the Department is in the process of making a reasonable effort to verify U.S. citizenship with the SSA; or

b. the Department has successfully matched the individual’s citizenship information with the SSA information; or

c. the Department has commenced the individual’s reasonable opportunity period (ROP) because the SSA match has failed and the ROP has not ended.

C. The following information concerning individuals who represent applicants or recipients is verified by the Department whenever questionable:

1. relationship or legal capacity;

2. authorized representative status;

3. absence of other qualified persons when a responsible adult applies on behalf of a deceased, incompetent or incapacitated individual;

4. actions taken by the representative; or

5. employment of a SNAP authorized representative.

CONNECTICUT DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICESPRIVATE UNIFORM POLICY MANUAL ______________________________________________________________________________ Date: 7-1-06 Transmittal: UP-10-09 1599.05 page 2 ______________________________________________________________________________ Section: Type: Eligibility Process POLICY ______________________________________________________________________________ Chapter: Program: AFDC Verification AABD _______________________________________________________________ MA SNAP Subject: Qualifications of Individuals ______________________________________________________________________________

1599.05 D. Failure to provide required verification may result in the following actions where appropriate to the particular circumstance in question:

1. the Department may deny an application or discontinue assistance;

2. the Department may refrain from taking action until further clarification is obtained; or

3. the Department may require that a qualified individual or the assistance unit take action.

E. If verification is required at the time of application, the representative shall be allowed to file the application even though his or her qualifications may be in question.

F. Special Identity Verification Rules for MA

Except for those individuals listed in section 1599.05 F. 8. who are exempt from this requirement, or individuals listed in section 1599.05 B.2 and B.3., to be eligible for MA, individuals claiming U.S. citizenship who are applying for or receiving MA shall verify their identity by having a successful SSA match or by submitting to the Department one of the following documents:

a. a valid or expired U.S. passport originally issued with or without limitation;

b. a Certificate of Naturalization (DHS Forms N-550 or N-570);

a Certificate of U.S. Citizenship (DHS Forms N-560 or N-561);

d. a document received on or after 7/1/06, issued by a federally recognized Indian tribe, evidencing membership or enrollment in, or affiliation with, such tribe unless tribal lands cross an international border whose membership includes individuals who are not U.S. citizens;

e. documentation received on or after 7/1/06, as approved by the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, from a federally recognized Indian tribal member whose tribal location is located within a state that has an international border and whose tribal membership includes individuals who are not U.S. citizens;

CONNECTICUT DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICESPRIVATE UNIFORM POLICY MANUAL ______________________________________________________________________________ Date: 7-1-06 Transmittal: UP-10-09 1599.05 page 3 ______________________________________________________________________________ Section: Type: Eligibility Process POLICY ______________________________________________________________________________ Chapter: Program: AFDC Verification AABD _______________________________________________________________ MA SNAP Subject: Qualifications of Individuals ______________________________________________________________________________

1599.05 F. 1. Special Identity Verification Rules for MA (continued)

f. a driver’s license issued by a state or U. S. territory either with the individual’s name and photograph, or the individual’s name and other identifying information such as age, sex, race, height, weight, or eye color;

g. a school identification card with a photograph of the individual;

h. a U.S. military card or draft record;

i. a state, federal, U.S. territory or local government issued identity card if that identity card has the same identifying information as found on a Connecticut driver’s license;

j. a military dependent’s identification card;

k. a Certificate of Degree of Indian Blood, or other American Indian/Alaska Native Tribal document with either the individual’s name and photograph, or the individual’s name and other personal identifying information such as age, weight, height, race, sex and eye color;

l. a U.S. Coast Guard merchant mariner card;

m. at the Department’s option, a cross match with a federal or state governmental, public assistance, law enforcement or corrections agency’s data system to establish identity if the agency establishes and certifies the true identity of individuals. Such agencies may include, but not be limited to, the food stamp agency, the child support agency, corrections, juvenile detention, motor vehicle or child protective services;

n. for children under 16 years of age, school records (which may include nursery or daycare records and report cards), clinic, doctor, or hospital records. If the individual submits a school record, the Department shall verify the document’s authenticity with the originating organization. For children under16 years of age, if none of these documents are available, an affidavit may be used to verify identity if it is signed under penalty of perjury by a parent, guardian or caretaker relative stating the date and place of birth of the child. Such affidavits do not have to be notarized.

CONNECTICUT DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICESPRIVATE UNIFORM POLICY MANUAL ______________________________________________________________________________ Date: 7-1-06 Transmittal: UP-10-09 1599.05 page 4 ______________________________________________________________________________ Section: Type: Eligibility Process POLICY ______________________________________________________________________________ Chapter: Program: AFDC Verification AABD _______________________________________________________________ MA SNAP Subject: Qualifications of Individuals ______________________________________________________________________________

1599.05 F. 1. Special Identity Verification Rules for MA (continued)

o. for children 16 or 17 years of age, an affidavit signed under penalty of perjury by a parent, guardian or caretaker relative stating the date and place of the birth of the child may be used to verify identity if a school identification card or driver’s license is not available. Such affidavits do not have to be notarized.

p. Corroborating Documents.

If attempts to verify identity for adults using documents listed in this subsection have not been successful and no other acceptable documents to verify identity are available, three or more available documents that together reasonably corroborate the identity of an individual shall be used provided such documents have not been used to establish the individual’s citizenship and a Secondary or Third Level Document has been used to verify citizenship (cross reference UPM section 3099.04). Such corroborating documents shall, at a minimum, contain the individual’s name plus any additional information that verifies the individual’s identity. All documents shall contain consistent identifying information. Corroborating documents include the following:

(1) employer identification cards;

(2) high school and college diplomas from accredited institutions including general education and high school equivalency diplomas;

marriage certificates;

(4) divorce decrees;

(5) property deeds and titles;

government documents;

(7) employer documents;

(8) medical records; and

(9) school records;

CONNECTICUT DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICESPRIVATE UNIFORM POLICY MANUAL ______________________________________________________________________________ Date: 7-1-06 Transmittal: UP-10-09 1599.05 page 5 ______________________________________________________________________________ Section: Type: Eligibility Process POLICY ______________________________________________________________________________ Chapter: Program: AFDC Verification AABD _______________________________________________________________ MA SNAP Subject: Qualifications of Individuals ______________________________________________________________________________

1599.05 F. 1. Special Identity Verification Rules for MA (continued)

q. for disabled adults residing in any licensed facility where adults with disabilities reside, including, but not limited to, nursing facilities, chronic disease hospitals and residential care homes, an affidavit completed and signed by the director or administrator of the facility (under penalty of perjury) that states the date and place of birth of the facility resident. All other means of verifying identity shall first be pursued prior to completion and acceptance of this affidavit. This affidavit is not required to be notarized. Any adult residing in such a facility will be considered a disabled adult for purposes of this subsection.

2. For children under the age of 18, if an affidavit is used to verify U.S. citizenship (cross reference UPM section 3099.04), an affidavit shall not be used to verify identity.

3. The verification of identity for an applicant or recipient shall be required only once by the Department unless later evidence raises a question of the person’s identity or the Department’s prior record has been destroyed pursuant to record retention guidelines.

All documents used to verify identity shall be either originals or copies certified by the issuing agency.

5. Individuals may submit evidence of identity without appearing in person. Documents may be submitted in person, by mail or by another individual selected by the applicant or recipient.

6. Individuals have one 90-day reasonable opportunity period (ROP) in their lifetimes, during which they are eligible for MA, to verify their identity either through a successful SSA match or by providing documents as set forth in this subsection. This ROP may not be extended for any reason. The 90 days of the ROP do not have to run consecutively. This ROP begins after the Department has made its own reasonable effort to verify citizenship through the SSA match process and the individual receives notification that this process has failed to verify his or her identity. If, by the end of the ROP, the SSA match process continues to fail and the individual does not provide the required documentation to establish identity, MA shall be discontinued for that individual within 30 days after the end of the ROP.

7. Entities authorized by the Department as outstation locations pursuant to 42 CFR 435.904 may also view and validate identity documentation on behalf of the Department.

CONNECTICUT DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICESPRIVATE UNIFORM POLICY MANUAL ______________________________________________________________________________ Date: 7-1-06 Transmittal: UP-10-09 1599.05 page 6 ______________________________________________________________________________ Section: Type: Eligibility Process POLICY ______________________________________________________________________________ Chapter: Program: AFDC Verification AABD _______________________________________________________________ MA SNAP Subject: Qualifications of Individuals ______________________________________________________________________________

1599.05 F. Special Identity Verification Rules for MA (continued)

8. The following individuals are exempt from the verification requirements set forth in this section:

a. those entitled to, or enrolled in, Medicare;

b. those eligible in the HUSKY A for Newborn Children coverage group (cross reference UPM section 2540.52);

c. those eligible under the Presumptive Eligibility for Children process (cross reference UPM section 1523);

d. those presumptively eligible in the Women with Breast or Cervical Cancer Medicaid coverage group (cross reference UPM section 2540.74);

e. SSI recipients;

f. recipients of SSDI or Social Security benefits if receipt is based on their own disability;

g. foster care children receiving services funded by Titles IV-B or IV-E of the Social Security Act;

h. children receiving adoption assistance under Title IV-E of the Social Security Act;

i. those eligible under the Presumptive Eligibility for Pregnant Women process; or

j. a child who, at the time of his or her current application for Medicaid, is under 12 months old and who is documented to have been born in the United States to a mother eligible for and receiving Medicaid at the time of the child’s birth.