UPM P-1540.15 - Evaluating the Evidence

CONNECTICUT DEPARTMENT OF INCOME MAINTENANCEPRIVATE UNIFORM POLICY MANUAL ______________________________________________________________________________ Date: 11-15-90 Transmittal: UP-90-26 P-1540.15 ______________________________________________________________________________ Section: Type: Eligibility Process PROCEDURES ______________________________________________________________________________ Chapter: Program: AFDC General Principles of Verification AABD _______________________________________________________________ MA Subject: FS Evaluating the Evidence ______________________________________________________________________________

P-1540.15 Evaluating the Evidence

1. Consider all evidence submitted by the client or received from other sources.

2. Evaluate each piece of evidence to decide how credible it is.

3. Consider the following factors in evaluating documentary evidence:

° is the evidence an official document of an agency or an organization?

° does the person or organization supplying the document have direct knowledge of the relevant facts?

° does the document show current information?

° is the person who supplied the document a disinterested third party, who will not directly benefit by the client's eligibility?

° is the person who supplied the document an objective source of information, who would have no reason to want the client to be eligible?

° is the document consistent with other information from the same source?

° if the information on the document is questionable or unclear, is the supplier accessible for follow-up questioning?

4. Consider official documents to be more credible than unofficial documents.

5. Consider documentary evidence to be more credible than oral statements.

6. Consider affidavits more credible than informal oral or written statements.

7. Consider statements from disinterested people to be more credible than statements from people who might directly benefit from the client's eligibility, such as family members, friends, landlords.

8. Consider statements from objective sources to be more credible than statements from people who have a personal relationship with the client.

CONNECTICUT DEPARTMENT OF INCOME MAINTENANCE UNIFORM POLICY MANUAL ______________________________________________________________________________ Date: 11-15-90 Transmittal: UP-90-26 P-1540.15 page 2 ______________________________________________________________________________ Section: Type: Eligibility Process PROCEDURES ______________________________________________________________________________ Chapter: Program: AFDC The Application Process AABD _______________________________________________________________ MA Subject: FS Evaluating the Evidence ______________________________________________________________________________

P-1540.15 9. After evaluating each piece of evidence for credibility, evaluate the total of all the evidence which is relevant to the particular factor of eligibility.

10. Consider that the client's statement has been verified if evaluation of the evidence leads to the conclusion that the statement is more likely to be true than not.

11. If there is evidence available to support the client's statement which is considered substantially credible and no evidence is available to the contrary, consider the factor verified.

12. If the only evidence available is not considered credible, do not consider the factor verified. If this is the case, require more verification before eligibility can be established.

13. If some of the available evidence support the client's statements and some refutes the same statements, consider the credibility of evidence on each side to determine whether the statement is more likely to be true than not.

14. If the statement is more likely to be true than not, the statement is considered verified, even if some evidence refutes the statement.

15. If the statement is less likely to be true than not, consider the statement not to be verified, even if some evidence supports the statement.

16. If the statement seems equally likely to be true and not true, consider the statement not to be verified.

17. Only consider quantity of evidence of a factor if the evidence being considered is equally credible.

18. Remember that a single piece of highly credible evidence such as an official document from an objective source, can carry more weight than numerous less credible pieces of evidence, such as oral statements from friends and family members.