Collateral Contacts

A collateral contact is an oral or written confirmation of the AU’s circumstances by a non-AU member. The collateral contact may be made in person, over the telephone, or in writing.

A collateral contact alone is not sufficient for verification of income. Documentary evidence such as a signed statement or Form 809 must be received, with the collateral contact made to validate.

If a written statement is provided by the collateral contact, the statement must be signed by the individual who wrote the statement. The statement should be dated but, if not dated, DFCS must date stamp or record on the statement the date it is received. The telephone number and/or address or way to contact the collateral contact must be furnished. This information may be provided as a part of the written collateral statement or recorded in the case file.

If a collateral statement is unacceptable to the agency because it is not completed correctly or lacks the required information and the AU is cooperating with providing information, then the agency must offer assistance to the AU. The agency may ask the AU to provide another collateral contact or contact the collateral contact directly.

The agency may substitute a home visit or select an alternative form of verification if circumstances warrant.

The agency must make sure that the AU understands what information is needed from the collateral contact. The request for verification form should specify what information is needed and the preferred format.

When taking a collateral statement on the telephone or in person, document in the case file the name, address, or telephone number of the contact, the date of the contact and the collateral contact’s statements regarding the AU.

The agency may select a collateral contact if the AU fails to designate one or designates one who is unacceptable to the agency. Examples of acceptable collateral contacts include employers, landlords, neighbors, social service agencies, etc.

When speaking with a collateral contact, the agency must disclose only the information that is absolutely necessary to obtain the information being sought. Avoid disclosing the following information:

that the AU has applied for/is receiving benefits

information supplied by the AU

information that cannot be released to anyone, including the AU, as provided in Section 2010 - Confidentiality .

that the AU is suspected of any wrongdoing.

The intent of this policy is to minimize the disclosure of information. Refer to Section 2010 - Confidentiality and Section 2011 - Health Information Portability and Accountability Act .

Refer to Section 2001 - Computer Matches Overview , Section 2002 - Income and Eligibility Verification System (IEVS) and Section 2004 - Clearinghouse . These sections provide policy regarding verification of case information by computer matching.

If appropriate, prearranged home visits may be used as verification. DFCS employees may use home visits if any of the following situations occur:

Third party verification is insufficient to make a firm determination of eligibility.

Third party verification cannot be obtained and the AU’s statement is questionable.

A home visit cannot be made or used as verification solely because an AU fits the profile of an error-prone AU as determined by the agency.