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Title 7: SNAP Page 13 Iowa Department of Health and Human Services Employees’ Manual Chapter B: Application Processing Verification Revised January 30, 2026 Documentary Evidence Documentary Evidence Legal reference: 7 CFR 273.2(f)(4)(i) Documentary evidence is a written confirmation of a household’s circumstances. Wage stubs, utility bills, and rent receipts are examples of documentary evidence. Do not limit the form of verification to any single type of document. Use documentary evidence as the main source of verification for everything except residency and household size. Use a collateral contact for these two items if documentary evidence is not readily available. Collateral Contacts Legal reference: 7 CFR 273.2(f)(4)(ii) A collateral contact is an oral confirmation of a household’s circumstances by someone outside the household. Use collateral contacts in situations where documentary evidence is not available or when the evidence is not complete enough to decide eligibility or the amount of benefits. Make collateral contacts either in person or over the telephone. Select a collateral contact if the household does not choose one or chooses one that is unacceptable. Examples of acceptable collateral contacts are employers, social service agencies, migrant service agencies, neighbors of the household, or anyone who can be expected to give accurate third-party verification. When talking with collateral contacts, disclose only the information necessary to get the verification. Avoid disclosing that the household has applied for SNAP. Do not suggest that the household is suspected of doing anything wrong. See 7-A, Confidentiality for restrictions for disclosing household information. Home Visits Legal reference: 7 CFR 273.2(f)(4)(iii) Use home visits as verification only when documentary evidence cannot be obtained, or when the evidence is not enough to make a determination of eligibility or benefit level. You must schedule the home visit in advance with the household. State Income and Eligibility Verification System (IEVS) Legal reference: 7 CFR 273.2(f)(7), 7 CFR 273.2(f)(9), 441 IAC 65.51 Through the State Income and Eligibility Verification System, state and federal agencies exchange computerized information. HHS exchanges information with the Social Security Administration, the Internal Revenue Service, and the Iowa Department of Employment