1102.005.15 Worker’s Judgment/EU’s Statement – DSS Manuals

IM-95 November 3, 2008 ; IM-137 November 21, 2005

In certain circumstances, but only for those eligibility factors for which instructions specifically permit doing so, it is possible to make a determination on the basis of the EU’s statement (CS) when the circumstances appear reasonable based on the judgment of the caseworker. The EU’s statement (CS) may be a method of determining eligibility for certain factors based on the caseworker’s judgment and consistency of the statement with information already available.

NOTE: The word judgment used here means a conclusion reached on the basis of what the worker sees, and hears, and which appears reasonable and logical in view of the worker’s experience with other cases.

EXAMPLE: An individual making application claims a temporary disability and states they are currently unable to work. The individual has a broken arm in a cast. The individual works at a poultry processing plant and must use the arm to perform the job. The EU’s statement they are unable to work due to the injury seems to be reasonable. In this type of situation, worker’s judgment is an acceptable form of verification.

The EU’s/client’s statement is acceptable in the following situations, if the information given is not questionable:

shelter expenses

resources (unless near the maximum)

dependent care expenses

medical expenses totaling under $35 per month

social security number (refer to FS Manual 1102.015.20 Social Security Numbers or Entering and Updating Social Security Number Information user guide for further instructions/policy)

obvious physical/mental temporary disability; or

decline to declare non-citizen status or SSN

When worker’s judgment is used, along with the EU’s/client’s statement, use CS as the verification code. Comment on the following information:

what information was given during the EU’s statement

the reason hard copy documentary is not present or requested; and

how the worker’s decision was made