Page 288

VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES RECIPIENT CLAIMS

10/24 VOLUME V, PART XVII, PAGE 14

is remaining in the disqualification period before adding the person to the case as an active household member. If one or more months remain in the disqualification period, the BPS must disqualify the household member for the remainder of the disqualification period.

If the BPS fails to impose the disqualification within the timeframes described above, an agency-caused claim (AE) must be established for the months the individual should have been disqualified. A household-caused claim (IHE) must be established if the agency discovers that a member participated during a disqualification period imposed by another locality or state.

4. Use of eDRS Prior to Certification

As outlined in Part III.F.1, all adult household members must be screened through eDRS prior to certification for a new application or a reapplying household. Information obtained from the eDRS must be independently verified. A verbal response from the eDRS Locality Contact is acceptable for the initial assessment. The household must be given an opportunity to respond to the verbal information obtained from the Locality Contact. If the household affirms the verbal information provided by the Locality Contact, a determination on the individual member's eligibility may be made without additional documentation from the Locality Contact. The household is allowed a minimum of 10 days to respond to the eDRS findings.

If the household member disputes the information or fails to respond to the request for information, the BPS must get written documentation from the Locality Contact to process the application or to determine the length of the disqualification penalty. If the household is not entitled to expedited processing, the BPS must hold the application pending until the written verification from the Locality Contact is received. Applications entitled to expedited processing must be processed and benefits delivered within the required seven-day period, even if the household's affirmation or written documentation from the Locality Contact is not received by the seventh day. An IHE claim must be established, however, for any overpaid benefits.

M. DOCUMENTATION

The local department of social services that establishes the claim must maintain documentation to support proper establishment of the claim, including how the overpayment amount was determined, documentation to support the date of discovery and documentation to support disqualification. In addition, documentation to support the balance due must also be maintained by the agency(s) collecting the payments. Documentation includes, but is not limited to, verifications from employers, landlords, schools; applications with false or omitted information; a copy of the initial demand letter; a copy of the Notice of Disqualification; and receipts for cash payments. If the local department of social services does not have documentation to support the claim, the claim must be terminated.

TRANSMITTAL #35