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PY26 WHEAP Manual

35 Revised: August 2025 ix. Amerasians under the Amerasian Immigration Act of 1982 x. Native Americans born abroad xi. Trafficking victims who have been classified with a T nonimmigrant status xii. Compact of Free Association (COFA) citizens An individual meeting one of the above categories must provide one of the following forms of documentation. It is the applicant’s responsibility to provide non-expired documentation of their lawful status in the United States. Examples of documentation to support lawful status include: • Permanent Resident Card (I-551) • Unexpired foreign passport stamped by the U.S. government indicating that the holder has been "Processed for I-551" • Permanent resident Re-entry Permit (I-327) • Arrival Departure Form I-94 with “Temporary I-551” stamp and holder’s photograph affixed • Travel Document issued to Permanent Residents (I-327) • Travel Document issued to Refugees (I-571) • Form I-94 stamped with one of the following statuses: Asylee, Parolee or Parole, Refugee, Asylum, HP-humanitarian parolee, PIP-public interest parolee, or Cuban-Haitian Entrant

The worker shall identify, in HE+ System Notes, the document witnessed which verified the individual’s lawful status in the United States. If the individual has an immigration status or verification document that is not identified above, the worker shall contact the HE+ Help Desk for guidance. Eligibility as an eligible non-citizen must be documented annually on each application to ensure the applicant’s immigration status is current.

3.2.3 Social Security Number (SSN) An SSN is required for the case head and all persons in the household who have been issued a valid number by the Social Security Administration (SSA). A person who does not have an SSN, and is eligible to apply for one, must do so with the SSA. See the following sections for SSN exceptions.

WHEAP agencies shall assist applicants to apply for an SSN. The SSN application form and instructions for applying for a new SSN can be found online.

WHEAP benefits will not be paid if, within thirty (30) days from the date of application, the case head has not supplied SSNs for all eligible household members. A denial letter stating that all information was not provided will be generated after 30 days. The entire household is ineligible for HE+ benefits if any eligible member fails or refuses to provide or verify their SSN or does not provide proof of application for an SSN.

When an applicant cannot provide the SSN for a household member(s), the household member(s) shall not be entered into the HE+ System until the SSN has been provided. The application will be incomplete until the SSN has been provided and verified.

In the event of an emergency situation, please see Chapter 5, Section 5.2.2, or the HE+ Program Services Manual located on the Division website.