County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency HHSA CalWORKs Program Guide Income Eligibility Verification System IEVS Number Page 44100N 1 of 5 Revision Date December 1 2019 Background The Income Eligibility Verification System IEVS is a computerized information system which performs data matches against several agency data bases to verify income andor property Purpose This section has been revised to add requirements for requesting and processing an Applicant IEVS at redetermination Policy IEVS matches use the customers name and Social Security Number SSN and match with the following Employment Development Department EDD Wage Information EDD Unemployment Insurance Benefits UIB and State Disability Insurance SDI Internal Revenue Service IRS and Franchise Tax Board FTB Social Security Administration SSA Title II Social Security Benefits SSA Title XVI Supplemental Security IncomeState Supplementary Payment SSISSP Benefits State Welfare Information Files InterCounty Duplicate Benefit Intentional Program Violation IPV Disqualification Information Outstanding Overpayment Information IEVS Report Components There are two components to IEVS Applicant IEVS Verifies eligibility of individuals who are applying for multiple social services programs Recipient IEVS Verifies ongoing eligibility of current or former CalWORKs customers A series of matches that is received throughout the year The matches contain data regarding income assets incarceration employer or other data that might affect program eligibility or benefit level The IEVS reports consist of the following data matches o Beneficiary Earnings Exchange Record BEER o Franchise Tax Board Asset Match System FTB o Integrated Fraud Detection IFDEarning Clearance System ECS Match o Internal Revenue Service Asset Match System IRS o Payment Verification System PVS o California Youth Authority CYA o Deceased Persons Match DPM o Fleeing Felon Match FFM o New Hire Registry NHR o Nationwide Prisoner Match NPM County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency HHSA CalWORKs Program Guide Income Eligibility Verification System IEVS Number Page 44100N 2 of 5 Requesting IEVS Reports IEVS reports must be requested for customers applying or receiving assistance and whose income and resources are considered in determining eligibility if the SSN is obtained At intake IEVS reports must be requested at the first available opportunity following the receipt of the necessary information from the customer but no later than 5 working days after the signed statement of facts is completed For redetermination IEVS reports must be requested at least 15 days prior to the redetermination interview in order to assist with the determination of ongoing eligibility Processing IEVS Reports Upon receipt of an IEVS match the data must be reviewed and compared to the case record to determine whether it affects eligibility or benefit level Any information that is significantly different from the information provided by the customer must be clarified Significantly different means the difference could affect current or prior eligibility or benefit level IEVS information must be verified before any case action can be taken to terminate deny or reduce benefits based on this information If the IEVS information is consistent with the information provided by the customer the worker will not seek verification from the customer or thirdparty source If there are no changes to eligibility or benefit level the worker will enter a case comment documenting that determination IEVS as A Primary Source Verification IEVS information which is received directly from the agency which provides the incomebenefit is considered as primary source verification Independent verification is not required unless the IEVS data is questionable IEVS information which can be considered verified from primary sources includes Social Security and SSISSP benefit information received directly from SSA CalWORKsTANF benefits information UIBDIB benefit information IEVS Information Requiring Independent Verification IEVS information received from a source other than the agency which provides the incomebenefit is not considered adequate for verification purposes This information must be independently verified IEVS information which is not adequate for verification purposes includes Wage information received from the FTB rather than the employer Interestdividend information received from the FTB rather than the bank or financial institution Independent verification must include The amount of the asset or income involved from the employer or institution A determination as to whether the customer hashad access to the asset or income Identification of the period when the customer had the asset or income County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency HHSA CalWORKs Program Guide Income Eligibility Verification System IEVS Number Page 44100N 3 of 5 Discrepant Information Information received before the application interview Discrepancies will be discussed and resolved during the interview if possible A thirdparty contact may be necessary Resolution of the discrepancies must be thoroughly documented in case comments Information received after the application interview or after granting the case The worker will contact the customer The request for clarification must explain what information the County has how it affects the customers eligibility andor benefit level and what action will occur if the customer does not respond The customer will be given 10 days to respond to the request for IEVS clarification If the customer requests an extension of time to obtain the information the worker will allow a reasonable extension If the customer is unable to obtain the information the worker will assist by seeking verification from a thirdparty The worker will obtain the customers written authorization only when requesting information from banking institutions If neither the customer nor the worker can get the information the worker will accept a sworn statement as verification The determination to accept a sworn statement must be documented in the case comments Since FTB information may be old the financial institution may be unable to provide the information or may request a fee As a last resort the worker will obtain a sworn statement and make a referral to Bureau of Public Assistance Investigation BPAI Eligibility will be determined based on the sworn statement pending the BPAI results The determination to accept a sworn statement must be documented in the case comments Customers must be denied or discontinued if the worker is able to determine without further inquiry that the customer is ineligible Response Received Once the verification is received the worker will determine the effect on eligibility or benefit level and take action If the customer is ineligible denydiscontinue the case and evaluate for past or current overpayments No Response If the customer does not respond to the request for information within 10 days and makes no effort to cooperate the case will be denieddiscontinued for failure to cooperate Discontinuance of the case due to failure to cooperate or due to information indicating ineligibility is subject to timely notification Processing Timeframes for IEVS Matches IEVS match followup must be completed within 45 calendar days of the match being received Potential discrepancies are considered DiscoveredIdentified on the run date or date of receipt of the IEVS match whichever is later Further federal rules state that IEVS matches are considered Initiated and Pursued when the county has received the match and determined whether it may affect eligibility or benefit level If there is no discrepancy based on the customers reporting requirements the worker must enter a case comment documenting that determination If a potential discrepancy exists the worker must at County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency HHSA CalWORKs Program Guide Income Eligibility Verification System IEVS Number Page 44100N 4 of 5 a minimum mail a request for verification form to the customer within 45 days of receipt of the IEVS match Completion of IEVS Match Processing For open cases all of the ten IEVS matches are considered Completed when the county has either established the overpayment by the quarter after the quarter in which the discrepancy was DiscoveredIdentified or determined that no discrepancy exists based on the customers reporting requirements The worker must enter a case comment documenting that determination Example On 100118 an IFD match is received The county has until 111418 to review the match and determine if a potential discrepancy exists based on the customers reporting requirements SAR IRT etc This includes the mailing of a verification letter to the customer whose eligibility andor benefit level may be affected notifying himher By 033119 the worker must make a determination using the information obtained directly from the customer or from a third party as to whether to reduce or discontinue the case The initial 45day processing timeframe does not apply to CYA DPM FFM and NPM matches However if the cases that the abstract pertains to are open the worker must still determine whether there is an overpayment by the quarter after the quarter in which any one of these matches are received IEVS matches for closed cases However the worker must still process these matches as soon as administratively possible A pending investigation by BPAI for potential criminal prosecution or IPV determination cannot delay the processing of the IEVS match The worker must determine if an overpayment has occurred Overpayments If an overpayment occurs establish the overpayment by the quarter after the quarter in which the discrepancy was discoveredidentified The customer cannot be subject to criminal prosecution for any overpayment of benefits received any month following the 45th day if the county does not provide the customer a Customer Verification Letter by the 45th day from the receipt of the IEVS data match showing a potential discrepancy requesting the customer confirm the information on the match Timely and adequate notice for the establishment and collection of the overpayment by the quarter after the quarter of the IEVS showing a potential discrepancy When generating a referral to BPAI for potential prosecution ensure the following criteria are met 1 Customer was sent a Verification Letter by the 45th day from the receipt of the IEVS data match or New Hire Report whichever comes first requesting the customer confirm the information on the match 2 Timely and adequate notice for the establishment and collection of the overpayment was sent to the customer within the quarter after the quarter of the IEVS showing a potential discrepancy 3 There are two completed perjured documents in the overpayment period signed by the income earner dated and filled out completely County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency HHSA CalWORKs Program Guide Income Eligibility Verification System IEVS Number Page 44100N 5 of 5 4 The overpayment period dollar amount is over 1500 after the first perjured document was submitted to the county References Manual Policies and Procedures MPP 20006 22071 22072 222014 2230545 All County Letters ACL No 1741 17118 1822 1978 EPPG New Hire Registry NHR Report Processing Sunset Date This policy will be reviewed for continuance by December 31 2022 Approval for Release Rick Wanne Director Eligibility Operations