Verifying Reported Changes
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This section includes information on how to determine whether verification is required, and action is needed.
Policy
Policy regarding verification depends on the source of the change.
FAA receives information regarding changes from all of the following sources:
●The budgetary unit
Budgetary Unit Reported Change
FAA requests verification of changes reported by the budgetary unit(g) for information that impacts eligibility and benefit amounts when any of the following occur:
●Enough information is not provided with a reported change to decrease or stop benefits.
●The reported change causes an increase in benefits.
NOTE For NA, verification of relationship and living arrangements is only required when questionable. See Adding A Participant – Overview for mandatory requirements when adding a participant to a budgetary unit
●Questionable information(g) is reported.
●Unverified or verified information that has an unknown impact on the budgetary unit’s eligibility or benefit amount.
NOTE For NA only, when the reported change will potentially cause an NA closure due to excessive income, verification is required. For more information, see Benefit Decreases or Closures due to a Reported Change.
FAA does not request verification of changes reported by the budgetary unit when any of the following occur:
●Enough information is provided with a reported change to decrease or stop benefits.
●The reported information does not impact the budgetary unit’s eligibility or benefits level.
When verification is needed, a notice is sent requesting the verification with the due date by which the verification needs to be returned.
(For more information about when a change goes into effect, see When to Effect Changes)
Benefit Decreases or Closures due to a Reported Change
For NA, when enough information is provided with a reported change in income that causes ineligibility, FAA completes all of the following:
●Verifies the participant’s income using any of the following verification sources:
Hard copy verification when readily available.
Any electronic source that provides information regarding income of a participant.
Collateral contact when hard copy verification or electronic source is not available.
When all other verification sources are not available, attempt a collateral contact with the participant to confirm all necessary information needed to process the change and document the case file(g). When a collateral contact cannot be completed, use the best available information that was provided.
●Budgets the participant’s verified income following policy guidelines. (For more information on budgeting income, see Income Budgeting Basics (internal use only))
●Documents the case file supporting the income budgeted.
When contact is made with the participant, FAA documents the participant’s confirmation that the income is correct.
For CA and all other changes, when enough information is provided with a reported change, FAA effects the decrease or stops benefits without additional verification. Verification is obtained at the next renewal or Mid Approval Contact.
Third-Party Source Reported Change
FAA receives information from all of the following third-party sources:
●Crossmatch reports
●State Verification Exchange System (SVES)
●State or federal agencies
FAA does not request additional verification of the information provided by third-party sources, when any of the following occur:
●The information is verified upon receipt(g).
●FAA receives verification from the primary source of information(g) and enough information is reported to increase, decrease, or stop benefits.
●The reported information does not impact the budgetary unit’s eligibility or benefits level.
FAA increases, decreases, or stops benefits without verification when additional verification is not needed. (For more information about when a change goes into effect, see Effecting Changes.)
When FAA receives information from a third-party source, FAA requests verification when the unclear information meets any of the following criteria:
●Directly conflicts with information used at the time of approval to determine eligibility and benefit level for the current approval period and reflects information that would have been available at the time of approval. (See Example 1 and Example 2 for more information.)
●Indicates a change occurred that the budgetary unit is required to report according to the reporting requirements assigned to the budgetary unit. (For more information on what changes the budgetary unit is required to report, see Standard Reporting or Simplified Reporting)
NOTE When the information reported indicates the change occurred more than 60 calendar days from the first day of the current calendar month, FAA verifies the information with the budgetary unit at the next Mid Approval Contact (MAC) or renewal, whichever comes first.
●The information was received from a prison verification system, or a deceased matching system. (For more information, see Crossmatch Reports.)
When the unclear information does not meet the criteria to request verification from the budgetary unit, FAA reviews the information with the budgetary unit at the next MAC or renewal, whichever comes first.
When verification is needed, a notice is sent requesting the verification with the due date by which the verification needs to be returned.
When unclear information is reported during the approval period and may potentially increase the benefits, FAA sends a voluntary notice requesting the verification. When the budgetary unit responds and provides the verification, FAA acts on the change. (For more information about when a change goes into effect, see When to Effect Changes. When the budgetary unit does not provide the verification requested on the voluntary notice, no adverse action(g) is taken.
Examples
1) Jane completed an NA interview on 07/01/2021 and during the interview stated she was not working. FAA receives information on 09/30/2021 that Jane started working at Walmart beginning 09/27/2021. This is not conflicting information because the change occurred after approval and the information provided during the NA interview was true at the time.
2) Henry completed an NA interview on 07/01/2021. FAA receives information that Henry started working at TJ MAXX beginning 06/27/2021. This is conflicting information because the information reported during the interview was not true and the information suggests that Henry was employed when he completed his NA interview.
Legal Authorities
7 CFR 273.2(f)(2)
7 CFR 273.12(c)(3)
7 CFR 273.12(c)(3)(i)
7 CFR 273.12(c)(3)(i)(A)
7 CFR 273.12(c)(3)(i)(B)(1)
7 CFR 273.12(c)(3)(i)(C)
7 CFR 273.12(c)(3)(ii)
7 CFR 273.12(c)(3)(iii)
7 CFR 273.12(c)(3)(iii)(A)
7 CFR 273.12(c)(3)(iii)(B)
last revised 08/19/2024