Section 144-301-200-FS 222-5 - Verification and Documentation1.GENERAL RULECertain financial and non-financial information must be verified to ensure accuracy.
EXCEPTION: Categorically Eligible Households (Section 444-8) .
2.MANDATORY ITEMSAny of the following items that are reported by the household, must be verified:
A. Alien Status (Section 111-2), B. Identity (Section 111-3), C. Maine Residency (Section 111-3), D. Social Security Number (Section 111-4), E. Current Earned and Unearned Income or lack thereof (Section 555-2 and 555-3), F. Utility Expenses if the household is not eligible for a Standard Utility Allowance (Section 555-5), G. Deductible Medical Expenses (Section 555-5), H. Deductible Legally Obligated Child Support Payments (Section 555-5), I. Dependent Care Expenses (Section 555-5), andJ. Meeting the definition of "Individuals with Disabilities" (Section 999-1) .3.OPTIONAL ITEMSInformation that is contradictory to information known to or received by the Department and may affect eligibility or benefit levels, including separate household status (Section 111-1(2)(D)) and the proration of lottery winnings (Section 444-12) .
4.SOURCE OF VERIFICATIONA. Documentary evidence is used as the primary source of verification for all items except residency and household size. Some examples of documentary evidence are wage stubs, rent receipts, and utility bills. Acceptable verification is not limited to any single type of document.B. Whenever documentary evidence is insufficient to make a firm determination of eligibility or benefit level, or cannot be obtained, a collateral contact may be required. Generally, the Department shall rely on the household to provide the name of any collateral contact. The household may ask for help in designating a collateral contact. When the collateral contact, designated by the household, cannot provide an accurate third party verification, the Department shall do one of the following:
(1) designate another collateral contact;(2) ask the household to designate another collateral contact; or(3) ask the household to provide an alternative form of verification. NOTE: The Department is responsible for obtaining verification from acceptable contacts. A collateral contact is an oral confirmation of a household's circumstances by a person outside the household. The contact may be made by the Department either in person or by telephone. The Department shall not require written statements by collateral contacts as a condition of eligibility. Some examples of acceptable collateral contacts include employers, lessors, social service agencies, and neighbors who can be expected to provide accurate third-party verification.
Prior to making any collateral contact, the Department shall inform the household of the proposed contact, what information is required, and why the contact is needed.
Households must be provided a clear notice of their right to withdraw their application if they do not want the Department to pursue a collateral contact designated by the Department.
5.DOCUMENTATIONThe Department shall document evidence to support decisions of eligibility and/or benefit levels, the reasons for questioning non-mandatory items, the need to make collateral contacts, and the reasons for not accepting an applicant's designated collateral contact.
6.RESPONSIBILITY FOR PROVIDING VERIFICATIONThe household has the primary responsibility for providing verification to support statements made on the application. The Department shall assist the household in obtaining this verification. The household is not required to present verification in person. The Department shall accept any reasonable proof provided by the household and shall be primarily concerned with how adequately the verification proves the statement on the application form. When all other sources of income verification are unavailable, the amount to be used must be based upon the best available information.
7. VERIFICATION AT OTHER TIMESThe same verification procedures that are used for initial application are used in all subsequent eligibility and benefit level decisions. The verification requirements at annual eligibility review are detailed in Section 666-9(5). The verification requirements for changes during the certification period are detailed in Section 666-6.
8.REFUSAL OR FAILURE TO PROVIDE VERIFICATIONThe Department will deny or close an application or case when verification is not provided due to refusal or failure to provide verification. For a determination of refusal to be made, the household must be able to cooperate, but clearly demonstrate that they will not take actions that they can take and that are required to complete the certification process. For example, to be denied for refusal to cooperate, a household must refuse to be interviewed, not merely fail to complete it. If there is any question as to whether the household has merely failed to cooperate the household must not be denied or closed based on refusal.
A. If the household refuses or fails to provide verification, the Department shall deny the application, unless there is good cause (Section 999-1) .B. If the household is receiving benefits and refuses or fails to provide verification, the Department shall close the case, unless there is good cause (Section 999-1) .C. The household is not ineligible based upon a person outside the household failing to cooperate with a request for verification. Individuals considered disqualified (see list at Section 444-4) and authorized representatives (Section 222-3) are not considered as a person outside the household.D. If a household refuses to cooperate with a Quality Control reviewer, the household shall be denied or terminated for refusal to cooperate. The household is not eligible until they cooperate with the Quality Control review or they reapply after the time limits described below. This ineligibility applies to all households, including those eligible for expedited service. (1) If a household, which has been terminated for refusal to cooperate with a State Quality Control reviewer, reapplies after 125 days beyond the annual review period for that Quality Control sample month, they may be found eligible, but each eligibility factor must be verified, regardless of whether or not the information is contradictory to information known to or received by the Department.(2) If such a household reapplies after 125 days from the end of the annual review period for that Quality Control sample month, and the household is eligible for expedited service, the household shall be provided benefits based on the expedited service processing requirements, including the provision that only identity must be verified. However, before the household may receive an issuance not processed under expedited service requirements, the household must provide verification of all eligibility requirements.(3) Verification of all eligibility requirements refers to any household circumstance that could affect eligibility. Required verification is not limited to those items required at the time of initial application or at annual eligibility review. Items such as household composition, citizenship or eligibility for a standard utility allowance that would normally only be verified unless contradictory to information known to or received by the Department, must be verified in these cases.(4) If a household which has been terminated for refusal to cooperate with a Federal Quality Control reviewer reapplies after 9 months beyond the annual review period for that Quality Control sample month, it may be found eligible but each eligibility factor must be verified. NOTE: The annual review period refers to the federal Quality Control review period and runs from October 1 through September 30.
E. Where verification is incomplete, the Department shall provide the household with a written statement of required verification and an offer to assist in obtaining it. The Department shall allow the household at least ten days from the date of the initial request for the particular verification to provide the missing verification.F. When information from another source contradicts statements made by the household, the Department shall give the household at least 10 days to resolve the discrepancy.G. When the household fails to provide verification required to establish a deductible expense or income exclusion, the Department shall determine eligibility without the deduction or exclusion. The Department shall not deny or terminate benefits for failure to provide such verification.10-144 C.M.R. ch. 301, § 200-FS 222-5