IMA POLICY MANUAL
PART IV: NON-FINANCIAL ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS
CHAPTER 3: SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER
Applicants/recipients must:
- furnish an SSN (or numbers if more than one has been issued) for each member of the group, or
- apply for a number (either because a number has not been issued or is not known) and furnish the number when it is received from SSA, except that:
- applicants/recipients of the DC HealthCare Alliance are not required to apply for an SSN if they do not have one, and
- applicants/recipients of Medical Assistance under Emergency Medicaid and the Immigrant Childrens Program are exempt from this requirement.
The SSR shall notify the applicant/recipient that the SSN will be used in administering the program, including the use of computer matches with other data sources such as Social Security and DOES data.
A person with more than one SSN must reveal all numbers. The SSR should record each number provided.
Individuals who fail, without good cause, to provide an SSN are ineligible for program benefits. There are exceptions to this rule (see Section 3.3: Exceptions/Good Cause for a discussion of exceptions and good cause in this Chapter).
Social Security Number (SSN)
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TANF: 4-217.7
GC: See TANF and DC Code 4-205.5a |
MA: 42 CFR 435.910; 435.920
FS: 7 CFR 273.6 |
EXCEPTIONS/GOOD CAUSE 3.3
| ALL |
A group member who has not complied with SSN requirements may be allowed to continue to participate if good cause exists as determined by the SSR. The good cause determination must be noted in the case record. An example of a good cause reason for failing to provide an SSN is the case of an individual who cannot apply for an SSN because s/he cannot secure a needed out-of-state birth certificate.
Good cause for not complying in a timely fashion does not include delays due to illness, lack of transportation, or temporary absences.
In cases not involving expedited Food Stamp service, if good cause exists for not applying for and/or providing an SSN, the person is allowed to participate for the month of application and one additional month. Good cause must be shown monthly thereafter. The SSR should assist a person who is unable to obtain the verification needed to apply for an SSN.
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| MA |
The SSR should exempt aliens eligible only for emergency services and children eligible for the Immigrant Childrens Program from the SSN requirement. Adults and children in the DC HealthCare Alliance must provide their SSN if they have one, but they are not required to apply for an SSN if they do not have one.
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| GC |
The SSR should exempt a child from the SSN requirement if:
- The child is too young to apply for a number
- The SSA will not honor the caretaker's application for the child's number.
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| FS |
The SSR should advise the group that an SSN or proof of application for an SSN must be provided for each member prior to certification except for households entitled to expedited service or categorically eligible groups (see Chapter 4: Expedited Services in Part III and Chapter 12: Categorical Eligibility in this Part).
FS groups entitled to expedited service are not required to provide or apply for a SSN prior to receiving their initial benefit. They must do so prior to the issuance of benefits subsequent to the issuance of expedited benefits.
A categorically eligible group is not required to provide proof of SSNs for Food Stamp purposes.
In addition, a newborn may be added to an open case without provision of an SSN or proof of application for an SSN (see Adding a Newborn in Section 1.7 of this Part).
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All SSNs must be verified unless the person is exempt from the requirement. Once an applicant/recipient has furnished an SSN, the primary means of verification is by submission of the SSN to SSA for verification through the ACEDS system.
The SSR should not delay the issuance of benefits pending receipt of a number when application for an SSN has been verified.
Acceptable verification of application for an SSN includes:
- a receipt from SSA,
- notices from hospitals with enumeration agreements, or
- Vital records for those enumerated at birth.
