(A)
Gross Countable
Income. The amount of the household's gross countable monthly
income, as defined in
106 CMR
363.200:
Income, shall be verified before initial certification. The
verification requirements of
106 CMR
365.800:
Expedited Service,
shall be followed for households entitled to expedited service. If all attempts
to verify the gross countable income are unsuccessful because a third party has
failed to cooperate, the Department shall determine the household's gross
countable monthly income based on the best available information.
Noncountable income shall be verified only if the information
provided by the household is questionable as described in
106 CMR
361.620.
(B)
Noncitizen
Status. Any household member identified as a noncitizen on the
application shall verify his or her noncitizen status before initial
certification in accordance with
106
CMR
362.200:
Citizens, Noncitizens,
Canadian-born or Mexican-born Indians.
(C)
Utility Costs for Certain
Homeless Households. Households in which all members are homeless
individuals and reside in someone else's home (
see
106 CMR
360.020:
Definitions) must verify actual shelter and/or utility
expenses greater than $143 per month to be eligible for the shelter deduction
and the applicable Standard Utility Allowance.
(D)
Medical
Expenses. The amount of allowable medical expenses, including the
amount of reimbursement (
e.g., by a third-party insurer),
shall be verified prior to initial certification if their use would result in a
deduction. Other factors related to the medical expenses, such as the type of
service provided or the eligibility of the person incurring the cost, shall be
verified only if the information provided by the household is questionable
(
see
106 CMR
361.620) .
(E)
Liquid Assets.
The current value of the household's countable liquid assets, (
see
106 CMR
363.100:
Assets), shall be verified prior to certification.
(F)
Social Security
Numbers. The Social Security number (SSN) or the application for
an SSN shall be verified in accordance with
106 CMR
362.500(A) or
(B) prior to initial certification.
When a household member does not furnish an SSN which can be
verified in accordance with
106 CMR
362.500(A), and does not
have Good Cause for not providing an SSN, as specified in
106 CMR
362.500(C), the household
member is ineligible and shall be considered a disqualified nonhousehold member
in accordance with
106 CMR
365.520: Disqualified Non-household
Members.
(G)
Identity. The identity of the applicant and any
authorized representative applying on behalf of the household shall be verified
prior to initial certification. Identity may be verified through documentary
evidence that is readily available to the applicant or representative. Examples
of acceptable documentary evidence which the applicant may provide include, but
are not limited to, a driver's license; a work or school ID; an ID for health
benefits or for another assistance or social service program; a voter
registration card; wage stubs or a birth certificate. Any documents which
reasonably establish identity must be accepted, and no requirement for a
specific type of document may be imposed. In the absence of documentary
evidence, identity shall be verified by collateral contact in accordance with
106 CMR
361.640.
(H)
Residency.
Residency shall be verified before initial certification except in unusual
cases (such as homeless households, certain migrant farm-worker households, or
households that have just arrived in the state) where verification of residency
cannot reasonably be accomplished. To the extent possible, documents used to
verify rent or mortgage payments, utilities or identity shall be used to verify
residency. If such documentation does not verify residency, the Department
shall use any documents, collateral contact, or home visits (
see
106 CMR
361.640) that reasonably establish the
applicant's residency. No requirement for a specific type of verification may
be imposed, and no durational or fixed residency requirement shall be
established. An otherwise eligible household shall not be required to reside in
a permanent dwelling or have a fixed mailing address as a condition of
eligibility. The worker shall not limit verifications to a specific document
and must assist the household in obtaining verification, when necessary, as
discussed in
106 CMR
361.650.
(I)
Disability. The
disability of a household member, as it relates to household composition, shall
be verified before initial certification in accordance with
106 CMR
361.210.
(J)
Legal Obligation and Actual
Child Support Payments. The household's legal obligation to pay
child support, the amount of the obligation and the monthly amount of child
support the household actually pays shall be verified before initial
certification. The household is responsible for providing verification of the
legal obligation, the obligated amount, and the amount paid. The Department
shall accept any document that verifies the household's legal obligation to pay
child support, such as a court or administrative order, or legally enforceable
separation agreement.
The Department shall accept documentation verifying a
household's actual payment of child support including, but not limited to,
canceled checks, wage withholding statements, verification of withholding from
unemployment compensation or statements from the custodial parent regarding
direct payments or third party payments the noncustodial parent pays or expects
to pay on behalf of the custodial parent. Documents that are accepted as
verification of the household's legal obligation to pay child support shall not
be accepted as verification of the household's actual monthly child support
payments.
In addition to requiring verification from the household, the
Department shall be responsible for obtaining verification of the household's
child support payments if the payments are made to the State's Title IV-D
agency, the Department of Revenue (DOR). The Department shall use the
information in determining the household's entitlement to a deduction in the
new certification period. The household shall be given an opportunity to
resolve any discrepancy between household verification and the Title IV-D
agency records.
(K)
Additional Verification Requirements.
(1) All other eligibility factors, financial
or nonfinancial, shall be verified before the initial certification when the
information provided by the applicant is questionable and affects the
household's eligibility or benefit level. Other eligibility factors include
loans, household composition, citizenship, student eligibility, circumstances
relative to work registration, and certain deductible expenses.
(2) All other eligibility factors, financial
or nonfinancial, may be verified before the initial certification when the
Department elects to mandate verification of additional information. Such
verifications must be required statewide or throughout a project area but shall
not be imposed on a selective case-by-case basis on particular
households.
