Effective April 1, 2003, Basic MassHealth for long-term unemployed adults ends. This termination impacts approximately 42,000 MassHealth recipients.

The Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) Program Office, within the Department of Homeland Security, is responsible for administering the SAVE Program. The SAVE Program is used to verify a noncitizen’s immigration status by using the noncitizen’s alien registration number (“A” number). The noncitizen verification is provided primarily through the Verification Information System (VIS).

The Department and the Office for Refugees and Immigrants (ORI) continue working together to address the issue of assisting current noncitizen EAEDC recipients with the citizenship process for becoming U.S. naturalized citizens.

The purpose of this memo is to: address issues related to reverification of information that is considered permanently verified; and remind AU Managers that, once SSN and date of birth are verified, applicants /recipients must not be required to verify the item unless a change is entered in BEACON or the information is questionable.

This memo describes changes in the layout and readability of the BEACON Generated Verification (VC-1) and informs AU Managers of related procedural changes. Advocacy note: Instead of paper verification checklists, FS applicants and recipients should be receiving in the mail a customized check list of verifications which should asks ONLY for the verifications specific to their case, should list a range of alternative verifications and should not ask for verifications already in the record or considered "permanent." Be sure to check the accuracy of verifications listed on this BEACON generated list.

Social Security Number validation by the electronic SVES system is acceptable verification of identity for all DTA benefits programs. No benefits should be delayed for failure to verify identity if the SVES system can validate the social security number.

From November, 2005 Transitions.

Reminder to case workers that verifications are not limited to any one type of document.

An FYI to DTA staff on expired immigration documents, explaining that an expired document does NOT mean expired immigration status!!

AU Managers must remember to help applicants and clients obtain required verifications, if they are unable to obtain verifications for reasons beyond their control. AU Managers must also remember to allow additional time and to give additional help to applicants and clients who have identified themselves as having trouble providing verifications due to Domestic Violence (DV), if specific documentation, such as a birth record to prove relationship, is taking more time than normally required (10 days) or would put the applicant or client at risk.

Reminder to case workers that they are obligated to assist applicants and recipients with getting verifications that they have difficulty getting for reasons beyond their control, and to inform applicants and recipients of alternative forms of verification including self-declarations and collateral contacts.

SSN matches; no need for SS card for verification.

EAEDC: application is also application for Medicaid; AFDC: explanation of first cousin once removed; AFDC and EAEDC: treatment of tax refunds and EIC; AFDC: If applicant received final paycheck before application and is not working, do not count past paychecks even if received within last 4 weeks; FS: worker can  not submit SSN change and case reopen on same day or FS will not issue.

Multilingual cards must be sent with every manual notice, inlcuding verification checklists; TAFDC: Family cap and deprivation factor; TAFDC: work requirement for parents of school-age children is based on mandatory school age not school attendance (note that while this reasoning still applies for figuring out which work requirement applies, it is no longer true that no work requirement applies to parents of children under 6).

AFDC: Must use current school year calendar to determine if 18 year-old is expected to graduate by 19th birthday; FS: treatment of situation where person works off their rent; EAEDC: case must be opened if eligible while awaiting response from agency reviewing medical report.