TN 7 (09-17)

A. BOND participant

Benefit Offset National Demonstration (BOND) participants are those beneficiaries assigned to a stage 1 or stage 2-treatment group.

1. Identifying a BOND participant

a. Disability control file (DCF) coding

Both BOND participants and BOND beneficiaries have a demonstration code designation of DD in the indicator field of the DEMO screen of the DCF. To view the BOND DCF DEMO screen, select #16 on the DCF MCDR screen.

Trial work period (TWP) not complete

If the TWP is not complete, a BOND participant will have only a start date coded for the participation period. The month after random assignment appears in the start date, and the end month of participation is blank. The start date is just a placeholder and may not be the correct start date since we cannot establish the participation period until the TWP is complete.

TWP complete

If a participant completes the TWP, the beginning and end dates of the participation period appear on the DEMO screen. Upon completion of the TWP, these dates show the actual participation period.

b. eWork

eWork recognizes the DCF DEMO coding. eWork allows normal processing of all BOND cases not requiring a cessation determination. If the case has been ceased in the past, eWork will prompt you to transfer that case to L5R. For continuance decisions, a BOND header and paragraph are included in the final notice generated in eWork reminding the beneficiary he or she is a BOND participant. For instructions on transferring cases to L5R, see DI 60099.030B.

NOTE: A beneficiary can still be a BOND participant even if his or her benefits have actually terminated due to substantial gainful activity (SGA) prior to enrollment in BOND. A “terminated” participant can apply for a new period of disability or an expedited reinstatement (EXR) of disability benefits (if the application is within the time limit), serve the 24-month initial reinstatement period (IRP) and an additional trial work period (TWP), and then be potentially eligible for offset. In this event, the 60-month participation period begins with the first month of the new extended period of eligibility (EPE), provided the participant completes the IRP and new TWP before September 30, 2017.

IMPORTANT: When the claimants are making the EXR versus IC choice, they need to clearly understand how this will work if they pick EXR. They will not be eligible for the BOND offset computation until the 24-month IRP and TWP is completed, and their benefits are ceased due to SGA under normal rules. Since they must complete their new TWP by 09/30/2017 to be eligible for BOND offset, if the 24-month IRP begins after 1/2015 they will never be able to use the offset.

2. Identifying a BOND beneficiary

A BOND beneficiary is a disability beneficiary who has been in offset under BOND rules.

a. DCF coding

A BOND beneficiary has the DCF DEMO screen coded with DD in the indicator field and a start and stop date of participation.

b. Master Beneficiary Record (MBR) coding

A BOND beneficiary’s MBR will have the following:

• special message on the MBR reads as follows:

“(BIC) IN BOND PROJECT, SPECIAL PROCESSING REQUIRED.,”

• DD code in the DPI (Demonstration Project Indicator) field on the HISTDEMO line of the MBR,

• the HISTDEMO group of the MBR shows the start and end date of the potential offset period. For more information on the HISTDEMO, see SM 00510.178, and

• MBR HISTORY will contain one or more Z entries in the WIC field.