TN 24 (07-14)

A. When to request a manual incentive payment

The Prisoner Update Processing System (PUPS) cannot automatically calculate and pay incentive payment in certain situations. These situations require manual incentive payments if the reporter qualifies for an incentive payment. To determine if a reporter qualifies for an incentive payment, see GN 02607.800.

1. Title II manual incentive payment situations

The following situations require manual incentive payments:

1. T2R exception cases - the suspension action input through PUPS does not properly suspend benefits (LAF S7) on the Master Beneficiary Record (MBR). For information on T2R exception cases, see GN 02607.750;

2. PUPS automated processing exclusions. For information on automated processing exclusions, see GN 02607.740; and

3. Reporter disputes incentive payment amount received and we determine that additional incentive payments are due the reporter. For information on incentive payment disputes, see GN 02607.830A.

4. “*PENDING” PUPS records, which are records that PUPS did not receive the prisoner suspension (S7) feedback from the Master Beneficiary Record (MBR). For more information on *PENDING PUPS records, see GN 02607.820B.2.c.

When PUPS cannot calculate a Title II incentive, it annotates the reason in the REASON FOR NO INCENTIVE PAYMENT field on the T2 Prisoner Status Query (P2QY) screen. For more information on the P2QY screen, see MSOM PRISON 003.007.

2. Title XVI manual incentive payment situations

The following situations require manual incentive payments:

1. “*PENDING” PUPS records, which are records that PUPS did not receive the prisoner suspension (N22) feedback from the Supplemental Security Record (SSR). For more information on *PENDING PUPS records, see GN 02607.820B.2.c.

2. Couple's records. (For more information on these cases, see GN 02607.705.)

3. N22 payment status established on a new record. (For more information on these cases, see GN 02607.705).

4. SSR has one of the following payment statuses:

   • terminated,

   • force due, or

   • other special payment status.

   For more information on these cases, see GN 02607.705.

5. Reporter disputes incentive payment amount received and we determine that additional incentive payments are due the reporter. For information on incentive payment disputes, see GN 02607.830A.

If you attempt to suspend benefits through PUPS and PUPS identifies that one of these exclusions exists, it places the following message after page 2 of the T16 Prisoner Status Query (PU16) screen: “Suspension not sent to the SSR, Select SSI data inputs or MSSICS to update SSR” (refer to MSOM PRISON 003.008).

B. Processing manual incentive payments

1. Requesting a manual payment

If a manual incentive payment is necessary, FOs should contact the regional prisoner coordinator (RPC) and payment centers (PC/OCO-ODO) should contact the PC coordinator. Provide the following information to request a manual incentive payment:

• Type of incentive payment (Title II, Title XVI, or Title II and Title XVI);

• SSN of inmate;

• Name of inmate;

• Reporter Identification Code (RID);

• Facility Identification Code (FID);

• Amount of incentive payment (i.e., $200 or $400);

• Date SSA received the inmate report;

• Report date;

• Date of confinement;

• Date of conviction (for Title II incentive payments);

• Date the Title XVI or Title II suspension should have occurred; and

• Reason for the manual incentive payment (e.g., couple's case, force due, etc.).

For the list of RPCs and PC coordinators, see GN 02607.990.

2. RPC and PC procedures for processing manual incentive payment requests

The RPC and PC should take the following actions to process manual incentive payment requests:

1. Evaluate the request for the manual incentive payment and determine if the request is valid.

2. Verify that the MBR reflects the proper S7 payment status code and accompanying reason for suspense or termination (RFST) code or that the SSR reflects the proper N22 payment status code. SSA cannot make a manual incentive payment unless there is an S7 or N22 period corresponding to the PUPS suspension.

3. If the PUPS record shows *PENDING, you must close the PUPS record using the T2 Prisoner Update Screen (PU02) for Title II cases and the T16 Prisoner Update Screen (PU16) for Title XVI cases. Update the PUPS record with Type of Action 2- CLEAR CONTROL – NO SUSPENSION NECESSARY. Add a Prisoner Remarks Screen (PRMK). Explain in REMARKS on the PRMK screen “PUPS Suspension action excepted and we needed to close PUPS manually. Suspension of benefits is effective MM/DD/CCYY. Manual Incentive Payment is Needed. Referring PUPS record for manual incentive action.”

4. If the incentive payment request is valid and the MBR or SSR reflects the proper payment status, forward the manual incentive payment request with the information via email to Judy Sale, in the Office of Prisoner, Claimant & Representative Payee Policy (OPCRP), in Central Office.

5. OPCRP will review the manual incentive payment requests and authorize payment, if appropriate. OPCRP authorizes release of manual incentive payments monthly.