BASIC (09-05)

A. Policy

1. Circumstance of Disclosure

Auxiliary claimants or beneficiaries are entitled to information from the record of the NH or primary beneficiary, without his/her written consent, when the auxiliary needs the information to pursue his/her claim for benefits on the NH’s or primary beneficiary’s record. The relationship of the auxiliary to the NH must be established prior to any disclosure of personal information (see GN 03340.015 and GN 03360.005).

2. What Not to Disclose

Do NOT disclose the NH’s or primary beneficiary’s SSN or address. If, however, the individual files a claim, the NH’s SSN may be provided to him/her because it becomes his/her claim number. See GN 03320.005A.5. for instructions about disclosure of tax return information.

EXAMPLES:

• A woman is applying for benefits on her own work record. Because she and her husband are separated, she does not know whether he is entitled or (if so) what his PIA is. Also, she does not have his SSN, although she does have enough identifying information for a search. She asks the FO for information about his entitlement and his current address.

• You may disclose the NH’s PIA to his wife so she can determine whether she would be entitled to a wife's benefit in addition to her own primary benefit. However, do not disclose the NH's current address, SSN, or other information about him as she does not need this information to pursue a claim for wife's benefits.

• The same facts as above, except that when the FO informs the wife of the NH's PIA, she states that based on her knowledge of his work history, she believes he should have a higher PIA. When you contact the NH about a possible earnings discrepancy, he is not interested in pursuing the issue.

You may give the wife information from his earnings record so she can pursue the earnings discrepancy development herself, since this is relevant to her own benefit rate as a spouse.

IMPORTANT: Be especially careful if an auxiliary’s Numident record contains special indicator (SI) 6. This indicates that the has been issued a new SSN as a result of abuse, harassment or life endangerment. See RM 10215.230 for special actions that are required when special indicator 6 appears on Numident record.

3. Information about Other Claimants or Beneficiaries

Beneficiaries are entitled to certain information about other beneficiaries whose entitlement adversely affects their own benefits (see discussion in GN 03316.115.).

B. Procedure

See GN 03316.001D.