POMS Reference

GN 02607: Prisoner Provisions

TN 5 (11-02)

A. PROCEDURE - SUSPENDING BENEFITS AFTER SSA LEARNS OF THE BENEFICIARY'S CONVICTION OR COMMITMENT DATE

Benefits are suspended effective with the month (including any part of the month) the beneficiary has been convicted of a crime or the court issues an order of commitment and the beneficiary is confined in a correctional or mental institution.

NOTE: For confinements beginning 04/01/00 and continuing, the beneficiary must also be:

  • Convicted of a criminal offense or determined to be NGRI, incompetent to stand trial or sexually dangerous and

  • confined in a correctional or mental institution after the conviction/commitment for more than 30 continuous days before his/her title II benefits are suspended.

Suspend benefits effective with the month of the conviction or the court order of commitment and the same month the confinement began in the correctional/mental institution. The inmate must serve a period of confinement of more than 30 continuous days in an institution before you can legally suspend the title II benefit.

You will ignore the period of confinement (time spent in jail before the trial begins) pending trial. Suspend benefits effective with the official date of the inmate's conviction or court order of commitment or , the date the inmate starts physically residing in a correctional or mental institution. Choose whichever date is later if the dates are different.

See GN 02607.730B. for instructions on suspending title II benefits.

B. PROCEDURE - REOPENING OF PUPS RECORDS WHEN THE CONVICTION/COMMITMENT DATE IS KNOWN

1. PUPS Record Previously Closed as "NO SUSPENSION" or TRIAL PENDING

NOTE: If the PUPS record was previously closed as a "NO SUSPENSION" or a TRIAL PENDING action, do not post a conviction date to the PUPS record before reopening the PUPS record. (See MSOM PRISON 003.001-5 for reopening instructions for PUPS records.)

Suspending Benefits After Reopening of PUPS Record

  • Mail advance notification to the beneficiary at the address of record on the MBR.

    NOTE: Do not change the mailing address of the beneficiary unless the beneficiary personally requests it.

  • On the PUPS Record take the following actions:

    Check to see if a PUPS automated processing exclusions exists for the PUPS record. See GN 02607.740 for PUPS Automated Processing Exclusion instructions. If no PUPS automated processing exclusion exists, continue process as indicated below:

(See MSOM PRISON 003.001-5 for PUPS processing instructions on reopening of closed PUPS records.)

ACTION

PUPS DATA FIELD

INPUT DATA

SELECT

TYPE OF ACTION =

1 - SUSPEND BENEFITS

POST

ACTION
EFFECTIVE DATE =

the date suspension is effective

POST

CONFINEMENT TYPE =

1 - PRISON or 2 - MENTAL

CORRECT

RECEIPT DATE =

Change the receipt date to the date you learned of the conviction or the date the court order for commitment was obtained.

POST

NOTICE DATE =

the date the advance notice is mailed

POST

DUE PROCESS DATE =

1- 10 days or 2- 30 days

CHECK & CORRECT

REPORTER ID CODE =

Reporter who gave SSA conviction information

CHECK & CORRECT

FACILITY ID CODE =

Facility under the reporter who gave SSA conviction information

CHECK & CORRECT

CONFINEMENT DATE =

the date the inmate was confined

POST

CONVICTION DATE =

the date the inmate was convicted of a crime or

the date the inmate was committed because of a court order

CHECK

RELEASED DATE =

delete the released date from the PUPS record if one is present. You cannot suspend benefits through PUPS if a released date is on the PUPS record.

POST

REMARKS =

add an explanation of the suspension action.

  • If there are multiple PUPS records for the same individual, PUPS generates a question, "OTH REPORT NUMBER ARE PENDING. SHOULD THESE BE CLEARED NO SUSPENSION (Y/N).” Answering this question with a "Y" allows you to clear all PENDING PUPS reports with a single input. Make sure that all other records are cleared as "NO SUSPENSION," except the one you are using to suspend benefits.

    NOTE: When choosing TYPE OF ACTION 1, "SUSPENSION" on the PUO2 screen, the PUPS record status is changed back to PENDING. Annotate all revised data elements to the PUPS record.

  • Forward the "PRONG FILE" case materials to the jurisdictional PC/OCO-ODO after you check the PUPS record to be sure it is closed. (See GN 02607.990 for addresses for the PCs/OCO-ODO.)

  • If the PUPS record does not close, use the 2795 Prisoner Processing Fax process to notify the PC/OCO-ODO to manually suspend the benefits. See GN 02607.995 for preparation of the 2795 Fax form. Leave the PUPS record PENDING, the suspension action will close the PUPS record when the MBR interface occurs. See GN 02607.750 for PUPS cases where a T2R exception precludes suspension processing for the PUPS record.

  • Transfer the PUPS PENDING record to the PC/OCO-ODO per GN 02607.465.

NOTE (1): The ACTION EFFECTIVE DATE is the date SSA suspends benefits (places the beneficiary in LAF S7 on the MBR; i.e., the DOST date) for prisoner/NGRI suspension.

NOTE (2): If there is something wrong with the MBR or the case is a T2R exclusion, the jurisdictional PC/OCO-ODO automatically receives the T2R exception for suspension processing. See GN 02607.750 for instructions on processing T2R exception cases.

NOTE (3): If a PUPS automated processing exclusion exists on the PUPS record, use the 2795 FAX procedure to notify the PC/OCO-ODO to suspend the benefits. Close the PUPS PENDING Record as “NO SUSPENSION.” Add remarks to the PRMK screen to explain why the PUPS record was closed. See GN 02607.740 for additional instructions on processing PUPS automated processing exclusion cases.

2. PUPS Record is Currently in "PENDING" Status (EXPECTED TRIAL DATE Entry Matured)

Process as indicated in GN 02607.730B.1.

3. PUPS Record is Currently In "TRIAL PENDING" Status (EXPECTED TRIAL DATE Diary Has Not Expired)

Process as indicated in GN 02607.730B.1.

C. PROCEDURE - PUPS PROCESSING BENEFICIARY NOT CONVICTED OR COMMITTED OR IN AN INSTITUTION 30 DAYS OR LESS

If the beneficiary was not convicted of a crime or committed as an NGRI, incompetent to stand trial individual or a sexually dangerous person, or was in a correctional or mental institution 30 days or less, process as indicated in the chart below:

ACTION

PUPS PROCESSING ACTION

INPUT DATA

SELECT

Type of Action

2 - CLEAR CONTROL--NO SUSPENSION NECESSARY

POST

Conviction Date

Post conviction date if beneficiary was convicted and released before remaining in jail 30 continuous days or less or given time already served.

Do not post a conviction date for individuals not convicted of a crime; e.g., NGRIs, etc.

POST

Release Date

Date beneficiary was released from the institution.

POST

Remarks

Explain the reason for the "NO SUSPENSION" clearance in the PRMK screen on the PUPS record.