TN 29 (12-14)

A. Reinstating payments when confinement ends

1. Reinstatement effective date

A recipient remains a resident of a public institution until the correctional institution officially releases the individual and he or she leaves the institution. If a new application is not required per SI 02301.205, reinstate Title XVI payments effective the first month or earliest day in the month that the institution released the recipient and the recipient meets all eligibility requirements. Obtain evidence that the institution released the recipient before reinstating payments. For more information on reinstating Title XVI eligibility, see SI 02301.210.

2. Evidence of release from confinement

The recipient is responsible for providing evidence of his or her release; i.e., the release documents. Provide assistance in obtaining proof of release if necessary.

a. Recipient provides release document

Accept a document as proof of release if it contains:

• the recipient’s identity (name, social security number, inmate number, date of birth, address, or other descriptive information indicating that the recipient presenting the release document was the inmate);

• the name of the releasing institution (e.g., the release information is presented on the institution’s letterhead);

• the date and time of release. The time of release is necessary for proration computation purposes. (For more information on proration, see SI 02005.008. For information on computing a prorated payment, see SI 02005.007) ; and

• the signature of the official authorizing the release.

If the document does not contain all of this information or appears fraudulent or unreliable, contact the institution or releasing official to:

• verify the authenticity of the release document; and

• corroborate the release information (e.g., date and time of release).

b. Recipient does not provide release document

Ask the recipient for the name of the institution where he or she was last confined. Compare the allegation with the Prisoner Update Processing System (PUPS) record(s) and:

• if the alleged institution agrees with the PUPS record and the recipient is capable, advise the recipient to contact the correctional institution to obtain proof of release;

• if the alleged institution agrees with the PUPS record and the recipient needs assistance in obtaining the release documents, contact the institution and request it to fax or mail documentation of the recipient’s release to the field office (FO).

• if the correctional institution will not provide a release document by fax or mail, phone the institution to obtain the information in GN 02607.875A.2.a. Add a remark on the Prisoner Remarks Screen (PRMK) screen that you verified the inmate’s identity and the release information by phone; or

• if the alleged institution does not agree with the latest PUPS record, ask the recipient for the names of all places of his or her confinement. Update PUPS to reflect additional periods of confinement, if appropriate. After resolving any discrepancies, obtain the appropriate release document(s).

B. Procedure for reinstating Title XVI payments

Take the actions in this subsection to reinstate Title XVI payments after a period of prisoner suspension (payment status N22).

1. Update PUPS

a. Update the T16 Prisoner Update (PU16) screen

Update the following fields on the PU16 screen:

• SELECT TYPE OF ACTION = 5 (Reinstatement);

• ACTION EFFECTIVE DATE = the date (MMDDYY) payments should resume; and

• RELEASED DATE = the date (MMDDYY) the inmate was released.

NOTE: Updates to the PU16 screen change the PUPS status to reinstatement, but they do not automatically reinstate Title XVI payments. For more information on annotating reinstatement actions in PUPS, see MSOM PRISON 003.008.

b. Update the PRMK screen

Add remarks on the PRMK screen to document:

• what release evidence the recipient provided;

• who (recipient, representative payee or institution) provided the release evidence;

• date you reviewed the release evidence; and

• FO code and name of technician who reviewed the release evidence.

2. Review eligibility requirements

Review eligibility requirements with the recipient. Conduct an unscheduled redetermination, if appropriate. For more information on unscheduled redeterminations, see SI 02305.022.

3. Reinstatement action

Reinstate Title XVI payments through the Modernized SSI Claims System (MSSICS) or by using an SSA-1719B (SSI Posteligibility Input), as appropriate. For information on reinstating payments through MSSICS, see MSOM INTRANETSSI 010.001. For more information on using the SSA-1719B, see SM 01305.001.

4. Reinstatement of an incorrect suspension

Occasionally, we suspend a recipient’s payments and schedule an incentive payment before we discover that the institution released the recipient from confinement before serving a full calendar month. In this situation, the suspension is not appropriate and an incentive payment is not due. When discovering this error:

1. update PUPS according to GN 02607.875B.1. in this section;

2. reinstate payment according to GN 02607.875B.3. in this section; and

3. add remarks on the PRMK screen to document:

   • the erroneous suspension;

   • the circumstances of the case; and

   • why reinstatement of payment is appropriate.

Updating the RELEASED DATE field stops the incentive payment if PUPS has not already paid it. For more information on stopping an incentive payment for an incorrectly suspended recipient, see GN 02607.800C.2.

C. In-Kind Support and Maintenance (ISM) in month of release

When reinstating a recipient released from confinement during a calendar month, value ISM based on the recipient’s permanent residence as of the first moment of the month. The permanent residence as of the first moment of the release month depends on the length of confinement.

1. Confinement throughout at least 1 calendar month

If the confinement lasts throughout a month, the recipient is ineligible and ISM is not an issue for that month. When the recipient leaves an institution after a period of prisoner suspension (N22), count ISM provided by the institution up to the presumed maximum value (PMV) limit for the month of release. For more information on ISM for month of residence change, see SI 00835.500.

2. Confinement for less than a full calendar month

When a recipient is temporarily absent from his or her permanent living arrangement, continue to value any ISM as if the recipient was physically in his or her permanent living arrangement during the period of confinement. For more information on ISM during a period of temporary absence, see SI 00835.040.