TN 31 (04-10)

A. Introduction to the DCF

The DCF is:

• a centralized, electronic database that stores, supports, and controls post-entitlement (PE) disability-related actions and determinations;

• part of the Integrated Disability Management Systems (IDMS) which integrates with the eWork system;

• an online resource for providing access to disability related claims filed by a beneficiary, a Title II beneficiary’s work and earnings, and data regarding continuing disability reviews (CDR) and expedited reinstatement (EXR) actions that are pending and or processed;

• an alert system: the user receives a message on the DCF when an action is taken on one record and there is entitlement on another record;

• a system that associates a CDR to the appropriate claim (i.e. dual entitlement CDRs); and

• a system that supports subsequent entitlement, dual-entitlement, and claims with different trial work periods (TWP).

NOTE: Use eWork to initiate and process all work-related CDRs (see, FO Responsibilities in Work Issue CDRs DI 13010.025, and the eWork Training Site ).

B. DCF functionality

• Controls medical and work issue actions and provides disability related data based on the beneficiary’s own account number (BOAN).

• Provides disability related data on various disability entitlements (Title II and Title XVI).

• Controls and allows entry for work determinations for multiple entitlements.

• Controls CDRs, effective 08/29/2009, in a pre-determined priority order (i.e., a disabled beneficiary (HA) is a higher priority than a child’s (C1) record).

• Propagates wages to selected entitlement; codes may be entered for separate entitlements (i.e., beneficiary may have two periods of disability, and the trial work period (TWP) months may only apply to one of those entitlement periods).

C. DCF screens

To process PE work and medical issues use the following screens.

D. Querying the DCF for work information

The DCF contains the information needed to determine PE disability actions taken. Query the DCF:

• To develop and process CDRs

• To check the jurisdiction of a pending work CDR

• To determine that work determination codes (e.g., TWP) are in sequence and are posted within 60 months of the TWP completion date

• To answer a beneficiary’s questions

• To determine why an action was taken

How to query the DCF:

1. Select #32, DISABILITY CONTROL FILE from the MAIN, SSA Menu. The next screen is the CDR Section Menu (MCDR) screen.

2. From the MCDR screen, select #1, QUERY, to review case information in the DCF:

   • enter the beneficiary's own SSN (BOAN) or the claim social security number (SSN); and

   • if the claim number SSN was entered, enter the BIC for that claim number.

3. The next screen is the CDR Entitlement screen (ECDR). Enter the corresponding number to the action you are querying in the SELECT field.

4. The next screen is the CDR Query (QCDR) screen. Press the ENTER key to bring the next screen in the path; in the case of a work CDR issue this is the Query Work Information Data Screen (QWID) screen.

5. Press ENTER to return to the QCDR screen.

6. If you require in-depth work information contained in the QWID screen, review the Query Earnings or the Verify Earnings (QERN/VERN) screens, #12 and #13 from the MCDR screen. (See, Disability Control File (DCF) – Overview MSOM CDR 001.001)

E. How to query and verify earnings

Review the QERN and VERN screens to obtain more in-depth information on work activity performed during a period of work activity, and to avoid edits when processing work CDRs in eWork.

1. Select #32, DISABILITY CONTROL FILE from the MAIN, SSA Menu. The next screen is the MCDR screen.

2. Complete the MCDR screen, CDR SELECTION MENU, Select “12” or “13” as applicable, QUERY EARNINGS or VERIFY EARNINGS. The next screen is the Entitlement Selection (ESEL) screen.

3. Select the claim you are querying or verifying. Review the summary of the selected entitlement on the next screen, the Entitlement Summary (ESUM) screen.

4. The next screen is the Query Earnings (QERN) screen.

5. If the QERN does not provide the amount of detailed information needed, enter Y in the MORE DETAIL field to request additional earnings information.

   • This will bring the VERN screen into the path. You can only move from the QERN to the VERN in this manner in the QUERY mode.

   • The VERN provides a separate screen for each month of earnings listed on the QERN screen.

   • The VERN includes information on the total amount of earnings not counted, the type of earnings not counted for earnings purposes, and the TWP completion date, if entered.

6. The PAGE field lists the total number of monthly VERN screens available.

7. The TWP COMPLETION DATE field indicates the last month of the TWP.

8. The TOTAL fields provide the total earnings amounts for each title program (Title II and or Title XVI), as well as separate gross earnings and net earnings totals.

9. The AMOUNT NOT COUNTED indicates the amount deducted from the gross earnings amount reported for the earnings month shown on the screen.

10. The TYPE field indicates the type of exclusion (AMOUNT NOT COUNTED) deducted from gross earnings. The possible codes are:

    • WE, Work Expenses (Impairment-Related Work Expenses (IRWE) Blind Work Expenses (BWE), etc)

    • SB, Subsidy Exclusion (Title II only)

    • SC, Special Conditions (Title II only)

    • PA, Pass amount (Title XVI only)

    • SI, Student Earned Income (Title XVI only)

F. Adding actions to the DCF

Establish and control all CDR and EXR related actions in eWork (see FO Responsibilities in Work Issue CDRs DI 13010.025). eWork establishes the action in the DCF.

Two actions for the same type cannot be pending at the same time (e.g., you cannot establish a work CDR if a work CDR is already pending in the DCF), determine if an action is already pending by reviewing the STATUS area of the screen.

To manually add actions to the DCF:

1. Select #32, DISABILITY CONTROL FILE from the MAIN, SSA Menu. The next screen is the MCDR screen.

2. Select #8 in the MCCDR SELECT field to ESTABLISH DISABILITY REVIEW. Enter the applicable SSN. If there is a disability case present in the DCF, it will propagate to the ECDR screen.

3. On the ECDR screen, enter the type of action to be established in the SELECT field:

   • Prior to establishing an action on the DCF, review the STATUS area of the screen

     • to determine if an action is already pending; the DCF does not allow duplicate actions to be established.

     • for information regarding “Ticket” assignment status under the Ticket to Work Program.

   • If the status indicates that we assigned a Ticket to the beneficiary, consider whether you should apply the medical CDR protections provided in the Ticket to Work program (see, Determining Ticket Status DI 55025.001).

   • If there are no conflicts, enter the appropriate selection code for the action to be established, and press ENTER. This will bring the Disability Review Establishment (DRES) screen into the path.

4. Use the DRES screen to establish a work CDR in the DCF (see DI 13010.610).

5. 5. If there are no surface edits, the action is established and the system reverts to the MCDR screen. If necessary, resolve any surface edits and reenter the action to add the CDR to the DCF.

   NOTE: If you input EVENT TYPE 07, ASSISTANCE REQUEST, two issues automatically open on the CDRW screen to control the assistance request.

G. Updating and clearing actions to the DCF

The DCF has two different input screens to update or transfer actions:

• CDR FO Input Screen (IFOA); FO staff must use the IFOA screen to update/transfer actions.

• PC Input Screen (IPCA); PC staff must use the IPCA/IPCB screens.

FO IFOA procedure:

Use the IFOA screen to update the DCF or to clear or transfer an action. Once you establish an action in the DCF and you prepare necessary documentation (such as preparing a SSA-833, etc.); input via the IFOA to update/clear the action.

1. On the MCDR screen, enter #2, FO UPDATE; or access the open CDR action through the ECDR screen.

2. Complete the IFOA to record the EVENT TYPE action taken.

3. Input the office you are transferring the action to in the OFFICE RESPONSIBLE FOR NEXT ACTION field. If you do not enter an office, the DCF assumes the last office of record has jurisdiction.

4. If you input EVENT TYPE 07, ASSISTANCE REQUEST, two issues automatically open on the CDRW screen to control the assistance request.

5. If sending the claims folder:

   • input Y in the SEND CLAIMS FOLDER TO ABOVE DESTINATION;

   • if you processed the action without requesting the claims folder, do not enter a Y in this field;

   • when forwarding a folder, enter the SSNX code from the bar coding on the folder. When you have completed the DCF clearance screens, you see the appropriate Processing Center Action Control System (PCACS) screen;

   • the DCF action records the transfer of a file only in the DCF but does not update other systems; and

   • complete the PCACS action to record the folder transfer.

6. If you are reconstructing the folder, enter Y in the FOLDER RECONSTRUCTION ISSUE field (see MSOM CDR 001.007).

PC IPCA procedure:

Use the IPCA/IPCB screens to update the DCF with a decision or transfer action. Once you establish an action in the DCF, use the IPCA screen to update or clear the action (see MSOM CDR 001.005 and DI 13010.625).

1. Access the IPCA screen by entering 3, PROCESSING CENTER INPUT SCREEN, in the MCDR screen or by accessing the open CDR action through the ECDR screen.

2. Enter the appropriate event in the SELECT EVENT TYPE field on the IPCA.

3. If you enter an appropriate event code, you see the IPCB screen. Enter the three-digit office code for the office that is responsible for the next action on the IPCB.

4. If you select EVENT TYPE 7, ASSISTANCE REQUEST, the DCF automatically generate two CDRW issues regarding the assistance request.

5. If you select EVENT TYPE 9, CONTINUANCE, you receive the MODIFY MEDICAL DATA (MMDS) screen unless the continuance is for an EXR approval.

6. Enter Y in the FOLDER RECONSTRUCTION ISSUE field if that is an issue. Possible entries are Y, N, F, L, and Q (see DI 13010.625D.4).

When a FO completes actions on a work CDR or TWP determination (T2WORK), and all CDR actions have processed to completion, the FO will close-out the CDR by entering an event code of 5 on the IFOA (see, The CDR FO Input (IFOA) Screen DI 13010.620D). No further CDR actions should be necessary. Pursue overpayment actions under normal overpayment procedures per GN 02201.001.

H. EXR procedure in the DCF

Follow these guidelines when establishing an EXR case in the DCF. For a complete discussion on processing EXR cases see, General Workflow DI 13050.005.

1. FO actions

1. Establish the EXR case in the DCF using the same process that you used to establish a work CDR.

2. Use the CDRW to control development issues in the DCF.

3. If we deny the EXR request, use the IFOA to close the EXR action on the DCF, use EVENT TYPE 5.

4. If we approve the EXR request, use the IFOA to transfer the EXR action to OCO/PSC. This will allow OCO/PSC to close the EXR action on the DCF by inputting the approval (continuance) when the award EF-101 is processed.

5. If you are processing an EXR approval:

   • prior to inputting the transfer action to PC, query the DCF for Ticket eligibility on the EXR or any other record.

   • approval for EXR purposes terminates a prior Ticket on the same claim number and causes a new Ticket to be issued when the beneficiary is placed in permanent entitlement and or eligibility status.

   • add a remark to the EXR FAX cover sheet to advise PC to terminate the prior Ticket with the month in which the EXR reinstatement action is being processed (not the EXR entitlement month). The PC should manually terminate the prior Ticket before reinstating the entitlement via EXR.

   • do not terminate a Ticket when establishing provisional payments.

6. Mail the EXR file to the appropriate location when you process the award action as indicated in DI 13050.000.

2. OCO and PC Actions

• Follow the guidance in this section, except use the IPCA screen to close the EXR event in the DCF, see DI 13010.625.

• Follow all procedures for processing EXR requests in DI 13050.000.

• If processing an EXR approval faxed by the FO, the FO will transfer the EXR event to your jurisdiction. When the EXR approval is processed, close the EXR event by using the IPCA screen, EVENT CODE – 9=CONTINUANCE.

• Terminate an existing Ticket on the same claim number before reinstating the entitlement via EXR.

• Do not terminate a Ticket when establishing provisional payments or we issued the Ticket on another claim number.

• Terminate the existing Ticket when you are processing the SSA-101 to reinstate the beneficiary, with the month in which you are processing the EXR reinstatement action. (not the EXR entitlement month).

NOTE:Do not terminate an existing Ticket if you are reinstating a beneficiary via EXR, but the beneficiary has received a Ticket on another entitlement record that is ongoing. The Ticket on the other entitlement remains valid and should not be terminated by the new reinstatement.

If processing a denied EXR request or you are taking any other actions to terminate provisional payments, input the DCF event closure by using EVENT TYPE – 14.

I. Documenting and clearing work issue determinations in the DCF

The actions taken to adjudicate a CDR issue are similar regardless of whether you establish the CDR issue manually or via a system generated enforcement action.

• Review the earnings information on the DCF and determine if someone has already developed the work. Refer to the QERN/VERN query in DI 13010.655 or DI 13010.675 and MSOM CDR 002.002.

• Correct information and enter any newly determined information via the VERN screen. Press the PF3 key while in any screen in the DCF to access the VERN through the MCDR screen.

• On the MCDR screen, enter SELECT #13, VERIFY EARNINGS. This will access the VERN screen in update mode. Use the VERN screen to document work activity and to annotate TWP, SGA, and UWA months.

• Record developmental documents as received in DCF using the development CDRW screen.

• Enter remarks in the DCF using the IRMK screen.

• Check for medical issues that may exist with the QMID screen.

See Details

DCF User Guide for the Field Office (FO)