TN 3 (02-14)

Citations:

Soc. Sec. Act as Amended in 1999, §1148(d)(1);

P.L. 106-107, 101(a)

20 CFR 411.245(c) and 411.575

A. The earnings verification process for ticket users

Field offices (FOs) play an important role in making the Ticket to Work program operate smoothly. They review and process earnings reports for program participants submitted to SSA from employment networks (ENs) and State vocational rehabilitation (VR) agencies that are serving beneficiaries as ENs. MAXIMUS, Inc., one of the two contractors that perform the role of program manager (PM) for the Ticket to Work program, receives earnings reports from the EN or State VR agency and posts the individual’s wages to the disability control file (DCF). FOs ensures that these wages are verified. This helps to ensure that our agency:

• makes timely adjustments to benefits when a beneficiary/recipient works,

• makes timely payments to ENs or State VR agencies where beneficiaries assign their ticket to work, and

• makes timely decisions when conducting progress reviews for purposes of determining whether a beneficiary/recipient is using a ticket, and, therefore, exempt from continuing disability reviews (CDRs). (For information on the PM's role in timely progress reviews, see DI 55025.025.) (Also, see DI 55060.001 for the PMs and ORDES's roles.)

B. Accepting earnings evidence from the PM

Under the Ticket to Work program, the PM annotates wage information it receives from ENs and State VR agencies serving beneficiaries as ENs to the shared process menu (#4 on the main menu). The PM evaluates the evidence of earnings it receives (see DI 55030.010B for further information) and records the earnings information on SSA's shared process menus described in DI 55030.010C.

The earnings the PM posts to the shared processes can be accepted as verified if the shared process screen indicates the documentation of the earnings submitted to the PM qualifies as preferred evidence (for example, paystubs.)

See DI 10505.005C.1.(b) for a complete listing of the types of preferred evidence the PM could list on the shared processes. If there is reason to question the accuracy or completeness of the preferred evidence (see DI 10505.005C.2. and DI 10505.005C.3.), contact the PM. See DI 55030.015E for instructions on contacting the PM.

C. No change in beneficiary/recipient reporting responsibilities

Beneficiaries/recipients with tickets are still responsible for reporting their work or earnings directly to SSA.

NOTE: The earnings evidence the ENs or State VR agencies submit adds another source of information about beneficiary/recipient earnings. It does not change the earnings reporting requirements for beneficiaries/recipients.

D. Elements of processing PM posted earnings

1. Treat evidence reported by an EN or State VR agency as a third-party report

1. The PM posts wage evidence that comes from ENs and State VR agencies

2. Field Offices (FOs) are not required to verify earnings posted by the EN if preferred evidence was submitted per DI 55030.001B above. All other evidence submitted by the EN should be developed as a third party report of alleged gross earnings. (See DI 13010.020C.2. for reporting earnings.)

2. Make timely trial work period (TWP) service month and substantial gainful activity (SGA) determinations

FO responsibilities for title II only cases: Use eWork to process work determinations to the disability control file (DCF). (See DI 13010.025 for processing work in eWork.)

• Make timely TWP service month determinations, and record the determination on the DCF via eWork. For concurrent cases, wages must be posted to the DCF via Modernized Supplemental Security Income Claims System (MSSICS) (See DI 13010.035 for TWP process.)

• Make timely SGA determinations after a title II beneficiary has entered the extended period of eligibility (EPE), and record the determination on the DCF via eWork. For concurrent cases, wages must be posted to the DCF via MSSICS

NOTE: During the 8^th and 9^th TWP months, eWork cannot “push” earnings determinations to the DCF. Please post earnings manually during the 8^th and 9^th TWP months. See DI 55030.015G for instructions on updating the DCF.

3. Input earnings to the Supplemental Security record (SSR)

For cases with title XVI involvement, wages inputted via MSSICS are automatically posted to the DCF.

• Beneficiaries can directly update their wages in MSSICS via SSI telephone wage reporting (SSITWR).

• FOs can record wages into MSSICS via SSI monthly wage verification (SSIMWV).

NOTE: Wages for SSI recipients cannot be manually updated on the DCF. (See SI 00820.143.)