POMS Reference

SI 00601: General Applications and Interviewing Policy

TN 21 (02-15)

A. Background regarding identity discrepancies

During a title XVI claim interview, technicians may encounter identity discrepancies in the Modernized Supplemental Security Income Claims System (MSSICS) path causing the Integrated Client/Numident Discrepancy (ICND) screen to appear. This POMS section provides guidance regarding resolution of these discrepancies.

For specific policy related to identification of claimants, see GN 00203.020.

For Modernized Claims System (MCS) instructions, see GN 00203.030.

B. Resolving MSSICS discrepancies

When you take an application in MSSICS, the following information propagates to the Client Identification (ACID) screen from the Numident for the claimant:

  • name,

  • date of birth (DOB),

  • city of birth,

  • State or country of birth,

  • gender,

  • other names or SSNs previously used,

  • mother's maiden name (or mother’s name at birth), and

  • father's name.

During the claims process, the ICND screen will appear if there are discrepancies between the claimant’s allegations and the Numident for name, DOB, place of birth (POB), gender, and parents’ names. Review any evidence furnished by the applicant to verify his or her identity as discussed in RM 10210.410.

MSSICS Initial Claims/Appeals

Identity Items

Is a Discrepancy Shown on the ICND Screen?

  

Yes (Y)/No (N)

Do we need an Adjudicative Edit?

Resolution references

Name

(First and Last)

Y

Y

Request evidence per current procedures in RM 10212.010 through RM 10212.165.

Date of Birth (DOB)

Y

Y

Obtain evidence to support the DOB change per RM 10210.295.

Place of Birth - City

“N” if this is the only discrepancy.

   

“Y” if other discrepancies exist.

N

For tolerances, and to accept the claimant’s allegation for claims purposes, see GN 00203.020A.2.b.

Complete the SSNAP application if the claimant wants to update their city of birth and can provide proof.

Place of Birth - State or Country

Y

Y

Request proof per RM 10212.200.

Gender

Y

N

Accept claimant’s allegation in the claim. If the claimant wants to change the gender on the Numident, and for information on proof needed, see RM 10212.200B.2.

NOTE: If the gender is the same for a couple in MSSICS, see GN 00210.800.

Mother’s Name at her Birth, or Father’s Name

Y

Y

If the tolerance applies in GN 00203.020, change the parent’s name in the claim to match the name on the Numident.

If the tolerance does not apply, or the claimant wants to change the parent’s name on the Numident, request proof per RM 10212.200.

C. Non-MSSICS Procedures

Follow these procedures for non-MSSICS claims:

  • verify the claimant’s identity by asking open-ended questions to confirm the information on the Numident. Record the parent’s names in remarks or on a report of contact. (For how to phrase the questions, see SI 00601.062B in this section.) For reading a Numident query, see RM 10235.005 through RM 10235.035. If the applicant cannot provide the data or provides discrepant data, follow these procedures;

  • verifying claimant identity for a second time is not necessary when a Title II interview was conducted immediately before the Title XVI interview. In those situations, identity will be established during the Title II application process;

  • if the claimant is a Title II beneficiary, compare the identifying data on the application with the Master Beneficiary Record (MBR); and

  • if the claimant is clearly ineligible, compare the identifying data on the application with the enumeration record on the Numident query.

D. Failure to provide evidence

If a claimant needs assistance in obtaining evidence, make every reasonable effort to assist him or her per GN 00301.180.

If you are unable to resolve the discrepancy after making every reasonable effort to assist the claimant, deny the claim for failure to cooperate as instructed in SI 00601.110. Do not deny the claim for failure to cooperate if another denial code is applicable. For a listing of denial codes, see SM 01601.805.

IMPORTANT: If you are denying the claim for another factor of entitlement (income, resources), and the claimant has the required evidence to process the SSNAP application at the time of filing, continue processing the SSNAP application to correct the Numident record.

E. References

  • GN 00203.020 Identity of Claimants

  • GN 00203.030 Resolving Identity Discrepancies in Title II Claims

  • GN 00301.180 Identifying Claimants Who May Need Assistance

  • RM 10210.410 How Do you Examine, Evaluate, and Assess Documents Submitted as Evidence of Identity

  • RM 10212.015 Evidence Requirements to Process a Name Change on the SSN

  • RM 10212.010 Evidence of a Name Change on the SSN

  • RM 10212.150 Name Corrections on the SSN Card

  • RM 10210.295 Date of Birth Change on the Numident

  • RM 10212.200 Changing Numident Data for Reasons other than Name Change

  • RM 10235.005 Parts of the Basic Numident Query Response

  • RM 10235.010 How the Numident Query System Responds to Requests for Multiple SSN and Correspondence Information

  • RM 10235.015 Establishing Missing Data on Numident

  • RM 10235.020 Reestablishing Void SSNs

  • RM 10235.025 Parts of the Death Data Numident Query Response

  • RM 10235.030 Parts of the Special Indicator Numident Query Response

  • RM 10235.035 Parts of the Alpha-Index Query Response

  • SI 00601.110 Closeout - Failure to Cooperate (N18) - Initial Claims

  • SM 01601.805 Payment Status Codes in Computation History - LIST