SI 02004: Direct Field Office Payments
Subchapter Preview:
TN 13 (09-01)
A. Policy
1. EAPs and IPs
Emergency advance payments (EAPs) and Immediate Payments (IPs) are two ways to make payments to persons via Third Party Draft who are due SSI benefits and have a financial emergency. EAPs are made under statutory authority. IPs were set up to help individuals who do not qualify for EAPs. They both address the situation where certification to Treasury for regular payments, automated one-time payments (A-OTPs), or manual one-time payments (M-OTPs), cannot be made or would not be fast enough. See SM 01901.000 for discussion of A-OTPs and M-OTPs. The EAP and IP are advances against future SSI payments and must be recovered; they are not additional money due the SSI recipient. You are required to make EAPs and IPs when the criteria for them are met.
2. EAP versus IP
|
EAP |
IP |
|
|---|---|---|
|
Authority |
Section 1631(a) of the Social Security Act |
Decision by the Commissioner |
|
SSI or title II |
SSI |
SSI and/or title II |
|
When |
Initial Claims only |
Initial claims or posteligibility |
|
Money Limit |
Federal benefit rate + State Supplementary Payment level |
$999 total title II and SSI |
|
Frequency |
One time per claim |
N/A |
|
Recovery |
6 monthly installments; or All at once from a retroactive payment |
From first regular payment |
|
Priority |
EAP before IP |
EAP before IP |
|
POMS |
B. Policy--related SSI policies
1. Interim Assistance Reimbursement (IAR), SI 02003.001.3.a.
A person who has been receiving interim assistance can receive an EAP or IP. The EAP or IP is not payable to the State for reimbursement. Subtract the EAP or IP amount from the retroactive SSI benefits payable. What is left is available for reimbursement to the State.
2. Computation of benefits
The amount of an EAP or IP is based on the amount of SSI the person is due. SI 02001.020 gives the Federal benefit rates (FBRs); SI 01415.001ff gives State supplementary payment (SSP) levels; SI 02005.001ff gives the rules for computing SSI benefits.
3. Presumptive Disability/Blindness (PD/PB) payments, SI 02005.007F.1.
You can pay an EAP or IP as an advance against PD/PB payments. Reminder: A determination that a person is ineligible because he/she is not disabled or blind does not cause him/her to be overpaid PD/PB payments (see SI 02201.010 A.1].
4. Representative payment, GN 00502.020
The rules for when a payment should be made to a person directly, and when payment should be made to a representative payee, are the same for EAPs and IPs as they are for regular payments.
C. Procedure--related SSI procedures
Title II Critical Cases: RS 02801.001
Operating Procedures for Third Party Drafts (TPDs): SSA AIMS, Financial Management Manual, Chapter 03 Finance and Accounting, Instructions No. 05.