1.2.3 Non-financial Verification

1.2.3.1 Identity Verification

1.2.3.2 Social Security Numbers Verification

1.2.3.3 Immigrant Eligibility Verification

1.2.3.4 Disability Verification

1.2.3.5 Wisconsin Residency Verification

1.2.3.6 Address Verification

1.2.3.7 Household Composition Verification

1.2.3.8 Student Eligibility in a Two-Year Program

1.2.3.1 Identity Verification

7 CFRCode of Federal Regulations 273.2(f)(1)(vii)

Verify the identity of the primary person. If the primary person uses an authorized representative, then verify the identities of both the authorized representative and the primary person. Identity is the only verification required to process expedited benefits.

Identity may be verified through readily available documentary evidence, or if this is unavailable, through a collateral contact. See section 1.2.2.2 for definition of collateral contact. Any documents, which reasonably establish the primary person's and/or authorized representative's identity must be accepted, and no requirement for a specific type of document, such as a birth certificate or photo ID, may be imposed.

1.2.3.2 Social Security Numbers Verification

7 CFR 273.2(f)(1)(v)

Social Security numbers (SSN), or proof that application has been made for an SSN, must be provided for all household members applying for FoodShare, including newborns. Do not deny benefits pending issuance of an SSN if you have documented an SSN application was made. Failure to provide an SSN or proof of application for an SSN will result in denial of FoodShare benefits for that individual.

IM workers receive an alert when an SSN entered in CARESClient Assistance for Reemployment and Economic Support does not match the SSN verified by the Social Security System (WTPY). In these cases, verify if possible with a third party source and contact the Social Security Administration.

If the agency determines that a food unit member or applicant has refused to provide or apply for an SSN, that individual is ineligible to participate in FoodShare Wisconsin.

Exception for newborns: See 3.13.1.2 SSN Application for Newborns.

1.2.3.3 Immigrant Eligibility Verification

7 CFR 273.2(f)(1)(ii)

Verify the immigration status of all non-citizen FoodShare applicants (see section 3.12.1 Citizenship and Immigration Status). If a non-citizen does not want the IM agency to contact USCISUnited States Citizenship and Immigration Services to verify his or her immigration status, the IM agency must give the applicant the option of withdrawing the application or participating without that member. An undocumented immigrant is ineligible until acceptable documentation is provided unless the local agency has submitted a request for verification and is awaiting a response from USCIS, SSASocial Security Administration (verification of work quarters), or another federal agency.

Verify citizenship only when the statement about an individual’s citizenship is questionable. A claim of citizenship is questionable when:

The claim is inconsistent with statements made by the applicant,
The claim is inconsistent with information on the application or previous applications,
The claim is inconsistent with information received from another source, or
The person does not have an SSN.

Do not discriminate on the basis of religion, race, ethnic background, political beliefs, or national origin when deciding if a claim is questionable. Do not target groups such as migrantany person who temporarily leaves a principal place of residence outside of his state and comes to this state for not more than 10 months in a year to accept seasonal employment in the planting, cultivating, raising, harvesting, handling, drying, packing, packaging, processing, freezing, grading, or storing of any agricultural or horticultural commodity in its unmanufactured state farm workers or American Indians for verification. A surname, accent, or appearance that seems foreign is not enough reason to question citizenship.

In addition, if an immigrant is applying for benefits on behalf of another person you may, under federal law, only verify the status of the person who will be receiving the benefits.

1.2.3.4 Disability Verification

7 CFR 273.2(f)(1)(viii)

Verify the disability status of all food unit members applying for FoodShare who are claiming to be disabled (see 3.8.1 Elderly, Blind, or Disabled Individuals).

1.2.3.5 Wisconsin Residency Verification

7 CFR 273.2(f)(1)(vi)

address , Wisconsin residencyResidency refers to Wisconsin residency and not the mailing address. Contrast this with address in the glossary., and household composition are separate and distinct eligibility factors with different verification requirements (see 3.2.1 Residence).

Verification of residency is required for FoodShare eligibility, with an exception for homelessAn individual who lacks a fixed and regular nighttime residence or an individual whose primary nighttime residence is: 1) A supervised shelter designed to provide temporary accommodations (such as a welfare hotel or congregate shelter), 2) A halfway house or similar institution that provides temporary residence for individuals intended to be institutionalized, 3) A temporary accommodation for not more than 90 days in the residence of another individual, or 4) A place not designed for, or ordinarily used as a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings (for example, a hallway, bus station, a lobby, or similar places). and migrant workers.

If it becomes known that a FoodShare applicant or member does not reside in Wisconsin, action must be taken to deny or terminate FoodShare benefits for this individual.

Residency must be verified at the time of application and whenever a member states that he or she resides in Wisconsin, but his or her Wisconsin residency is determined questionable. Do not require a specific type of verification. See 1.2.6.1 Required Verification to Determine Eligibility

Wisconsin "residency" refers to residing in Wisconsin, but is not limited to any specific type of housing.

State residency is a condition of eligibility that can be verified through a number of acceptable documents from the applicant, a collateral contact, or another source, and must not be limited to a single type of document.
If the address on the application is not a fixed Wisconsin mailing address and there is no additional information presented at the time of the interview to verify that the applicant resides in Wisconsin, the IM worker should attempt to obtain verification of state residency.
IM workers should verify state residency only if the information was not already verified for another program (e.g. BadgerCare Plus). In other words, do not over-verify.
Because Wisconsin is a statewide project area, an applicant/member can move from one county to another within the state of Wisconsin and still maintain residency. A county-to-county move does not make an applicant/member’s Wisconsin residency questionable.

Note: Persons on vacation in Wisconsin are not residents of Wisconsin.

Exception

An exception exists for verifying the residency of homeless persons (3.2.1.3 Homelessness) and migrant farm workers (2.1.4.3 Eligibility for Migrant Workers). Do not require residence verification for homeless persons or migrant applicants newly arrived in Wisconsin. Do not verify shelter (4.6.7 Shelter and Utility Deduction) as part of residence verification. Shelter verification is a separate verification requirement.

CARES Processing - Residency

If the IM worker is unable to obtain the applicant/member’s current address as part of a Wisconsin residency determination at either the application or as part of an ongoing case, Wisconsin residency is questionable and the IM worker must:

Enter a "Q?” in the Resides in Wisconsin Verification field on the Current Demographics page to pend FoodShare.
If information is provided by the applicant/member, make the necessary updates to the case.
If the applicant/member does not respond by the verification due date, update the Resides in Wisconsin Verification field with a "QV”. Enter case comments to document the denial or termination of FoodShare due to failure to verify state residency.

An IM worker may become aware of information that makes Wisconsin residency questionable on an ongoing FoodShare case. Examples of questionable residency include:

Refusing to provide the address where the food unit is living,
Notices returned as "undeliverable with no known forwarding address”, or
Agency receiving unclear information.

Example 1: Mary is applying for FoodShare. She refuses to provide the street address where she is currently living. She will only provide a general delivery (PO Box) address, but does not claim to be homeless. This brings into question whether she is living in Wisconsin (state residency), and whether her presence in the home will have an effect on her case or another case (household composition).

Since state residency is questionable, the IM worker should follow the process described above to obtain verification of residency. Since Mary’s household composition is also questionable, the IM worker should enter a "Q?” in the Household Composition Verification field for Mary’s case on the General Case Information page and initiate a Front End Verification, if appropriate. If verification of state residency is not provided by the verification due date, deny the case for failure to do so by entering a "QV” in the Resides in Wisconsin Verification field on the Current Demographics page. If Mary fails to provide clarifying information on her household composition or verification that is adequate for the IM worker to correctly determine Mary’s food unit by the verification due date, then the IM worker must deny FoodShare for failure to do so by entering "QV” in the Household Composition Verification field on the General Case Information page.

Example 2: Margaret is open for FoodShare. Her notice of decision was returned to the IM agency as undeliverable with no forwarding address. The IM agency attempts to obtain Margaret’s current address to determine her Wisconsin residency; they are unable to do so and determine that Margaret’s Wisconsin residency is questionable. The IM worker must enter a "Q?” in the Resides in Wisconsin Verification field and issue the verification notice using the appropriate verification due dates. If acceptable verification is not received by the due date, the IM worker must enter a "QV” in the Resides in Wisconsin Verification field and run eligibility and confirm to close FoodShare.

Example 3: Susan is applying for FoodShare and provided a Wisconsin street address, but failed to verify her shelter expenses. Since she works in Wisconsin and the address on her pay stub matches the address she provided, state residency is considered to be verified and is not questionable. Additional verification is not needed.

1.2.3.6 Address Verification

Verification of address is not required for FoodShare eligibility.

Address refers to the actual place where the household resides.

An address is required to be provided unless a household is homeless, a migrant, or newly arrived in Wisconsin. Verification of address is not required.
A household does not have to reside in a permanent dwelling.
A household may use a general delivery address when it applies.

An address must be provided in order to set a FoodShare filing date. An application is considered filed the day the agency receives a request for FoodShare with a name, address, and valid signature.

An applicant can give a general mailing address and the application filing date will be set if the application also includes the applicant’s name, and signature. If an address is not given on the application, the application is not valid and cannot be used to set the filing date unless the applicant is homeless, migrant, or has recently moved to Wisconsin and does not yet have a fixed mailing address. If the applicant is homeless or migrant, the application must include a name, date, and signature to set the filing date.

1.2.3.7 Household Composition Verification

Household composition affects eligibility. If the household composition is determined questionable, verification is required.

Note: FoodShare applicants and members who are subject to reduced reporting requirements [6.1.1.2 Change Reporting for All Other Food Units (Reduced Reporting)] are required to report changes in household composition at application, renewal, and upon submission of a six-month report form (SMRF), or when a change in household composition would result in additional income that would cause the food unit’s total income to exceed 130% of the FPLFederal Poverty Level for their reported food unit size. For these food units, a report of a change in address does not necessarily make household composition questionable.

CARES Processing: Household Composition

If information is presented at application that causes household composition to be questionable the IM worker must:

Enter a "Q?” in the Household Composition Verification field on the General Case Information page to pend FoodShare.
Initiate a Front End Verification if appropriate.

If the IM worker becomes aware of information that causes household composition to be questionable for an ongoing case he or she must:

Enter a "Q?” in the Household Composition Verification field on the General Case Information page to pend FoodShare, and add text to the verification checklist to explain to the member the information that needs to be clarified.
When the information is provided by the member, make the appropriate updates to the case.
If there is no response from the member by the verification due date, change the Household Composition Verification field to a "QV”.

1.2.3.8 Student Eligibility in a Two-Year Program

If a student fails to meet one of the existing exemption reasons (3.15.1 Student Eligibility), verification of enrollment in a program that can be completed in two years or less is required. This may include documents such as an enrollment letter, course schedule, financial aid papers, etc.

Verification that course completion has a direct link to employment that is in demand is required only if demand is not common knowledge to the IM worker. For example, many occupations in the health field are in demand and therefore do not need to be verified.

If the direct link to employment is unknown, several sources may be used as verification including: literature from the school such as a brochure or online program information, collateral contact with Job Center of Wisconsin, FSETFoodShare Employment and Training or an employment agency, publications in newspapers or online, etc.

This page last updated in Release Number: 16-01

Release Date: 05/31/2016

Effective Date: 05/31/2016