105-1          VERIFICATION OF INFORMATION

105-1 A.      GENERAL

Caseworkers must review both financial and non-financial information provided by applicants and recipients as part of the eligibility process. Financial information includes statements presented by the household on its resources, monthly income, and deductible expenses. Non-financial information includes the status of the household with regard to:

• Residency in Alaska
• The composition of the household;
• Citizenship or alien status of household members; and
• Work requirements.

105-1 B.      MANDATORY VERIFICATION

For information about each program's verification requirements, please see the specific program manuals. Refer to the Verification Matrix on SharePoint.

105-1 C.      QUESTIONABLE INFORMATION

Caseworkers must verify any other financial or non-financial factors of eligibility prior to certification or the issuance of benefits only if they are questionable or affect a household's eligibility or benefit level.

Note:

Client statement is acceptable verification for race, ethnicity, and gender.

To be considered questionable, the information provided by an applicant or recipient must be:

• Inconsistent with previous statements made by the individual;
• Inconsistent with other information on the current application or previous applications;
• Inconsistent with information received by the office from other reliable sources; or
• There is a good reason to doubt that the information is correct.

When information from another source contradicts statements made by the household, the household must be given a reasonable opportunity to resolve the discrepancy.

When determining if information is questionable, the caseworker will base the decision on each household's circumstances. For example, a household's report of expenses which exceed its income may be grounds for requiring further information. However, this circumstance will not, in and of itself, be grounds for denial. The caseworker is to explore with the household how it is managing its finances, whether the household receives excluded income or has resources, and how long the household has managed under these circumstances.

105-1 D.      DOCUMENTING THE VERIFICATION

Documentation is a record in the case file or on EISEligibility Information System of what was verified and how it was done. Unless there is a record showing otherwise, it may be concluded that gross income or questionable information was not verified.