426-3        INTERIM ASSISTANCE REIMBURSEMENT (IARInterim Assistance Reimbursement)

426-3 A.  IAR AGREEMENT WITH SSASocial Security Administration

Alaska has an Interim Assistance Reimbursement (IARInterim Assistance Reimbursement) agreement with SSASocial Security Administration. This agreement allows SSASocial Security Administration to reimburse the state from an individual’s initial SSISupplemental Security Income payment for some or all of the IAInterim Assistance benefits DPADivision of Public Assistance pays an individual while he or she waits for a final SSISupplemental Security Income eligibility decision. For IARInterim Assistance Reimbursement purposes, an initial SSISupplemental Security Income payment is the successful SSISupplemental Security Income applicant's first SSISupplemental Security Income check which includes both any retroactive SSISupplemental Security Income entitlement and the first current month's SSISupplemental Security Income payment.  APAAdult Public Assistance applicants must agree to allow DPADivision of Public Assistance to recover the cost of their IAInterim Assistance benefits as a condition of receiving IAInterim Assistance.

426-3 B.  IAR AUTHORIZATIONS

In order for SSASocial Security Administration to reimburse DPADivision of Public Assistance from an individual's initial SSISupplemental Security Income payment, the individual must sign an IARInterim Assistance Reimbursement authorization

1. Protective filing.

The date a signed IARInterim Assistance Reimbursement authorization is received by DPADivision of Public Assistance may act as a protective filing date for SSISupplemental Security Income , but only if the individual submits a signed SSISupplemental Security Income application to SSASocial Security Administration within 60 days of that date.  Case workers must inform applicants of this provision and advise them to begin the SSISupplemental Security Income application process as soon as possible in order to preserve their protective filing date for SSISupplemental Security Income benefits.

2. Life of the IARInterim Assistance Reimbursement authorization.

An IARInterim Assistance Reimbursement authorization is effective for at least 12 months. The 12- month period begins the date SSASocial Security Administration receives the authorization form from DPADivision of Public Assistance and ends 12 months later unless the individual files for SSISupplemental Security Income within that time.  If the individual does apply for SSISupplemental Security Income within the 12-month period, the IARInterim Assistance Reimbursement authorization remains in effect until one of the following events occurs:

• SSA makes a final SSI eligiblity determination (including a determination on appeal), or
  
• SSA releases the initial SSI payment on an individual's SSI claim, or
  
• The Division and the individual agree to terminate the authorization.

3. Notification of a signed IARInterim Assistance Reimbursement authorization.

Upon receiving a signed IARInterim Assistance Reimbursement authorization, the case worker must distribute copies of the signed authorization within 30 calendar days.  Because the signed authorization may act as a protective filing date for SSISupplemental Security Income, a copy must be sent to SSASocial Security Administration even if, for some reason, the APAAdult Public Assistance application is denied. Copies are distributed as follows:

Original to: SSASocial Security Administration District Office.

Copy to:     Client.

Copy to:     Casefile.

Note:  

Because of the protective filing provisions for SSISupplemental Security Income, case workers should obtain a new signed IARInterim Assistance Reimbursement authorization whenever an APAAdult Public Assistance applicant who appears eligible for Interim Assistance applies or reapplies for APAAdult Public Assistance.

426-3 C.   INTERIM ASSISTANCE REIMBURSEMENT PROCESS

SSASocial Security Administration will notify the Claims Unit of any SSISupplemental Security Income application approval for which IARInterim Assistance Reimbursement is involved, including those made on SSISupplemental Security Income applications going through the SSISupplemental Security Income appeal process.  For each approval, SSASocial Security Administration will identify all months for which the state may claim reimbursement.  Within 10 working days from the date the claims unit receives this information, it must request reimbursement from SSASocial Security Administration through a secure Internet-based process.  SSASocial Security Administration will then compute the amount of reimbursement due the state, notify the state of the reimbursement amount, provide details of their computation, and transmit the reimbursement payment to an account designated by the state.

The initial SSISupplemental Security Income payment is used to repay IAInterim Assistance benefits beginning with the day of the month in which the client is first determined eligible for an SSISupplemental Security Income payment, or with the first day of the month that DPADivision of Public Assistance receives a signed IARInterim Assistance Reimbursement authorization, whichever is later, and ending with the month the initial SSISupplemental Security Income  payment is made.

The Division may use the SSISupplemental Security Income funds to repay IAInterim Assistance benefits only for months during which the client was eligible for both an SSISupplemental Security Income payment and an IAInterim Assistance payment.  The amount of the repayment obligation for any month is the amount of the IAInterim Assistance payment or the amount of the SSISupplemental Security Income payment for that month, whichever is less.  

After the IARInterim Assistance Reimbursement payment is received from SSASocial Security Administration, the Claims Unit will:

• Send EISEligibility Information System notice P900, Interim Assistance Repayment Agreement Fulfilled

Note:  

This notice informs the client they have fulfilled their agreement to repay IAInterim Assistance benefits.

• By e-mail, notify the office responsible for the individual's Interim Assistance case of the individual's SSISupplemental Security Income eligibility.  At the same time, the Claims Unit will forward information from SSASocial Security Administration regarding the individual's eligibility and monthly grant amounts for retroactive SSISupplemental Security Income benefits.
  
  
• Maintain records of all transactions relating to Interim Assistance and the allocation of the individual's initial SSISupplemental Security Income payment.

SSASocial Security Administration will also notify the Claims Unit of any initial SSISupplemental Security Income denial for all SSISupplemental Security Income applicants for whom they have an IARInterim Assistance Reimbursement authorization on file.  By e-mail, the Claims Unit will notify the office responsible for the IAInterim Assistance case of the initial SSISupplemental Security Income denial and forward copies of any paperwork received from SSASocial Security Administration  regarding the initial SSISupplemental Security Income denial.  SSI will not notify the Claims Unit of any denial resulting from the SSISupplemental Security Income appeal process.