426-3        INTERIM ASSISTANCE REIMBURSEMENT (IAR Interim Assistance Reimbursement)

426-3 A.   IAR Interim Assistance Reimbursement Interim Assistance Reimbursement AGREEMENT WITH SSA

Alaska has an Interim Assistance Reimbursement (IAR Interim Assistance Reimbursement) agreement with SSA .  This agreement allows DPA to receive a successful SSI Supplemental Security Income applicant's initial SSI Supplemental Security Income payment and use that money to reimburse itself for Interim Assistance benefits provided to the applicant while he or she was waiting for a final SSI Supplemental Security Income eligibility decision.  For IAR Interim Assistance Reimbursement purposes, an "initial" SSI Supplemental Security Income payment is the successful SSI Supplemental Security Income applicant's first SSI Supplemental Security Income check which includes both any retroactive SSI Supplemental Security Income entitlement and the first current month's SSI Supplemental Security Income payment.  APA applicants must agree to allow DPA to recover the cost of their IA Interim Assistance benefits as a condition of receiving IA Interim Assistance.

426-3 B.   IAR Interim Assistance Reimbursement Interim Assistance Reimbursement AUTHORIZATIONS

In order for SSA to withhold an individual's initial SSI Supplemental Security Income payment and send it to DPA , the individual must sign an IAR Interim Assistance Reimbursement authorization.

1. Protective filing.

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

2. Life of the IAR Interim Assistance Reimbursement authorization.

An IAR Interim Assistance Reimbursement authorization will cease to have effect at the end of one year from the date it is signed unless the individual files for SSI Supplemental Security Income within that time.  If the individual does apply for SSI Supplemental Security Income within that year, the IAR Interim Assistance Reimbursement authorization remains in effect until one of the following events occurs:

• SSA makes a final SSI Supplemental Security Income eligibility determination (including a determination on appeal), or

• SSA releases the initial SSI Supplemental Security Income payment on an individual's SSI Supplemental Security Income claim, or

• The Division and the individual agree to terminate the authorization.

3. Notification of a signed IAR Interim Assistance Reimbursement authorization.

Upon receiving a signed IAR 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 SSI, a copy must be sent to SSA even if, for some reason, the APA application is denied.  Copies are distributed as follows:

Original to: SSA District Office.

Copy to: Client.

Copy to: Casefile.

Note:  Because of the protective filing provisions for SSI Supplemental Security Income, case workers should obtain a new signed IAR Interim Assistance Reimbursement authorization whenever an APA applicant who appears eligible for Interim Assistance applies or reapplies for APA .

426-3 C.   INTERIM ASSISTANCE REIMBURSEMENT PROCESS

SSA will notify the Claims Unit of any SSI Supplemental Security Income application approval, including those made on SSI Supplemental Security Income applications going through the SSI Supplemental Security Income appeal process.  Once a favorable SSI Supplemental Security Income determination is made, SSA will send the individual's initial SSI Supplemental Security Income payment to the Claims Unit.  At the same time, SSA will also send a notice to the Claims Unit indicating the date the individual was determined eligible for SSI Supplemental Security Income and the SSI Supplemental Security Income monthly benefit amounts included in the initial SSI Supplemental Security Income payment.

The initial SSI Supplemental Security Income payment is used to repay IA Interim Assistance benefits beginning with the day of the month in which the client is first determined eligible for an SSI Supplemental Security Income payment, or with the first day of the month that DPA receives a signed IAR Interim Assistance Reimbursement authorization, whichever is later, and ending with the month the initial SSI Supplemental Security Income payment is made.

The Division may use the SSI Supplemental Security Income funds to repay IA Interim Assistance benefits only for months during which the client was eligible for both an SSI Supplemental Security Income payment and an IA Interim Assistance payment.  The amount of the repayment obligation for any month is the amount of the IA Interim Assistance payment or the amount of the SSI Supplemental Security Income payment for that month, whichever is less.  Any excess funds are refunded to the client.

After computing the amount of reimbursable Interim Assistance, the Claims Unit will:

• Apply the SSI Supplemental Security Income funds against the individual's obligation to reimburse Interim Assistance.

• Within 10 working days of the date it receives payment from SSA , pay to the individual any SSI Supplemental Security Income funds it receives in excess of the amount of reimbursable Interim Assistance .

• Send EIS Eligibility Information System notice P900, Interim Assistance Repayment - SSI Supplemental Security Income Refund, to the client.

Note:  This notice informs the client of the amount of SSI Supplemental Security Income funds used to repay IA Interim Assistance benefits as well as the amount to be refunded to the client, if any.  This notice will also specify the months for which the individual was found eligible for SSI Supplemental Security Income benefits.

• By e-mail, notify the case worker responsible for the individual's Interim Assistance case of the individual's SSI Supplemental Security Income eligibility.  At the same time, the Claims Unit will forward copies of any paperwork received from SSA regarding the individual's eligibility and monthly grant amounts for retroactive SSI Supplemental Security Income benefits.

• Maintain records of all transactions relating to Interim Assistance and the allocation of the individual's initial SSI Supplemental Security Income payment, and submit a report to SSA within 30 workdays from the date payment is received.

SSA will also notify the Claims Unit of any initial SSI Supplemental Security Income denial for all SSI Supplemental Security Income applicants for whom they have an IAR Interim Assistance Reimbursement authorization on file.  By e-mail, the Claims Unit will notify the case worker responsible for the IA Interim Assistance case of the initial SSI Supplemental Security Income denial, and forward copies of any paperwork received from SSA regarding the initial SSI Supplemental Security Income denial.  SSI Supplemental Security Income Supplemental Security Income will not notify the Claims Unit of any denial resulting from the SSI Supplemental Security Income appeal process.