110-15        STOP PAYMENT AND FORGERY PROCEDURES

DPA Division of Public Assistance will stop payment on warrants that have been issued but were:

• not received by the recipient;
   

• stolen from the recipient;
   

• lost by the recipient;
   

• destroyed after receipt by the recipient; or
   

• over two years old.

The agency policy is to replace a warrant after 10 calendar days from date issued to ensure the warrant has cleared the postal channels and to allow time for it to clear the Department of Administration to determine if the warrant has been cashed.

Reissuance may be done before the 10 calendar days have elapsed if the agency receives information from the recipient that the warrant is destroyed (e.g., washed with the laundry) or lost (e.g., thrown out with garbage).  The Eligibility Technician will use prudent judgment in these situations.

After the 10 calendar days have elapsed ( or the Eligibility Technician determines the warrant lost or destroyed), and prior to initiating stop payment procedures, the Eligibility Technician will check the warrant status on EIS Eligibility Information System by reviewing the issuance history screen.  If the warrant status is outstanding, the Eligibility Technician will follow the Stop Payment Procedures in Section 110-15A.  If the warrant status is redeemed, the Eligibility Technician will follow the Forgery Procedures in Section 110-15B.

110-15 A.   STOP PAY PROCEDURES

1. The Eligibility Technician will complete and have the recipient sign a Stop Payment Affidavit (Form Gen 21).  The Eligibility Technician will inform the recipient that once a Stop Payment Affidavit has been signed it cannot be cancelled.  The recipient will be instructed to notify the Eligibility Technician immediately if he or she receives the warrant on which a Stop Payment order has been placed and to return the warrant to the agency for cancellation.  The original affidavit will be retained in the case file and a copy will be given to the recipient.
    

2. If the non-receipt of warrant is due to an incorrect address, the Eligibility Technician must ensure the address screen (ADDR) on EIS Eligibility Information System is updated and corrected before the warrant is reissued by Systems Operations.
    

3. The Eligibility Technician will notify System Operations in Anchorage via EIS Eligibility Information System message entitled Stop Pay addressed to HPASTOP.  This notification will include the following information:  case name, case number, warrant number, benefit month, and the date the Stop Payment Affidavit was signed by the recipient.  If the request is within the 10 calendar day period, the Eligibility Technician is to state the reason.
    

4. Within 24 hours of receipt of the message from the district office, Systems Operations will notify the Eligibility Technician of the status of the warrant.  If System Operations has not responded within 24 hours, the Eligibility Technician will submit a second request.
    

5. If the Eligibility Technician has been notified by the recipient that he or she has received the warrant on which a Stop Payment order has been placed, the Eligibility Technician will notify Systems Operations immediately via EIS Eligibility Information System message addressed to HPASTOP.  The district office must stamp cancelled across the face of any returned warrant and forward the warrant to Systems Operations immediately.
    

6. Systems Operations will notify the Eligibility Technician of the status of the warrant.
    

7. If the warrant status is outstanding, Systems Operations will notify the Eligibility Technician of the date the warrant will be reissued.  The final stop payment procedures will be handled by Systems Operations.
    

8. If the warrant status is redeemed, the Eligibility Technician will proceed with the Forgery Procedures in Section 110-15B below.

110-15 B.   FORGERY PROCEDURES

If the warrant status is redeemed as indicated on the EIS Eligibility Information System issuance history screen or as notified by Systems Operations, the Eligibility Technician will inform the recipient of this.

If the recipient remembers that he or she cashed the warrant, no further action is required.

If the recipient claims he or she did not cash the warrant and requests that forgery procedures be pursued, the Eligibility Technician will take the following actions:

1. The Eligibility Technician will request a copy of the redeemed warrant from Systems Operations via EIS Eligibility Information System message entitled Warrant Copy Request addressed to HPAHELP.  This notification will include the following information:  case name, payee name, if different than client; case number, and benefit month.
    

2. Systems Operations will obtain a copy of the redeemed warrant and forward it to the Eligibility Technician.
    

3. Upon receipt of the redeemed warrant copy, the Eligibility Technician will contact the recipient to come in and examine the signature on the warrant copy.
    

4. If, after examination of the warrant copy, the recipient changes positions and states that he or she did redeem the warrant, no further action will be taken.
    

5. If the recipient, after examination of the warrant copy, states that the signature is not his or hers, and claims it to be a forgery, the recipient will be given a copy of the warrant copy and instructed to file a report at the local police department.  The recipient must provide a copy of the police report to the district office prior to any action to reissue the warrant.  For areas where a police department is not accessible or refuses to provide a police report, this requirement may be waived at the regional manager's discretion.
    

6. For cases where fraud is suspected, the Eligibility Technician may want to make a fraud referral.  If it is discovered that it was not a forgery, a fraud referral should be completed.
    

7. The Eligibility Technician has the recipient complete an Affidavit for Forgery (Gen-86) and sign it in front of a Notary Public.  The Eligibility Technician is to assure the affidavit is complete and accurate (name spelled correctly, numbers/dates correct).  The Eligibility Technician is not responsible for comparing the signatures or making a determination of whether it is a forgery.  All responsibility for the forgery claim is on the payee who signs the affidavit.
    

8. The Eligibility Technician will forward the original signed, notarized Affidavit for Forgery to Systems Operations in Anchorage and notify them via EIS Eligibility Information System message entitled Affidavit of Forgery Transmittal addressed to HPAHELP that the affidavit is being forwarded.  The Eligibility Technician will retain a copy of the affidavit in the recipient's case file.
    

9. Systems Operations will process the affidavit, assuring the affidavit is complete and accurate (name spelled correctly, numbers/dates correct), and reissue the warrant within 24 hours of receipt of the affidavit.
    

10. If the case file indicates more than three replacements within a four to six month period, the Eligibility Technician should investigate the possibility that the problem is related to an EIS Eligibility Information System entry error on the address (ADDR) screen.  Once this possibility is ruled out, the Eligibility Technician may consider requesting that the recipient provide the agency with a protective payee mailing address, where the warrant is mailed and the recipient can pick it up or the person can deliver it to the recipient.  The Eligibility Technician must obtain a written statement for the case file from the person or agency willing to do this.