5928 WARDS Communication and Management of Social Security Benefits

This section deals with managing Social Security benefits.  Social Security benefits have special rules and procedures.

 

1. Communicating with Social Security Administration
   1. GSO (Government to Government Services Online) – Once DCF is payee, communication with Social Security Administration is primarily done through an online system managed by Social Security called GSO.  

a. Contact the WARDS Administrator to have an application submitted for a GSO userid and password.  The DCF eData Reporting Form (PPS-5928) is the document used to submit information to Social Security through GSO.

1. 2. Telephone - Workers shall telephone Social Security with problems or questions or when the subject is not contained on the DCF eData Reporting Form (PPS-5928). 
   3. Foster Care Alert Data File – Sent monthly to SSA, contains a listing of placement information for all children who were in custody of the Secretary and out-of-home placement during the previous month.
2. Mandatory Reporting of Changes to Social Security

When DCF is payee of Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or Social Security Act (SSA) benefits, DCF shall contact Social Security, via the alert file or GSO and form PPS-5928 by the 10th of the following month, when any of the following occur:

The beneficiary:

1. dies;
2. moves (any placement change);
3. marries;
4. starts or stops working
5. has ongoing earned income;
6. has a foster care eligibility funding change;
7. drops out of school;
8. will turn 18 in the next 6 months;
9. is imprisoned;
10. is adopted (adoptive placement agreement signed or finalized);
11. no longer needs a payee; or
12. is released from DCF custody.

3. Lump Sum Benefits

Lump sum benefits are often received from Social Security for past benefits owed to the child or because the last payee saved some of the benefit they received and returned it to Social Security.  Some lump sum benefits will be designated as needing to be put in a dedicated account.  Social Security will inform DCF by letter when this is needed.  Inform Social Security of the routing and account number for the WARDS Dedicated Account (contact PPS Administration WARDS System Administrator for assistance).  Monies placed in the dedicated account do not count toward the child’s SSI $2,000 balance limit. If a client receives a back payment lump sum not designated as dedicated funds, resources must be brought down below the $2,000 limit within 9 months.

4. SSI While in Medical Placements

Youth placed in a State Hospital, Institution, or residential treatment facility (PRTF) receive a reduced SSI payment of $30.00 per month. The reduced rate starts the first full month in one of these medical placements. The month the client is admitted (a partial month) they

5.  SSI Balance Limits

Client’s SSI eligibility is suspended if their resources are over $2,000.  Resources for SSI purposes would include the total of balances, excluding stimulus monies, in their regular and non-RD WARDS accounts.  The non-RD account is where non-social security benefits are held. A balance in the dedicated account (lump sum benefits Social Security labels as dedicated are held in the dedicated account) do not count towards the $2,000 limit.  Resources for a client receiving SSI shall be kept below $2,000 through a combination of conservation of funds in an ABLE account and spending based on the needs of the client.  Refer to PPM Section 5929 for information of how benefits can be spent.

A Client Balance Range report in SCRIPTS WARDS anytime a worker wants to know the balance for a client.  The WARDS Administrator in PPS Administration runs this report monthly for clients who receive SSI and sends a copy to Social Security Administration and to each region.

Note: SSA benefit only accounts do not have a resource limit.

6. Conserving Funds

There are two ways to save Social Security benefits for a need of the beneficiary.

1. ABLE (Achieving a Better Life Experience) Account

An ABLE Account allows an SSI recipient to save without losing their eligibility for SSI.   Individuals can open the account for themselves, or an authorized individual can open an account on their behalf. There are a few requirements that individuals with disabilities must meet to be able to have an account. DCF shall utilize ABLE accounts to conserve benefits for SSI recipients in custody of the Secretary with account balances over $1500. See PPM 5929 WARDS – Benefit Management for more information.  

2. PASS (Plan for Achieving Self-Support) for Clients with SSI Balances
   1. A PASS plan is appropriate when the following conditions are met:

1. The client receives an SSI benefit; and
2. The client has all needs met; and
3. Their WARDS balance will exceed the $2,000 limit within 90 days; and
4. The client has a plan for their future (e.g. attend college or start a business).

Money put into PASS is not considered as a resource when determining a client’s eligibility for SSI. More information about PASS, and how to apply for it, can be found at Plan to Achieve Self-Support (PASS) .  The PPS Eligibility Specialist shall initiate discussions regarding a PASS with the DCF IL Coordinator and the CWCMP. The DCF IL Coordinator shall complete the needed form and documentation, making sure the PPS Eligibility Specialist has copies of anything submitted to Social Security. 

2. If the PASS is approved the PPS Eligibility Specialist shall send the request to the WARDS Finance Manager in DCF Payables when the PASS funds are needed by the client for their intended purpose.

7. Annual Accounting to Social Security Administration (Representative Payee Report)

When DCF is payee of a child’s social security benefit, Social Security will mail yearly to DCF a Representative Payee Report which is filled out with the assistance of the Rep Payee Report in SCRIPTS WARDS.  DCF shall use Social Security’s on-line reporting site whenever possible to answer the questions asked on the Payee report. If the site is not available or attachments need to be sent with the report to explain certain answers, the Representative Payee Report shall be mailed in the envelope provided by Social Security. 

The PPS Eligibility Specialist completing payee reports shall access Social Security’s on-line reporting site and register for a userid and password. This userid and password are then used on the site to submit answers to Representative Payee Reports.

Please note that the on-line reporting site is different from the GSO account mentioned in PPM 5928.A.1