1

Have we received complete wage and employment information for the employer(s) from a payroll data provider (PDP) through the payroll information exchange (PIE) for the entire period being verified? For information on the procedure for wage and employment evidence received from a PDP through PIE, see SI 00820.130C.1.

If yes, proceed to Step 15.

If no, go to Step 2.

2

Does the individual have acceptable pay stubs for some or all of the period being verified? For information that must be shown on a pay stub for us to consider it acceptable evidence of wages, see the first bullet in SI 00820.130A.1.

If yes, go to Step 3.

If no, go to Step 8.

3

Were any wages deferred or set aside during the period covered by the pay stubs rather than paid on the normal payment date? For more information regarding wage advances and deferred wages, see SI 00820.115.

If yes, go to Step 4.

If no, go to Step 5.

4

Post and document deferred wages per SI 00820.115C.2. When posting wages to the SSI Claims system Wages page, complete the employer identification number (EIN) field when EIN information is available (e.g., listed on the wage evidence, available on the Detailed Earnings Query, etc.).

Go to Step 6.

5

Use SSI Monthly Wage Verification (SSIMWV) intranet application to:

• •

  input and document a wage report submitted with pay stubs. SSIMWV will automate the wage input to the SSI Claims system Wages page or (for non-SSI Claims system (i.e., non-MSSICS) cases) to the SSR via the 1719(b) (SSI Post-Eligibility Input);

• •

  print and issue a work report receipt via SSIMWV and archive it to the Online Retrieval System (ORS) to serve as documentation of wages. For in-person and telephone reports, generate a receipt immediately, and give or mail to the reporter; and

• •

  establish the work report for mailed, faxed, or dropped off reports in the FO, and mail the receipt to the reporter within 5 days of receipt of the information.

If available, complete the employer identification number (EIN) field in SSIMWV and on the Wages page in the SSI Claims system.

No other action is necessary to document the report.

IMPORTANT: If processing multiple months of pay stubs in SSIMWV, you must issue a separate work report receipt for each month to meet the documentation requirements.

Was SSIMWV used to input all wages and document the wage report(s)?

If yes, ,go to Step 15

If no, go to Step 6.

6

Do the pay stubs cover earnings for the entire period that you are verifying? Or, if not, can you determine the wages attributable to the missing pay stub(s) by other evidence (e.g., year-to-date totals)?

If yes, go to Step 7.

If no, go to Step 8.

7

For documenting wages based on pay stubs, follow the procedures in SI 00820.130C.1.

Post the wages when received using the SSI Claims system Wages page or a 1719(b) (SSI Post-Eligibility Input).

Annotate the remarks of the SSI Claims system Wages page or a Report of Contact with the source of verification.

Issue a receipt to the reporter through the Document Processing System (DPS) via the SSA-L724 (Work Report Receipt). .

Go to Step 15.

8

Does the employer participate in payroll services with an SSA-approved wage verification company listed in SI 00820.147C.2?

If yes, follow the procedures to obtain and document wage verification SI 00820.147 and then proceed to step 15.

If no, go to step 9.

9

Does the individual have evidence showing annual wage amounts, such as W-2 forms or Federal or State income tax forms? Is there a Master Earnings File (MEF)?

OR

Is quarterly wage information displayed in the National Directory of New Hires (NDNH), Interstate Benefits Inquiry (IBIQ), or SSA Access to State Records Online (SASRO)?

If yes,

Confirm with the worker the months worked and, for evidence treated as a third-party lead, whether they agree with the wage information on the query. If the worker does not agree with the third-party lead, you must develop other wage evidence. For more information about documenting evidence from secondary sources, see SI 00820.130C.3.

Divide the annual or quarterly amount by the number of alleged months worked, to arrive at a “verified” wage amount to post for each month.

On an Evidence Screen (EVID), signed statement or Report of Contact, document:

• •

  the annual or quarterly wage amounts and the source of the evidence;

• •

  the individual’s allegation of the number of months worked: and

• •

  whether the worker agrees with the wage information when the evidence is from third-party sources like NDNH; and

• •

  the steps taken to request primary evidence and why those efforts were unsuccessful.

Lock documentation pages or store signed statements in the Evidence Portal (EP). However, do not save IBIQ/NDNH/SASRO printouts or queries in EP. For the required documentation, see SI 00820.130C.3.b in this section

IMPORTANT: Posting the alleged months worked to the SSI Claims system Wages page alone is insufficient documentation when using quarterly or annual wage amounts. You must also record the allegation, wage amounts, and source on a signed statement, Report of Contact, SSA-795, or SSA-5002 to satisfy documentation requirements. This includes statements regarding whether the worker agrees with any third-party reports. See SI 00820.130C.3 for more information about documenting evidence from secondary sources.

Proceed to Step 15.

If no, go to Step 10.

10

Does the person have wage information recorded in the Internet Ticket Operations Provider Support System (iTOPSS)? iTOPSS contains pay stub-level wage information for Ticket to Work users. The wage data is provided by employment networks and input by Ticket Program Managers. See more information SI 00820.130C.3.

If yes:

Compute and record monthly wages on the SSI Claims system Wages page or a 1719(b) (SSI Post-Eligibility Input).

On a signed statement, or Report of Contact:

• •

  confirm that the worker agrees with the wage information provided; and

• •

  document iTOPSS as the evidence source and the steps taken to obtain preferred evidence;

Lock documentation pages or store signed statements in EP.

Proceed to Step 15.

If no or if iTOPSS information is incomplete or inconsistent, go to Step 11.

11

Phone the employer to develop and verify wages. Request information regarding when wages were paid, not earned, see SI 00810.030.

If the employer provides wage information, consider that information to be verified. If no deferred wages are involved:

• •

  post the wages when received, and

• •

  document the wage information obtained from the employer on a Report of Contact and lock it. Include:

• •

  the date of the call;

• •

  employer name;

• •

  the contact person’s name, title, and telephone number;

• •

  gross wages paid;

• •

  the pay date (if known);

• •

  time period covered by the oral statement; and

• •

  if applicable, any deductions or exclusions from gross wages (e.g., cafeteria plans, certain child support garnishments, etc.)

In non SSI Claims system (i.e., non-MSSICS) situations, document this information on an SSA-5002 (Report of Contact) and store it in EP.

If the employer provides wage information and deferred wages are involved:

• •

  post deferred wages per SI 00820.115B.2,

• •

  post the remainder of wages when received, and

• •

  document the verified deferred wages on EVID, or on a Report of Contact page and lock it; or, in non-SSI Claims system (i.e., non-MSSICS) situations, document the deferred wages and the employer contact information (i.e., date, contact person’s name, title, and telephone number) on an SSA-5002 and store it in EP.

Do not disclose an individual’s PII on voicemail messages to employers. If the employer will not provide wage evidence and refers you to a non-SSA approved wage verification company for wage information, go to Step 13.

If the employer provides evidence of wages, but you determine that an oral statement is insufficient, go to Step 12.

If the employer is uncooperative, or you cannot reach the employer by phone, go to Step 12.

12

Send the employer an SSA-L4201-BK (Letter to Employer Requesting Wage Information).

If the employer completes the form and no deferred wages are involved:

• •

  post wages when received,

• •

  store the SSA-L4201-BK in EP. Alternatively, document SSA-L4201-BK evidence on EVID or on a Report of Contact and lock it, or in non-SSI Claims system (i.e., non MSSICS) situations, document this information on an SSA-5002 (Report of Contact) and store it in EP.

Proceed to Step 15.

If the employer completes the form and deferred wages are involved:

• •

  post deferred wages per SI 00820.115C,

• •

  charge the remainder of wages when received,

• •

  store the SSA-L4201-BK in EP. Alternatively, document the information extracted from the SSA-L4201-BK on EVID, a Report of Contact and lock it. In non-SSI Claims system (i.e., non MSSICS) situations, document this information on an SSA-5002 (Report of Contact) and store it in EP.

Proceed to Step 15.

If the employer will not provide wage evidence and refers you to a non-SSA approved wage verification company for wage information, go to Step 13.

If the employer is uncooperative, does not provide all the information requested on the SSA-L4201-BK, or cannot be located, go to Step 14.

13

Is the wage evidence available from a non-SSA approved wage verification company?

If yes, request that the worker obtain the wage evidence from the non-approved company. Accept the wage evidence from the non-SSA approved wage verification company only when provided by the individual.

IMPORTANT: SSA employees must not access or establish online accounts with non-approved wage verification companies or enter any of the wage earner's personally identifiable information into a non-SSA approved website, or otherwise contact or disclose information to the non-approved wage verification company.

Proceed to Step 15.

If no, go to Step 14.

14

Obtain the individual's allegation of the amount and frequency of wages.

Post the verified wages as verified in this step. Code the wage amount with “9” verification indicator.

Record the individual's statement on either a signed Person Statement (SSA-795) or Report of Contact page (SSA-5002). Include the following:

• •

  gross amount, frequency, and duration of wages; and

• •

  the steps taken to obtain acceptable primary and secondary evidence, and why they were unsuccessful.

Lock documentation pages or store signed SSA-795 form statements in EP. For instructions on electronic evidence documentation and retention, see GN 00301.286.

Proceed to Step 15.

15

Does the individual have impairment-related work expenses (IRWE), blind work expenses (BWE), or other earned income exclusions that apply during the period that you are developing?

If yes, go to Step 16.

If no, STOP.