Effective Dates: 09/25/2019 - Present Previous | Next

TN 69 (09-19)

GN 02406.210 Nonreceipt of Interim Assistance Reimbursement (IAR)

A. An overview of IAR

An Interim Assistance Reimbursement (IAR) payment is a payment SSA makes to reimburse a State that provided interim assistance (IA) in cash or through vendor payments on behalf of an individual for meeting basic needs. When SSA allows a claim and the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) system is aware an IAR authorization is in effect, it sends notification of the recipient’s award to the State or local agency that provided assistance. Shortly after the state agency responds with the amount of assistance provided, the SSI system sends the first SSI payment or retroactive check to the agency.

With the implementation of the Electronic Interim Assistance Reimbursement (eIAR) system in November 2010, SSA changed the IAR accounting from a paper process to an electronic process and reduced the field office (FO) involvement with processing IAR payments and notices. SSA asks state agency to submit a record of IAR payments made by the state to the beneficiary electronically through the eIAR System. Once the state agencies submit their payment records through the eIAR System, the SSI system automatically determines the reimbursable amount, pays the state agency via direct deposit, if a payable amount is calculated. The system automatically processes the underpayment and installments, according to the priority of payment rules to release underpayments. State agencies have 25 working days to report IA payments made. If the state agency does not report the IA payments timely, the SSI system automatically processes the underpayment according to the priority of payment rules.

B. Processing IAR nonreceipt claims

1. When recipient contacts the FO alleging nonreceipt of an IAR payment annotation on the SSR

If the recipient contacts the FO alleging nonreceipt of an IAR payment, before transmitting an IAR nonreceipt, the SSR must show that SSA issued an IAR payment to the State or Local Agency. The Regional Office IAR Coordinator will instruct the technician to transmit a nonreceipt of IAR reimbursement payments made to State agencies only when :

  1. a. 

    A representative of the State agency that advanced the funds alleges that the payment was not received; and

  2. b. 

    The SSR shows an IAR payment was issued (PMTH PAYFLAG 3 = 1 or 5)

NOTE: SSA used to identify Zebley court cases with a “5” in PAYFLAG 3. However, now the “5” indicates the issuance of an IAR payment.

IMPORTANT: When the SSI system cannot automate the scheduled IAR payment to a state agency, a manual FO intervention is required to release it. The PMTH segment will display the payment as 4N1 in PAYFLAG 1, 2 and 3, respectively. See SM 01005.625 for more information.

2. Transmitting an IAR nonreceipt

  1. a. 

    Use the Direct SSR Update Missing Check (UPMC) screen to process nonreceipts for IAR check payments as shown in MS 00303.013.

  2. b. 

    Use the Direct SSR Update Missing Direct Deposit (UPMD) screen to process nonreceipts for IAR direct deposit payments as shown in MS 00303.014.

  3. c. 

    Reissue the check via A-OTP to the IAR state or local agency. Include the complete IAR agency address on the One-Time Payment Address (UPOA) screen as shown in MS 00303.023.

C. State agency contacts the FO alleging nonreceipt of an IAR payment

If the State agency contacts the FO alleging nonreceipt of an IAR payment verify that the GRC = P or G in the Miscellaneous Payment Data (MPMT) segment of the SSR. If this is the case, then SSA sent the payment to the state agency.

Follow the input instructions in section B above to transmit the allegation to Treasury.

If the MPMT segment does not show a GRC of P or G, SSA sent the payment to the recipient and no further nonreceipt action is necessary.

D. References

  • •

    SI 02101.001 SSI Underpayment Definitions and General Rules

  • •

    SI 02003.010 State Processing of IAR Authorizations

  • •

    SI 02003.020 Field Office Processing of IAR Authorizations

  • •

    MS 00303.013 Missing Check (UPMC)

  • •

    MS 00303.023 One Time Payment Address (UPOA)

To Link to this section - Use this URL:
http://policy.ssa.gov/poms.nsf/lnx/0202406210
GN 02406.210 - Nonreceipt of Interim Assistance Reimbursement (IAR) - 09/25/2019
Batch run: 01/23/2024
Rev:09/25/2019