Retention Date: 05/12/2025
A. Purpose
This emergency message (EM) provides guidance on achieving the Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 redetermination (RZ) and limited issue (LI) goals. It also reminds field offices (FOs) to follow the order of priority when scheduling RZs and LIs and best practices for managerial processing of RZs and LIs.
B. RZ/LI goal for FY 2025
The FY 2025 combined processing goal for RZs and LIs is 2.482 million. FOs will have the flexibility to meet their combined RZ/LI goal with any combination of RZs and LIs. For FY 2025, RZs will be released in October and February. The October release contained 45% of the FY 2025 target cases and the remaining 55% will be released in February 2025. We are selecting RZs for all profile codes except the middle-error profile B without diaries.
C. Achieving the RZ and LI goal
We are encompassing several high priority cases in the October RZ release, including cases potentially affected by the counting of COVID-19 Disaster Assistance, such as Economic Impact Payments (EIPs), and cases impacted by the SSI Living Arrangement Regulatory Changes, implemented September 30, 2024.
- To proactively address cases impacted by the new regulatory changes, technicians should filter cases in SSTNG by FLA-B and prioritize these cases. This will allow us to potentially increase benefits for people with ISM who are impacted by the new rules. Refer to EM-24047 for instructions.
- In addition, technicians should prioritize couple’s cases, cases with H type income, and cases with multiple SSI eligibles in the household in order to ensure they are properly coded while combining the efforts with their existing RZ workloads to reduce development burden or re-contact.
Due to the new regulatory change, couples and households with multiple eligibles will automatically be considered a Public Assistance Household and development of inside ISM is not needed. Technicians can view all resources related to the new regulatory changes on our SSI Living Arrangements Regulatory Changes SharePoint site.
To prevent erroneous counting of Disaster Assistance as excess income (N01) and resources (N04), technicians must take time to thoroughly review records, apply appropriate income and resource exclusions, and document records per:
- EM-20014 REV 9 Effect of COVID-19-Related Financial Assistance on SSI Income and Resources, and
- EM-21050 REV 5 Special Processing Instructions for Applying Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Income and Resource Exclusions to Pandemic-related Disaster Assistance.
The high priority cases also include records with past-due underpayments pending. These cases are included in the FY 2024-2025 SSI Equity Agency Priority Goal (APG) and should be selected to be worked as a priority. These cases will also require a separate input in the Global Ad Hoc Tracker (GAT) to indicate the outcome of the underpayment being released. Field Offices should be aware of AM 23067 for complete processing instructions.
There will be RZs included in the October 2024 RZ release where the claim was taken during the pandemic and we adjudicated based on allegations for age, citizenship, and/or alien status. Technicians should thoroughly review the Person Information and Alien Status screens to ensure all information is verified and not listed as alleged or not verified.
Per SI 02305.001.C.2, exceptions to full development of all non-medical factors of eligibility during an RZ review are age and citizenship, unless FO questions the previous determination or in the case of citizenship, when the recipient is identified on the SSR as a no-citizen (AR Code is other than A., C, or D with a date of eligibility of 01/01/82 or later, or M, N, or Q). Additionally, if the Citizenship Status and Birth date proof type options are shown as “alleged” or have been left blank in the alien status screen within the CCE claims system during prior PE or RZ, FO technicians need to verify these statuses and obtain proof, as needed.
Therefore, to prioritize these time-sensitive cases, FOs should initiate the October run RZs released in November before initiating cases from the January run released in February. Please ensure you are accurately prioritizing cases per Subsection D. of this EM, such as those affected by disaster assistance.
NOTE: We do not expect you to complete every RZ selected for your office by February. When the remaining cases are released in February, continue to follow the order of priority outlined in subsection D. of this EM to focus on cases with the highest value.
Completing RZs initiated from a prior fiscal year (for example, an RZ initiated in August 2024, but completed in FY 2025) also count towards the RZ goal. FOs must monitor their initiated redeterminations to ensure they are developed and completed timely. FOs can obtain a list of pending initiated redeterminations from:
- Starz and Stripes the Next Generation (SSTNG); or
- the RZ and LI Pending List in MI Central by filtering the request to display ‘Initiated Redets’, ‘Unsigned Redets’ and ‘Signed Redets’.
NOTE: Completed unscheduled RZs count towards the annual goal. Keep in mind that your FO gets a count for completing an unscheduled RZ whenever you start date a Supplemental Security Record (SSR). For start date records built using:
- an SSA-450-SI (SSI Data Input and Determination), the count is received in the next RZ merge run.
- the Modernized Supplemental Security Income Claims System (MSSICS), a count is given whenever we close the MSSICS event.
IMPORTANT: Due to existing Ad Hoc Workloads and routine unscheduled RZs, managers will estimate the number of unscheduled redeterminations their offices complete and consider that estimate when determining the number of scheduled cases to complete.
D. Order of priority and StaRZ and Stripes the Next Generation (SSTNG)
Field offices should follow the order of priority as listed in SI 02305.017E when scheduling your limited issue and redetermination workloads. Profile C redeterminations with priority diaries are high priority cases for FY 2025. Following the order of priority ensures that FOs focus on the RZs and LIs with the greatest probability of improper payment.
SSTNG allows you to organize your cases according to the priority order using filters. You can apply a filter to your SSTNG case list by clicking the “select filter” button on the SSTNG home page (SSHOME). The following table describes the selections to make for each level of priority:
| Order of Priority | Filter Selection in SSTNG |
| 1. Profile C with priority diary | profile = C and diary = DI, 5B, 5H, SB, K6, K7, J3, J5, U5, S2, S7, KB, KC, KE, K8, K9, KP, KV, KZ, D8, R8, 3D, or I8 |
| 2. LI with priority diary | Selection indicator=X and/or diary = 5B, 5H, SB, K6, K7, J3, J5, U5, S2, S7, KB, KC, KE, K8, K9, KP, KV, KZ, D8, R8, 3D, or I8 |
| 3. Profile E and M | Profile = E or M |
| 4. Profile K | Profile = K |
| 5. Profile C without a priority diary | Profile = C (this will select all HEP C cases, even those with a priority diary. You must manually scan the list to find those without priority diaries) |
| 6. Profile B, UC 1, and W with priority diaries | Profile = B, 1, or W and diary = DI, 5B, 5H, SB, K6, K7, J3, J5, U5, S2, S7, KB, KC, KE, K8, K9, KP, KV, KZ, D8, R8, 3D, or I8 |
| 7. Profile A with priority diary | Profile = A and diary = DI, 5B, 5H, SB, K6, K7, J3, J5, U5, S2, S7, KB, KC, KE, K8, K9, KP, KV, KZ, D8, R8, 3D, or I8 |
| 8. LI without priority diary | Profile = X and selection indicator code = C (unverified self-employment), F (continuing type F unearned income), or G (payment continuation) or Z (dedicated account) |
| 9. 1619(a) cases with a special action code A | N/A - Cases will not be selected this year |
| 10. Profile UC 1 and W without priority diaries | Profile = 1 or W |
| 11. Profile A and B without priority diaries | Profile = A
We are not selecting profile B cases without diaries this year. |
NOTE: SSTNG will not allow you to filter using more than three diaries at a time. Requesting a focused list (For example, profile X and U5 diary) allows you to include the appropriate evidence request (For example, proof of unemployment compensation) in your appointment notices.
E. Processing Requirements
Redeterminations require full development of all non-medical factors of eligibility, unless a case meets the exceptions listed in SI 02305.001C.2. Data from the Office of Quality Review (OQR) indicates that most incorrect payments result from incomplete or incorrect development of income and resource factors. Therefore, it is important that technicians closely adhere to the following procedures:
Even though Limited Issues are limited to one or more specific factors of eligibility, they also adhere to the rules of reopening, especially Administrative Finality.
You MUST use the RZwiz worksheet during all RZ, LI and wage-related diary interviews. You do not need to retain the worksheet in the file after the interview. See SI 02305.071 Completing Redeterminations (RZs) in MSSICS or on Paper Forms SSA-8202-BK and SSA-8203-BK.
When conducting Redeterminations or Limited Issues over the telephones, technicians must adhere to identification instructions listed in GN 00203.020A.2.b to verify the identity of the claimant.
Not all post-eligibility (PE) changes require an RZ. For a list of the situations that require the completion of an unscheduled RZ, see SI 02305.022A.3.
Ensure that you have selected the correct RZ initiation date. The initiation date is important because it serves as protective filing for recipients who are entitled to receive Title II benefits on the date the RZ is initiated. See SI 02305.034 Period of Review – RZs and LIs.
F. Management Involvement in RZ/LI Workloads
Managers and supervisors can assist with the RZ/LI workload if there is a business need. These members of management may only complete RZs/LIs if they have sufficient SSI training and possess the proficiency necessary to accurately and effectively complete RZs/LIs. Program proficiency includes the ability to fully and accurately develop all factors of SSI eligibility including living arrangements, income and resources, and outstanding diaries. They must also thoroughly document the cases according to policy. Additionally, managers and supervisors who close RZs/LIs initiated by other employees must thoroughly review the RZ/LI for accuracy prior to adjudication.
Direct all program-related and technical questions to your Regional Office (RO) support staff. RO support staff may refer questions, concerns or problems to their Central Office contacts.
References:
AM-23067 Processing Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Underpayments Related to the Fiscal Years 2024 and 2025 Agency Priority Goal (APG)
EM-24047 SSI Living Arrangements Regulatory Changes - Technician Instructions for Identifying and Processing Affected Cases
EM-20014 REV 9 Effect of COVID-19-Related Financial Assistance on SSI Income and Resources – End of the Presidentially Declared Disaster
EM-21050 REV 5 Special Processing Instructions for Applying Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Income and Resource Exclusions to Pandemic-related Disaster Assistance
GN 00203.020 - Identity of Claimants
SI 02305.000 - Redeterminations of Eligibility and/or Payment Amount - Table of Contents
SI 02305.001 - General Information About Redeterminations
SI 02305.017 - Release and Scheduling of RZ, LI, and Manual Deeming Case Workloads
SI 02305.034 - Period of Review - RZs and LIs
SI 02305.071 - Completing Redeterminations (RZs) in CCE or on Paper Forms SSA-8202-BK and SSA-8203-BK