DI 11005.004 Identifying and Flagging Homeless Cases

CITATIONS:

McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, 42 U.S.C. §§ 11301, 11302,11311, 11312, and 11313

A. Why we flag homeless cases

We flag the disability folder to alert Social Security Administration and Disability Determination Services (DDS) components to special case processing and development requirements for homeless cases; see DI 11005.004D in this section.

B. What we mean by homeless

A claimant is homeless if he or she does not have a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence.

We also consider claimants homeless if they expect to lose current accommodations within 14 days, and will not have a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence.

EXAMPLES of living conditions that indicate homelessness include, but are not limited to, staying:

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at publicly or privately operated shelters;
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in hotels and motels paid for by Federal, State, or local government programs for low-income individuals;
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in a car, park, abandoned building, bus or train station, airport, or camping ground; or
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temporarily with a friend, family member, or another household. (This situation is sometimes referred to as “doubled up” or “sofa surfing.”)

REMINDER: When considering living arrangements and in-kind support and maintenance (LA/ISM) for SSI eligibility, the field office (FO) follows policy in Transients, Homeless Individuals, and LA/ISM Determinations, described in SI 00835.060.

C. Procedure for identifying homeless cases

1. Be alert to the possibility of homelessness for claimants who are:

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participants in a program or represented by an organization that primarily assists the homeless;
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fleeing domestic violence;
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runaway or abandoned youth; and
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young adults aging out of foster care.

IMPORTANT: Never consider currently incarcerated individuals homeless. For prerelease cases, see SI 00520.920 (FO) or DI 23530.001 (DDS).

2. Flag the disability folder “homeless” whenever a claimant alleges, or case information indicates, the claimant is homeless.

REMINDER: Always set the homeless flag for a disability claimant whose SSI living arrangement is transient.

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For cases in the Electronic Disability Collect System (EDCS), follow the instructions in DI 81010.080B (FO) and DI 81020.085 (DDS).
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For cases excluded from EDCS (paper folder), prepare a flag using the sample format in DI 11005.004E. Attach the flag securely to the front of the Modular Disability Folder.

D. Requirements for claims involving homelessness

See case processing and development instructions for homeless cases:

1. FO

Instructions for…	POMS reference
Document contact information when the claimant is homeless	DI 10005.005E
Field Office Disability Interviews	DI 11005.001
The Disability Interview Process - non self-help	DI 11005.018B.2
Completing the SSA-3369	DI 11005.025
Completing the SSA-3373 BK (Function Report- Adult)	DI 11005.026
Guidelines for Deferral of Non-Medical Development	DI 11010.025
Completing the SSA-831 Procedure – FO remarks	DI 11010.205G.14
FO Completion of the SSA-831 for a Modernized Supplemental Security Income Claims System (MSSICS) limitation exclusion case – Procedure for completing Item 11 – Remarks (title XVI)	DI 11055.130B.2
Failure to Cooperate-Insufficient Evidence Decision (FTC) Whereabouts Unknown (WU) Cases	DI 11018.005 DI 11010.045

2. DDS

Instructions for …	POMS reference
Consultative Examination (CE) Appointment Special Scheduling Procedures – Homeless	DI 22510.016A.3
Consultative Examination (CE) Appointment Notice Follow up and Reminder – no response to confirm a scheduled CE appointment	DI 22510.019D
General – Development of Vocational Evidence – Procedure - Homeless Claimant	DI 22515.001B.2
FTC – Guidelines for requesting claimant evidence or action in special handling situations Follow up requirement when the claimant does not respond to an initial request for evidence or action Follow up procedure for requests to the claimant for evidence or action	DI 23007.005C. DI 23007.005F. DI 23007.005G.
Claimant fails to attend an initial confirmed CE appointment	DI 23007.010D
Priority Cases	DI 23020.001
Hardship Situations	DI 23020.030

E. Exhibit – Sample Homeless Flag – Folder Excluded from EDCS

HOMELESS CASE
Name of Claimant
SSN
Title II	Title XVI	Concurrent

HOMELESS CASE

Name of Claimant

SSN

Title II

Title XVI

Concurrent

To Link to this section - Use this URL:
http://policy.ssa.gov/poms.nsf/lnx/0411005004

DI 11005.004 - Identifying and Flagging Homeless Cases - 09/11/2014
Batch run: 11/04/2019
Rev:09/11/2014

Program Operations Manual System (POMS)