POMS Reference

GN 02607: Prisoner Provisions

TN 31 (04-15)

PUPS records and alerts provide information indicating that the Title II beneficiary or Title XVI recipient associated with the PUPS record or alert is confined and ineligible for payment. However, the PUPS record or alert may contain missing or questionable confinement data or unreliable identity information that associates an inmate with the incorrect Social Security number (SSN). Therefore, before we take action on the inmate information, we need to determine whether the inmate is the beneficiary or recipient associated with the PUPS record and, if so, verify the period of confinement.

A. Development requirements for PUPS alerts

1. Field office (FO) actions

a. PUPS information to develop and verify

Before taking action on a PUPS record or alert, develop and verify the following as needed:

  • inmate identity per GN 02607.600B.;

  • confinement period per GN 02607.600C.;

  • conviction date for a Title II beneficiary;

  • representative payee status. Check the Representative Payee System (RPS) to determine whether the inmate serves as a representative payee. If so, investigate the continued suitability of the inmate serving as a payee per GN 00504.103; and

  • missing inmate data per GN 02607.530.

b. Updating concurrent (Title II and Title XVI) cases

In concurrent cases, each title will have its own pending PUPS record. Complete all development and update each record separately. For more information on handling concurrent cases, see GN 02607.780.

c. Federal Bureau of Prison (BOP) alerts

For unique BOP alert development requirements, see GN 02607.792.

d. Documenting PUPS development

Document the results of your development on the PUPS Prisoner Remarks (PRMK) screen. For more information on the PRMK screen, see MSOM PRISON 003.010.

2. Payment center (PC) actions

a. PUPS alert distribution to PCs

PUPS distributes an inmate alert to the servicing PC when:

  • the Enumeration Verification System (EVS) verified the inmate’s identity;

  • the reporter provided confinement and conviction dates;

  • the inmate has been confined for at least 30 days; and

  • the reporter provided a facility identification (FID) code.

For more information on how PUPS distributes alerts, see GN 02607.410C. For more information on FID codes, see MSOM PRISON 002.001.

b. PC processing of alerts

When there is no questionable or missing inmate information on an alert, suspend benefits following instructions in GN 02607.700. However, transfer the PUPS alert to the servicing FO when you find that:

  • the inmate’s identity is questionable;

  • there is missing or questionable confinement information or FID code; or

  • the date of confinement is 1 year or more in the past. NOTE: Verifying the confinement period of these alerts helps to eliminate erroneous suspensions resulting from incorrect facility reports or from old skeleton record alerts. (For information on skeleton records, see GN 02607.520.)

Request the FO to develop for the questionable or missing information and to process the alert. Update the PRMK screen with the questionable or missing information needing development.

For information on transferring PUPS PENDING records, see GN 02607.465.

B. Developing inmate identity

1. EVS identity review

EVS reviews all incoming inmate identity and SSN information and assigns a code to the SSN verification to indicate the degree of identity accuracy. When EVS cannot verify identity automatically, the Office of Central Operations conducts a manual SSN verification. EVS assigns codes of "E" and "F" to the manually verified SSNs. For an explanation of each EVS code, see GN 02607.510.

First, locate the EVS code on the PUPS record or the verification description on the PUPS alert. Then, develop for identity based on the EVS code as instructed in GN 02607.600B.3. and GN 02607.600B.4. in this section.

2. Locating the EVS code

a. PUPS record

The PUPS record displays the EVS code as an alpha or numeric character field on the Prison Report History (PURS) screen. For information on the PURS screen, see MSOM PRISON 003.005.

b. PUPS alert

The PUPS alert displays the degree of SSN verification accuracy using the description of each EVS code in word format. An example of a PUPS alert is located in GN 02607.975C.

3. Processing EVS codes V and L

EVS codes V and L indicate a high degree of identity accuracy and do not require identity development before taking a suspension action.

4. Developing EVS codes 2, 3, 4, A, B, E, and F

These codes indicate a lower degree of identity accuracy. PUPS may associate these records with the wrong beneficiary or recipient, particularly if the reported inmate is using a false identity or the identifying data on the report is inaccurate or incomplete.

Step through the following instructions to verify whether the PUPS record belongs to the identified beneficiary or recipient.

a. Check existing records

Compare the identity information on the alert with identity information in existing records (e.g., the Master Beneficiary Record, Supplemental Security Record, ALPHIDENT, NUMIDENT). If the PUPS inmate information belongs to the beneficiary, continue to process the alert. If the PUPS inmate information does not belong to the beneficiary or recipient, clear the alert per GN 02607.600D.1.

b. Resolving question of identity

When you cannot determine whether the PUPS inmate information belongs to the identified beneficiary or recipient from existing records, contact the beneficiary, recipient, or representative payee to verify identity via a face-to-face contact according to GN 00203.003A. For instructions on resolving questions of identity during a face-to-face contact, see GN 00203.020.

c. Contact a third party

When the beneficiary, recipient, or representative payee cannot provide the data needed to verify identity, contact one of the third party sources listed in GN 02607.680 or GN 02607.682 to resolve any identity discrepancies.

When contacting a confining facility, use the inmate number from the PUPS record as a reference rather than the beneficiary’s or recipient’s name. A confining facility’s records may not match exactly with the beneficiary’s or recipient’s identity information and, therefore, may not be sufficient to resolve the identity discrepancy. However, the facility’s records may resolve an identity discrepancy if they establish differences in race, sex, or other facts that would confirm that the inmate is not the beneficiary or recipient.

d. BOP alerts

When the BOP is the source of the alert, follow instructions in GN 02607.790 when needing to contact a third party for verifying identity. Do not contact the BOP or any Federal prison.

C. Developing the confinement period

When the PUPS inmate information belongs to the identified beneficiary or recipient, develop the confinement period to determine whether suspension of payments is appropriate according to GN 02607.001 or GN 02607.050. To make this determination, contact the beneficiary, recipient, representative payee, or one of the third-party sources listed in GN 02607.680 and GN 02607.682 (or if a BOP alert, GN 02607.790) and obtain answers to the following questions as needed:

  • what is the confinement date, if not shown on the PUPS record or alert;

  • what is the conviction date, if a Title II beneficiary;

  • will the beneficiary remain confined for more than 30 continuous days or the recipient remain confined throughout a month;

  • did the beneficiary or recipient have other periods of incarceration; if so, when and where? (Ask for specific dates for each period of confinement.);

  • did the beneficiary or recipient transfer from another institution before the current period of confinement;

  • will beneficiary or recipient transfer to another institution after the current period of confinement. If so, where will he or she be confined after the transfer; and

  • did the institution release the beneficiary or recipient; if so, when?

Add any missing or corrected data to PUPS following instructions in GN 02607.530.

D. Taking action based on inmate data development

The goal of developing the reported inmate’s identity and confinement period is to obtain the information necessary to make a decision whether to suspend the beneficiary’s or recipient’s benefits. Take action on the PUPS record or alert based on the following results of your development.

1. Beneficiary or recipient is not the inmate

Clear PUPS alert by:

  • entering CLEAR CONTROL- ERRONEOUS REPORT (selection #3) in the SELECT TYPE OF ACTION field on the T2 Prisoner Update (PU02) or the T16 Prisoner Update (PU16) screen. For instructions on processing an erroneous Title II suspension, see GN 02607.870. For information on the PU16 screen, see MSOM PRISON 003.008.

  • annotating the PRMK screen explaining why you are not suspending benefits.

When the beneficiary or recipient requests us to delete the erroneous record from PUPS, follow instructions in GN 02607.890. Correct the Beneficiary Own Account Number (BOAN) if needed.

NOTE: Review the incentive payment (IP) data to determine if the IP was incorrectly paid to correctional or mental institution because of the erroneous report. If PUPS incorrectly paid an IP for the erroneous report, take action to recoup the incorrect IP, see instructions in GN 02607.830B.

2. Beneficiary or recipient is the inmate and suspension required

Suspend benefits following instructions in GN 02607.700 or GN 02607.705 when a beneficiary or recipient:

  • meets the requirements for suspension in GN 02607.001 or GN 02607.050;

  • verifies his or her identity and agrees with the report of confinement;

  • verifies his or her identity and disagrees with the report of confinement, but a third party source confirms the report; or

  • verifies his or her identity, is unable to provide missing confinement data, and no third party source can corroborate the report.

If the beneficiary, recipient, or representative payee does not respond to your request for confinement information or identity verification or will not cooperate, suspend benefits (S7 or N22) using the confinement date on the PUPS record. For instructions on annotating Title II RFST codes for LAF S7, see SM 00848.425I.

3. Confined for 30 days or less or less than calendar month

a. Title II beneficiaries

When confined for 30 calendar days or less:

  • clear the PUPS record or alert per GN 02607.730C;

  • review IP data for a potential incorrect IP payment; (For instructions on recouping an incorrectly paid IP, see GN 02607.830B.) and

  • annotate the modernized development worksheet (MDW) to prevent possible duplicate development, if appropriate.

b. Title XVI recipients

When confined for less than a full calendar month, clear the PUPS record or alert per GN 02607.705E.2. and review the IP data for a potential incorrect IP payment. For instructions on recouping an incorrectly paid IP, see GN 02607.830B.

4. Released from confinement after 30 days or full calendar month

If the institution has officially released the beneficiary or recipient, suspend benefits for the appropriate past months and reinstate benefits for:

  • Title II beneficiaries per GN 02607.840;

  • beneficiaries found not guilty by reason of insanity per GN 02607.850;

  • beneficiaries found incompetent to stand trial per GN 02607.852;

  • beneficiaries in an institution as sexually dangerous persons per GN 02607.854; and

  • Title XVI recipients per GN 02607.875.

Annotate the release date to the PUPS record when reinstating benefits.

5. Title II Beneficiary confined and awaiting trial

Process the inmate report per GN 02607.720.

6. Inmate confined by the Federal Bureau of Prisons

For unique Title II processing requirements, see GN 02607.792.

E. References