"Automated" Interim Assistance Reimbursement (IAR) County

Santa Clara County is an “Automated” IA Agency. The Automated IAR process identifies GA Recipients who have a pending SSI application and automates the County’s claim for reimbursement of Interim Assistance.

History

Santa Clara County has been an automated county since 1993. Prior to SAWS the county would send a monthly computer tape to CDSS, effectively “certifying” that an “Authorization for Reimbursement of Interim Assistance Initial Payment or Initial Posteligibility Payment” (SSP 14) was on file for GA cases that were ID’d on the tape. CDSS would in turn transmit the State Data Exchange (SDX type) to the Data Processing Center (DPC). DPC would run the SDX type against the General Assistance file and create a Match Tape and send the Match Tape to CDSS. CDSS then transmitted the Match Tape to SSA Central Office (CO). Upon receipt, SSA CO automatically posted the GA (IAR) code to each pending applicant’s SSI record. This eliminated the need for the county to send a paper SSP 14 to the local SSA Office.

Systems and Automation

The process changed when the county transitioned to using a SAWS - beginning with CalWIN and now CalSAWS. GA cases are automatically picked up by DHCS when they receive an approval transaction from CalSAWS that is sent to MEDS (effectively “certifying” that an “Authorization for Reimbursement of Interim Assistance Initial Payment or Initial Posteligibility Payment” (SSP 14) is on file). When the data is picked up through DHCS’ MEDS system, they are somehow able to tell when a GA or CAPI case is open in the County and they are able to check the SSN against the SSI data file they have access to. When there’s a match, they put the SSN on a tape and send to CDSS’ ISD and forwards the information on to SSA Central Office in Baltimore. If SSA finds an SSI record, Santa Clara grant reimbursement (GR) code (for IAR) is posted to the individual’s record. This tags the record to ensure Santa Clara receives priority in any of the SSI individual’s past due payment over the attorneys and the SSI individual. This process eliminates the need for the county to send a paper SSP 14 to the local SSA Office

Summary of Systems and Automation Process

  • CalSAWS transmits case approvals automatically to DHCS. 
  • DHCS sends to MEDS system.
  • When a GA or CAPI case is open in the County DHCS is able to check the SSN against the SSI data file, and 
  • When there’s a match, DHCS put the SSN on a tape and send to CDSS’ Information Services (ISD) and ISD forward the information to Social Security Administration (SSA) Central Office in Baltimore. 
  • When SSA finds an SSI record, Santa Clara grant reimbursement (GR) code (for IAR) is posted to the individual’s record. This tags the record to ensure Santa Clara receives priority in any of the SSI individual’s past due payment over the attorneys and the SSI individual.
  • Santa Clara County certifies that an SSP 14 is on file. An SSP 14 is completed at intake, RRR, each time the client reapplies for SSI and/or when there is a name or Social Security Number change and scanned to Imaging.

The Automation process is complicated involving 4 different bureaucracies DHCS, CDSS, SSA and CalSAWS. 

There are two ways an SSI record is transmitted or tagged (GR Code Posted [with Code 43 for Santa Clara County]) for an IAR County:

  1. “Manually” posted by the SSA field office. Upon receiving the paper SSP 14 form the SSA field office manually transmits or tags the SSI record (GR Code Posted) for IAR. 
  2. “Automatically” posted by the electronic receipt/state-SSA Data exchange. Upon receiving an electronic notification that CDSS transmitted a receipt, then the SSA field office transmits nothing because it is automatically posted to the SSI record. We are certifying that an SSP 14 is on file.

When Code 43 is missing from the MEDS INQX screen the SSP 14 MUST be given to the client to take to the SSA field office OR the County internal Social Security Administration Liaison requests form Social Security Administration (SSA) to have the IAR GR Code posted to Social Security Record (SSR) by contacting the SSA District office Liaison and submitting the SSP 14 when requesting that SSA “Manually” transmit or tag the SSI record (GR Code Posted) with SSA’s eIAR web application code 05530.

Related Topics

Policy and Regulation

Interim Assistance Overview

Application for SSI/SSP

SSI Claims Process

SSI Approvals

SSI Advocacy

Social Security Administration's SSI eIAR Web Application

eIAR Communication Types