Department of Social Services
Family Support Division
PO Box 2320
Jefferson City, Missouri
TO: ALL FAMILY SUPPORT OFFICES
FROM: KIM EVANS, DIRECTOR
SUBJECT: THE WORK NUMBER BY EQUIFAX PORTAL
DISCUSSION:
The Family Support Division (FSD) is adding The Work Number portal to the Electronic Verification System (EVS). The Work Number provides earned income verification.
- When the Work Number provides a response for an employer a cost is incurred. Only utilize The Work Number portal for all programs at the time of:
- Initial application—when earned income is reported
- Recertification—when earned income is reported.
- Reminder: Manual section 1102.020.00 Verification Required at Recertification states that at the time of SNAP recertification, verification is not required if the source of income has not changed and amount of income has not changed by more than $50
- Annual renewal—when earned income is reported
- Exhaust all other electronic resources, such as IMES, prior to requesting information from The Work Number.
- Staff must only access The Work Number one time per application period and not more than once in a 30 day time period.
EXAMPLE: Mrs. Z submits a Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) application on 2/1/2021 and a Child Care (CC) application on 2/15/2021. The Work Number printout from the SNAP application is valid at the time of the CC application. If Mrs. Z reports a change in earnings on the CC application, do not consult The Work Number portal a second time in the 30 day time period. Request verification of the change in earnings from the participant.
- Employment verification provided by The Work Number can also be used for other eligibility factors such as:
- work months for Able Bodied Adults without Dependents (ABAWD) determinations or
- hours worked for eligible student status for the SNAP program.
- If the participant submits adequate verification of their earnings with their application, do not request a report from The Work Number.
- If information reported by The Work Number does not match the participant’s statements, call the participant to resolve the discrepancy. If a collateral contact with the employer is necessary, staff can make a three-way call with the employer to verify the information. If the collateral contact is unsuccessful, a Request for Information Notice (FA-325 for cases processed in FAMIS or IM-31a for cases processed in MEDES) is needed for the additional verification and documentation.
Do NOT utilize The Work Number in the following situations:
- SNAP Mid Certification Review
- Add a person or add a category requests, even if earned income is reported by the participant
- Reports of a change in circumstance
- Earned income is listed on IMES, but is not reported by the participant on the application/review form or during the interview
- NOTE: Comments/notes in the eligibility system must reflect the review of this data and document any discussions held with the participant.
Questions:
Questions should be sent through normal supervisory channels. Policy questions can be submitted by managers to the policy unit email addresses:
MHABD and Family MHN: COLE.MHNPOLICY@dss.mo.gov
SNAP: COLE.FSPOLICY@dss.mo.gov
TA and CC: FSD.COLETAPOLICY@dss.mo.gov
For case specific policy clearances, utilize the Request for Interpretation of Policy (IM-14) process.
NECESSARY ACTION:
- Review this memorandum with appropriate staff.
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