TN 11 (08-10)

NOTE: Effective 01/01/2011, no further Economic Recovery Payments (ERP) can be made under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA). For non-receipt or limited payability issues involving ERP certified before 12/31/10, see EM-11024 SEN dated 4/19/2011. After 9/30/11 we will no longer have authority to issue ERPs due to lack of stimulus funds, see AM-11117 SEN dated 9/13/11.

A. Introduction

This section explains which SSI recipients are eligible to receive the $250 Economic Recovery Payment (ERP) provided by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) GN 02820.001. SSI recipients, who were due a Federal SSI cash payment for any month in the 3-month period prior to enactment (i.e., November 2008, December 2008, and January 2009), may receive an ERP. Concurrent Social Security and SSI beneficiaries only receive a single one-time $250 payment.

SSA will send notices in April 2009 to recipients who can receive an ERP in May 2009. When there is a representative payee, SSA will send the notice to the representative payee and not the recipient. The Department of Treasury (DT) will issue the first $250 payments throughout May 2009.

This section also explains how to answer recipient inquiries about the ERP using the new Economic Recovery List Query (ERLQ) system and the Supplemental Security Record (SSR).

B. Who is eligible

All SSI recipients, adults, members of eligible couples, and children, can receive an ERP if they were SSI eligible and due a Federal SSI cash payment for any month in the 3-month period (i.e., November 2008, December 2008, and January 2009), unless an exception exists in GN 02820.020C in this section.

If a beneficiary, certified to receive an ERP, died prior to receiving the payment, the returned ERP will be reissued to an authorized representative of the deceased’s estate upon request per GN 02820.020G.

C. Who is eligible but not payable

Recipients who are SSI eligible in any month in the 3-month period cannot receive an ERP if, at the time of payment, one of these conditions is on the record:

• whereabouts unknown (S06),

• check returned for a miscellaneous reason (S07),

• development for a representative payee (S08), or

• temporary institutionalization (TI) (S09).

Any of these conditions may indicate a change in a recipient’s situation that requires development of an address, living arrangement or of a representative payee. The recipient can receive an ERP only after we resolve the condition, provided no other limitations apply.

D. Who is not eligible

SSI recipients cannot receive an ERP if, in the 3-month period, the only SSI payment due was:

• a maximum of $30 a month for a resident of medical care facility SI 00520.001,

• statutory benefit continuation (SBC) DI 12027.001,

• only a federally-administered State Supplementary Payment (SSP) SI 01410.001,

• presumptive disability (PD) or presumptive blindness (PB) DI 11055.240, or

• provisional payments under expedited reinstatement procedures DI 13050.030.

An SSI recipient cannot receive an ERP if, for the most recent month of eligibility in the 3-month period, he or she was:

• A resident of a public institution (N02),

• An inmate of a penal institution (N22),

• Under an administrative sanction for making a false or misleading statement (N24), or

• A fleeing felon or a parole/probation violator (N25).

See Also

Example 1, GN 02820.020F in this section

E. Economic Recovery List Query (ERLQ)

The web-based Economic Recovery List Query (ERLQ) provides pre-payment and post-payment information for each individual who is selected to receive an ERP because of eligibility for SSI, Social Security, Railroad Retirement Board (RRB), or Veterans Administration benefits. Recipients who are determined to be ineligible to receive an ERP at selection will not have information posted to the ERLQ. Only SSA employees may access the ERLQ at http://erl.ba.ssa.gov/.

Only SSA employees had access to the ERLQ link at http://erl.ba.ssa.gov/. (Please note that this link is no longer active.)

ERLQ consists of six tabs:

1. Pre-Payment

This section of the query is available upon the individual’s selection for the ERP.

• Social Security Number (SSN)

• Selection Date

• Agency Identity

• ERP Issue Date

• T2 Claim Account Number (CAN)

• T2 Beneficiary Identification Code (BIC)

• T16 Housed Under Number (HUN)

2. Payment

This section of the query is available upon issuance of the ERP.

• T2 Ledger Account File (LAF)/T16 Payment Status Code (PSY)

• ERP Issue Date

• Last Address (ADDR) Change

• ERP Payment Method

• Last Direct Deposit (DIR DEP) Change

• Treasury Offset Amount (AMT)

• Reason For Suspension

• Reason ERP Not Paid

3. Post-Payment

This section of the query displays information about a returned ERP or a previous non-receipt report of the ERP, if involved.

• Returned Payment Information

• Non-receipt Information

4. Reclamation and Limited Payability

This section of the query displays information about Treasury status information on a previous non-receipt report or a limited payability issue regarding an ERP, if involved.

• Reclamation Information

• Treasury Report of Payment Over Cancellation (POC) of Original ERP After Reissuance as a Courtesy Payment

• Reclamation Information

• Limited Payability Credit Returned (Unnegotiated ERP Checks)

5. RRB and VA Referrals

This section of the query provides information for referring an ERP inquiry to either of these agencies:

• Railroad Retirement Board

• Dept. of Veterans Administration

6. All

This section of the query displays all of the information contained in the ERLQ except RRB and VA Referrals.

• Pre-Payment Status

• Payment Status

• Post-Payment Status

ERLQ Alerts and Indicators

When you attempt to access a recipient who was not selected for an ERP, you receive the following alerts:

• If the recipient’s SSN is entered and no response returned, “Individual not found for ERP. Check for alternate CAN and BIC, if applicable. If no alternate CAN and BIC, then individual not selected for ERP.”

• If CAN and BIC are entered and no response returned, “Individual not selected for ERP.”

In the event a recipient was selected as eligible to receive an ERP but an ineligible suspense event occurs prior to payment of the ERP, the event is captured and identified on the ERLQ by the following indicators:

• Selection Date – the date of the recipient’s selection for an ERP in MM/DD/CCYY format

• Reason for Suspension - the reason that Social Security benefits have been suspended

• Reason ERP Not Paid - the reason that an ERP could not be paid

F. Examples: Answering inquires about receiving an ERP

1. Recipient is not eligible and asks why

A recipient reports that he did not receive a $250 payment. The Claims Representative (CR) checks the ERLQ and finds the recipient was not selected. The recipient asks why he cannot get a payment. The CR reviews the Computation History (CMPH) field on the SSR for the 3-month period and it shows:

• November C01 – Current Pay

• December N22 – Inmate of a Penal Institution

• January N07 – Cessation of Disability

ERP eligibility for this recipient can only be considered for November 2008 (i.e., N22 for December 2008) and December 2008 because the recipient was SSI ineligible, N07, in January. Because he was an inmate in a penal institution in his most recent month of SSI eligibility, (December 2008, N22), he cannot get an ERP GN 02820.020D. The CR explains the reason to the recipient and the recipient disagrees with the determination for December. The CR explains how he can appeal the December determination.

2. Recipient receives a notice but no ERP

A recipient reports on June 4, 2009, that she did not receive her May 2009 SSI check. She also received a notice about the $250 payment but she did not receive it. An 800# agent reviews the ERLQ and it shows a selection date, April 29, 2009, and a nonpayment reason, PSY S06 (whereabouts unknown), at the time of payment. The SSR shows that her current payment status is S06. The agent develops the recipient’s address and living arrangement and corrects the SSR. The agent explains that her checks will start again beginning with May 2009 and she will receive another notice regarding the ERP and a $250 payment.

3. Recipient receives no notice and no ERP

A recipient reports in June 2009 that he did not receive a $250 payment. He does not remember if he received a notice about the payment. The CR reviews the ERLQ and the recipient was not selected. The CMPH field on the SSR shows that the recipient was not due a Federal SSI payment for any month in the 3-month period because he was in a public institution (N02). The CR explains why the recipient cannot get a $250 payment.

G. ERP to Estates

For any beneficiary who died after certification for payment and the payment was returned to SSA because of death, the ERP can be repaid to the estate upon request from a valid representative. The representative must provide us with proof of his or her authority to represent the estate.

NOTE: Since no ERPs can be made after December 31, 2010,refer any public inquiries (written or telephone call) to the servicing field office for a face-to-face interview.

Field office responsibilities:

1. Review the ERLQ to determine if the deceased was certified for an ERP and if the ERP was returned.

   • If no ERP was certified or if no ERP was returned, the estate is not due an ERP. (This would also include situations when an ERP payment was cashed or direct-deposited to an active account.) Contact the requester by phone, explain that the ERP which had been issued to the deceased, must be returned to the FO before a payment can be reissued.

   • If an ERP was certified and the ERP was returned, the estate is eligible for the ERP. Follow the ERP to Estate procedures.

     NOTE: If the representative returns an ERP check while inquiring about payment to the estate, follow check return procedures in GN 02820.051B and proceed with the ERP to Estate process.

2. Give the representative a printed copy of the Privacy Act and the Paperwork Reduction Act statements provided below:

   

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3. Request that the representative provide valid documentation of his or her status as representative of the estate to expedite the payment process. (for guidance see GN 02301.035) Verify any proof that the representative may provide as authentic documentation. Fax any documentation that is submitted into NDRed.

   Request this documentation, which should demonstrate the individual’s authority to receive the ERP:

   • deceased individual’s name

   • estate’s taxpayer identification number, if available

   • deceased individual’s Social Security or Claim Number

   • identity of the individual or entity to whom the check should be made payable

   • a mailing address

     The email must contain
     Information about the Estate Representative:	Name Email address (if available) Phone number Mailing address
     Information about the Deceased Beneficiary:	Name SSN/Claim Number/Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) Date of death State/Territory of death State/Territory of residence
     Information about evidence submitted	Give a brief description of any evidence provided and stored in NDRed. Mention any document with questionable authenticity in this description.

OPSOS responsibilities

1. Review the e-mail from the FO to ensure it is complete. If the e-mail is not complete, return it to the FO with a request for any missing information.

2. If the email is complete, forward the e-mail to OGC.

OGC responsibilities

1. Review the e-mail and any documents in NDRed.

2. Determine the document(s) required to qualify as a representative of an estate.

   • If documentation in NDRed is not sufficient or no documentation was provided, contact the representative and request document(s) that qualify him or her as a representative of the estate.

   • Advise the representative to take or mail any document(s) to the local FO.

3. Verify the submitted document(s).

   • If the estate is eligible to receive the ERP, forward the information to OFPO for payment. You must provide: (a) the deceased individual’s name; (b) the estate’s taxpayer identification number, if available; (c) the deceased individual’s Social Security or Claim Number; (d) the identity of the individual or entity to whom the check should be made payable; and (e) a mailing address.

   • If the estate is not eligible to receive the ERP, contact the representative and explain why no payment will be sent.

     NOTE: Make phone contact with the representative when possible.

OFPO responsibilities

1. Release the ERP to the estate representative.

2. File estate payment information in dedicated folder.

3. Provide OGC with payment information for its records.

4. Notify Systems to annotate the ERLQ that the estate payment has been made.

   NOTE: Process any allegation of non-receipt by the estate per GN 02820.052.

OS responsibilities

Update the ERLQ to indicate that an ERP was paid to the estate.

H. References

• GN 02820.001, The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) - Introduction

• SI 02301.215, Summary of Posteligibility (PE) Suspension, Stop Payment and Termination Events by Payment Status Code (PSC)

• SM 01311.025, PMTH (Payment History)

• SM 01601.835, Payment History - PMTH

• HI 03020.050, Unearned Income Exclusions

• HI 03030.020, Resource Exclusions