SSI/SSDI Specialist Guide 2016 Version 1.3 QUICK REFERENCE Specialist Login Website: ssi.thebenefitbank.org Training Login Website: training-ssi.thebenefitbank.org Login Name: Login Name: Password (hint): Password: ohiossi____ tbb12345 TBB Help Desk: 1-855-TBB-HELP or [email protected] Support site: http://support.ohiobenefits.org/access-ssissdi.html © 2016 Solutions for Progress, Inc. Send feedback about this document and all other training-related feedback to us at [email protected] Pronouns he/she, him/her, and his/hers used in examples refer to all TBB specialists or clients indiscriminately. Updates: June 2016 - Added information on healthcare August 2016 - Changed order of steps 4 and 5 TABLE OF CONTENTS QUICK REFERENCE 1 IMPORTANT WEBSITES .................................................................................................................. 1 IMPORTANT CONTACT INFORMATION .......................................................................................... 1 SSI/SSDI PROGRAM OVERVIEW 2 KEY FEATURES ............................................................................................................................... 2 SSI-SSDI TRAINING OBJECTIVES ................................................................................................... 3 SSI/SSDI ORGANIZATION AGREEMENT REMINDER .................................................................... 3 SUPPORTED PROGRAMS 4 SUPPLEMENTAL SECURITY INCOME (SSI).................................................................................... 4 SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY INSURANCE (SSDI) ....................................................................... 4 OHIO COMMON APPLICATION ....................................................................................................... 4 HOME ENERGY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (HEAP).......................................................................... 4 HEALTHCARE COVERAGE APPLICATION ....................................................................................... 4 DISABILITIES AND MEDICAL CONDITIONS: PROGRAM SCREENING TOOL ................................. 4 OTHER PROGRAMS ........................................................................................................................ 5 HEALTH CARE OPTIONS ..................................................................................................... 6 ORGANIZATION MAP ...................................................................................................................... 7 INTRODUCTION TO SSI/SSDI 8 SSI ELIGIBILITY: INCOME AND RESOURCES................................................................................. 8 SSDI ELIGIBILITY: INSURED STATUS ............................................................................................. 9 “DISABILITY” UNDER SSA RULES .................................................................................................. 9 BENEFIT LEVELS ............................................................................................................................ 9 SSA AND DDS ................................................................................................................................. 9 USING THE TBB SSI/SSDI MODULE 11 BASIC NAVIGATION....................................................................................................................... 12 ACCESSING THE TBB SSI/SSDI WEBSITE.......................................................................12 ACCESSING THE SSI/SSDI TRAINING WEBSITE .............................................................13 SPECIALIST PORTAL .........................................................................................................13 CREATING A CLIENT .........................................................................................................14 CLIENT PORTAL ................................................................................................................15 ROADMAP .........................................................................................................................16 NAVIGATION BUTTONS .....................................................................................................17 DYNAMIC CONTENT .........................................................................................................18 REQUIRED/IMPORTANT QUESTIONS INDICATOR ..........................................................19 RETURN TO PAGE REMINDER .........................................................................................20 HELP CONTENT ................................................................................................................21 REVIEWING AND EDITING DATA ......................................................................................22 REVIEW AND EDIT MENU .................................................................................................22 CASE MANAGEMENT TOOLS 24 TASKS ........................................................................................................................................... 24 HOW TO MANUALLY CREATE A TASK ..............................................................................25 WHEN TO CHOOSE CLIENT SPECIFIC TASKS VS. SPECIALISTS TASKS ........................28 MEMOS ......................................................................................................................................... 31 CONTACTS .................................................................................................................................... 33 DOCUMENT MANAGEMENT ......................................................................................................... 35 DOCUMENT CHECKLISTS ................................................................................................35 UPLOADING DOCUMENTS ...............................................................................................36 THE HELP DESK 38 IMPORTANT WEBSITES 39 THE SUPPORT SITE ..........................................................................................................39 THE TRAINING SCENARIO 40 TRAINING ASSESSMENT 44 PART 2 TRAINING 46 DETAILED NAVIGATION OF TBB SSI/SSDI .................................................................................. 47 CLIENT BACKGROUND .....................................................................................................47 HOUSEHOLD INFORMATION ............................................................................................47 HEALTHY U AND OTHER PROGRAMS ..............................................................................47 CHILDREN/GRANDCHILDREN .........................................................................................47 MARRIAGE HISTORY.........................................................................................................47 IMMIGRATION STATUS .....................................................................................................47 ADDITIONAL CLIENT DETAILS ..........................................................................................47 EXPENSES ........................................................................................................................48 INCOME.............................................................................................................................48 ASSETS .............................................................................................................................49 ESTATES AND TRANSFERRED ASSETS ...........................................................................49 SUPPORT AND MAINTENANCE ........................................................................................49 EDUCATION .......................................................................................................................49 WORK HISTORY ................................................................................................................50 MILITARY HISTORY ...........................................................................................................50 WARRANTS AND POLICE CONTACT .................................................................................50 APPLICATION PREFERENCES & OTHER BENEFITS ........................................................50 NON-MEDICAL ELIGIBILITY ESTIMATE ............................................................................50 MEDICAL – GENERAL................................................................................................................... 51 BASIC MEDICAL BACKGROUND ......................................................................................51 MEDICAL HISTORY DETAILS ............................................................................................51 MEDICAL HISTORY DETAILS ........................................................................................................ 52 SUBSTANCE ABUSE .........................................................................................................52 MEDICAL – PHYSICAL .................................................................................................................. 53 PRESUMPTIVE DISABILITIES AND COMPASSIONATE ALLOWANCES ........................................ 54 CAPABILITIES AND AILMENTS .........................................................................................54 BODY SYSTEMS AFFECTED - PART I AND II ....................................................................54 MEDICAL - MENTAL ...................................................................................................................... 55 DAILY LIVING ACTIVITIES.............................................................................................................. 56 FORMS .......................................................................................................................................... 57 FORMS FOR SSA ..............................................................................................................57 EXPLAINING LIMITS ON ABILITY TO WORK ................................................................................. 58 PRIORITY FLAGS ...............................................................................................................58 REMARKS .........................................................................................................................58 TBB-GENERATED SSA FORMS.........................................................................................59 FORMS FOR DDS.......................................................................................................................... 60 MENTAL STATUS QUESTIONNAIRE .................................................................................60 SUPPORTED APPLICATIONS AND FORMS APPENDIX ................................................................ 61 FORMS FILLED OUT BY TBB ............................................................................................61 FORMS FILLED OUT MANUALLY ......................................................................................62 APPLICATION PROGRESS PAGE .................................................................................................. 63 APPLICATION PROGRESS PAGEMEDICAL RECORDS REQUEST LETTER GENERATOR ............ 63 LETTER GENERATOR SELECTOR .....................................................................................64 PRINT MEDICAL RECORDS REQUEST .............................................................................65 INCOMPLETE INFORMATION ...........................................................................................65 ACCESSING THE SSA WEBSITE ................................................................................................... 66 WWW.SSA.GOV/APPLYFORDISABILITY ...........................................................................66 TRACK MEDICAL RECORDS REQUESTS...................................................................................... 67 REQUESTS TO BE MADE ..................................................................................................69 REQUESTS OUTSTANDING...............................................................................................69 REQUESTS RECEIVED ......................................................................................................70 REQUESTS ARCHIVED ......................................................................................................70 REVERT STATUS ...............................................................................................................71 ROLES AND ACCESS TO TRACKING TOOL ......................................................................71 SUBMITTING DOCUMENTS ..............................................................................................72 DDS EVIDENCE REQUEST ............................................................................................................ 72 E-SUBMITTING ..................................................................................................................73 FAXING ..............................................................................................................................74 ELECTRONIC RECORDS EXPRESS (ERE) ACCOUNTS ................................................................. 74 SAFEGUARDING ELECTRONIC DOCUMENTS ..................................................................74 SEARCHING/CLOSING CASES ..................................................................................................... 75 EXISTING TBB CLIENT SEARCH .......................................................................................75 SEARCHING SSI/SSDI CLIENTS.......................................................................................75 CLOSING CASES ...............................................................................................................76 STEP-BY-STEP APPLICATION PROCESS ...................................................................................... 78 OVERVIEW.........................................................................................................................78 1. COMPLETE FORM SSA-1696 ......................................................................................79 2. COMPLETE CONSENT TO USE INFORMATION FORM ................................................79 3. COMPLETE FROM SSA - 827.......................................................................................79 4. OBTAIN A REENTRY NUMBER .....................................................................................79 5. CREATE CLIENT ............................................................................................................79 6. FIND THE CLIENT ID NUMBER, 55 DAYS OUT, AND ADD TWO MEMOS ...................80 7. SUBMIT APPLICATIONS FOR OTHER INCOME SUPPORT PROGRAMS ......................80 8. COMPLETE THE OHIO SSI/SSDI APPLICATION...........................................................80 9. PRINT APPLICATIONS, REVIEW INFORMATION, OBTAIN SIGNATURES.....................80 10. USE THE TEMPLATE SUBMISSION EMAIL (FROM THE SUPPORT SITE) TO SUBMIT FOR DATA ENTRY .............................................................................................................81 12. MAINTAIN COMMUNICATION WITH SSA, DDS, AND YOUR CLIENT ........................81 Quick Reference IMPORTANT WEBSITES Counselor Support Website - http://support.ohiobenefits.org Training Website - training-ssi.thebenefitbank.org Social Security Administration - www.ssa.gov Benefits Eligibility Screening Tool - http://ssabest.benefits.gov/ Disability Planner - https://www.ssa.gov/planners/disability/dqualify5.html Disability Rights Ohio http://www.disabilityrightsohio.org/sites/default/themes/disabilityrightsohio/dro/index.html Social Security Publications - https://www.ssa.gov/pubs/ Red Book - https://www.ssa.gov/redbook/ Blue Book - https://www.ssa.gov/disability/professionals/bluebook/ IMPORTANT CONTACT INFORMATION The Benefit Bank® Help Desk 1.855.TBB.HELP (855.822.4357) [email protected] The Ohio Benefit Bank Staff [email protected] Ohio State Legal Services 1-866-529-6446 1 SSI/SSDI Program Overview The Ohio Benefit Bank SSI/SSDI online service is designed to help people with disabilities access the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits to which they are entitled. In addition, the service also supports applications for SNAP, HEAP, and Ohio Works First (cash assistance). For a complete list, see the Supported Programs page. The tool guides trained specialists in the development and submission of applications and supports document management and case management tools to make a complex process more manageable for specialists and improve success rates for clients. KEY Features 2 An eligibility estimator and application completion program Tools for authorized representatives to upload, store, and submit supporting evidence to agencies that determine eligibility Specialists are permitted to work on client applications without the client being present Tools for tracking applications and records requests, including an application progress page, task, and memo functions to help you organize work with each client SSI-SSDI TRAINING OBJECTIVES The primary goal of The Benefit Bank SSI and SSDI Training is to provide the information and guidance you need to feel comfortable and competent in using The Benefit Bank to maximize critical benefits for your clients. Upon completion of this training, participants should be able to do the following: 1. Understand the roles and responsibilities of a TBB SSI-SSDI Specialist. 2. Complete benefit applications using the online service. Participants will learn to: Navigate to and log into the TBB SSI/SSDI live and training websites. Create client profiles. Complete applications for SSI/SSDI and additional applications as needed. Track progress of SSI and SSDI applications. Manage client documents. File applications electronically or print and mail applications where necessary. 3. Adhere to all protocols designed to protect client privacy. SSI/SSDI ORGANIZATION AGREEMENT REMINDER Before you are permitted access to TBB SSI/SSDI, your organization must agree to the terms of the organization agreement. Below you will find a few important points included in the SSI/SSDI agreement. 1. The site agrees that SSI/SSDI specialists will act as Authorized Representatives for clients on their SSI/SSDI application. SSI/SSDI specialists will facilitate follow-up as appropriate and agree to assist clients throughout the application process, including case management as needed. 2. The site agrees that all activities to assist clients will be tracked in the on-line application. 3. The site agrees that paper records with client information retained at the site must be kept safe and secure. 4. The site agrees to adhere to the following protocols established to protect client confidentiality: maintain a functioning shredder at the site’s primary location, or contract with a shredding service; keep all permanent paper records such as copies of verifying documents for identification, income, assets, and expenses in secure files; have protocols in place for the deletion of a client’s scanned documents from their hardware. Staff will be aware and protocols will be enforced. 3 Supported Programs SUPPLEMENTAL SECURITY INCOME (SSI) Supplemental Security Income (SSI), created by Title XVI of the Social Security Act, is a federal benefit program for aged, blind, and disabled individuals who have limited income and resources. Individuals applying for disability benefits who have never worked, or whose work history has not earned them the credits needed to qualify for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), can apply for disability benefits under the SSI program. Some people are eligible to receive SSI and SSDI at the same time. SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY INSURANCE (SSDI) SSDI, or Social Security Disability Insurance (otherwise known as SSD or Social Security Disability), was created by Title II of the Social Security Act. SSDI provides disability benefits to individuals who are unable to work and have earned enough work credits to qualify. OHIO COMMON APPLICATION Specialists have the option of e-submitting or paper filing the Ohio Application for Benefits (Common Application), which includes the following programs: Food Assistance (formerly Food Stamps) Medicaid for the Aged, Blind, and Disabled Medicare Premium Assistance Program Bureau for Children with Medical Handicaps Child and Family Health Services Ohio Works First (Cash Assistance) Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) HOME ENERGY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (HEAP) The Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) offers several varieties of assistance with heating expenses, including a one-time payment on a household’s heating bill during the program season, September through May. HEALTHCARE COVERAGE APPLICATION The Benefit Bank can be used to complete the paper version of the Healthcare Coverage Application, which can be used to apply for the following: Medicaid for Children, Families, and Adults Marketplace Health Coverage and Advanced Premium Tax Credit (APTC) DISABILITIES AND MEDICAL CONDITIONS: PROGRAM SCREENING TOOL The Disabilities and Medical Conditions Program Screening tool is a short screening tool that allows specialists to assess clients’ eligibility for the following programs: Healthy U Bureau for Children with Medical Handicaps 4 Vocational Rehabilitation Services Veterans Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Medicaid Buy-In for Workers with Disabilities Disability Financial Assistance Veterans Pension and Disability Compensation Aged, Blind, or Disabled Medicaid Social Security Disability Income (SSDI) Supplemental Security Income (SSI) OTHER PROGRAMS Other programs available within The Benefit Bank SSI/SSDI include: Ohio Child Care Benefits HEAP Healthy U and Other Programs Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities Disabilities and Medical Conditions: Program Screening OH Prescription Assistance (Golden Buckeye) Ohio USDA Child Nutrition Program Ohio Fatherhood Programs Ohio Child Support Referral National Voter Registration Please note, at this time you cannot file taxes on ssi.thebenefitbank.org. You will need to login as an OBB counselor at secure.thebenefitbank.org to use this free service, and create a new client account. 5 Health Care Options If your claimant is non-medically eligible for SSI, they are eligible for Medicaid. Please go to benefits.ohio.gov to apply for Medicaid if your claimant does not have health insurance. 6 ORGANIZATION MAP 7 Introduction to SSI/SSDI The Benefit Bank supports the two main federal programs that provide disability benefits: Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI). SSI is a means-tested program that provides benefits to individuals who meet specific financial eligibility criteria. SSDI provides benefits to individuals who have paid into the system and to certain disabled dependents of individuals who have paid into the system. Both programs are administered by the Social Security Administration (SSA) and have similar application and disability determination processes. For both SSI and SSDI, Social Security uses both non-medical criteria and medical (disability) criteria to determine whether an applicant qualifies. Non-medical criteria for SSI includes having income and assets below certain limits; for SSDI the applicant must have earned enough work credits to be considered "insured." The Benefit Bank assesses an individual’s likelihood of meeting non-medical criteria for qualifying for SSI and SSDI. SSI ELIGIBILITY: INCOME AND RESOURCES In order to determine eligibility and benefit amount, SSA categorizes income as earned or unearned. Unearned income is income from government benefits, pensions, and in-kind support and maintenance (in-kind support and maintenance includes food and shelter that is given to an individual). Earned income includes wages and net earnings from selfemployment. Not all income is counted, and different exclusions apply to earned and unearned income. Excluded unearned income includes SNAP payments, housing and energy assistance, state and local needs-based assistance, in-kind support and maintenance from non-profit organizations, student grants and scholarships, and income used to fulfill a plan for achieving self-support (PASS). Earned income exclusions include the first $65 of earnings, income used to fulfill a PASS, and one-half of all earnings over $65. An applicant’s countable income is compared with the current benefit rate (plus any state supplementation payment) in order to determine eligibility and benefit amount. The countable resource limit for SSI eligibility is $2,000 for individuals and $3,000 for couples. Some resources are not counted, however. Excluded resources include the following: 8 An individual’s home and adjacent land One car, if it is used for transportation by anyone in the household Property essential for self-support Household goods and personal effects Burial funds of up to $1,500 Life insurance policies with a cumulative face value of $1,500 or less SSDI ELIGIBILITY: INSURED STATUS A person who has sufficient history of earnings in employment subject to Social Security payroll taxes becomes “insured” and may qualify for SSDI. Generally, this usually means an individual must have worked in covered employment about a quarter of their adult lives before they became disabled and for at least five of the past 10 years immediately before the onset of the disability. “DISABILITY” UNDER SSA RULES Social Security pays benefits to people who cannot work because they have a medical condition that is expected to last at least one year or result in death (SSA Publication No. 0510029). To receive disability benefits under either program, individuals must also meet strict medical requirements. For all adults applying for SSI and SSDI, disability is defined as the inability to engage in Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA) by reason of medically determinable physical or mental impairment(s) which can be expected to last for 12 months or more (or result in death). In considering whether an individual has such a condition, SSA will look for medical evidence such as signs, symptoms, and laboratory findings. Usually, the applicant must be unable to do any kind of work that exists in the national economy, taking into account age, education, and work experience. BENEFIT LEVELS Every SSI beneficiary is eligible for the same base amount (in 2016, $733 per month for individuals and $1,100 for couples). Any income the applicant receives, minus certain exclusions, can be subtracted from the base amount. Additionally, many states give their residents an additional SSI payment known as the “state supplement.” The amount of SSDI benefits an individual receives is based primarily on the person’s average lifetime earnings. SSA uses a complex weighted formula to calculate benefits. When a person receives government-regulated disability benefits, such as workers' comp benefits or temporary state disability benefits, this can impact the amount of SSDI benefits. SSI and VA benefits, on the other hand, will not reduce the monthly SSDI benefit. (In contrast, benefits will reduce the monthly SSI benefit, or result in ineligibility for SSI.) Most SSDI recipients receive between $300 and $2,200. The average SSDI payment in 2015 was $1,148. Social Security beneficiaries may also receive “back pay” based on their application date and the date the disability started. SSA AND DDS The Social Security Administration (SSA) is the first of two agencies to receive each SSI/SSDI claim. SSA is responsible for determining non-medical eligibility. The non-medical eligibility factors SSA considers are the following: income and assets (for SSI), work history (for SSDI), current employment, and citizenship (for SSI). After SSA has assessed non-medical eligibility, the case is forwarded to a Disability Determination Service (DDS) office for a determination of whether or not the client is disabled. Each OBB Access SSI/SSDI client is assigned an adjudicator shortly after they have completed their first client appointment. This will become your primary contact person 9 within DDS. Adjudicators request and evaluate medical records from the claimant’s treating sources. You are encouraged to contact the assigned DDS adjudicator with any questions you may have about a particular claim. The Ohio Association of Foodbanks has a relationship with the DDS, and every application submitted using TBB goes to a special unit called Homeless/Pre-Release/Special Projects Unit, commonly known as “the homeless unit.” To find where the local SSA office is, use the SSA locator. You can google “SSA Locator” or use this link: https://secure.ssa.gov/ICON/main.jsp which is also on the support site. You use the client’s zip code when looking up the SSA office. SSA Sequential Evaluation Process: SSI and SSDI claims are both determined using a five-step sequential evaluation process to evaluate whether someone meets the SSA definition of “disabled.” The sequential evaluation process considers current work activity, severity of impairment, and vocational factors. SSA answers step 1 and DDS decides steps 2 – 5. 10 Using the TBB SSI/SSDI Module The Benefit Bank SSI/SSDI Online Service performs the following main functions: Collects the information necessary to populate the forms used to apply for SSI and SSDI, including the SSI application (SSA-8000), the SSDI application (SSA-16) and the Adult Disability Report (SSA-3368). Performs the calculations and conducts the analysis necessary to provide an assessment of non-medical eligibility for SSI and SSDI. Manages an electronic repository of all documents collected, created, and submitted for each client. Provides tools and guidance for formulating a comprehensive Medical Summary Report for each client. Allows Specialists to track their progress in developing each client’s case and reminds them about important tasks and deadlines. The SSI/SSDI Application Menu lists the sections specialists will encounter in completing the application. Some core sections – Household Information, Expenses, Income and Asset Information – are the same for all applications; if they were completed for another benefit they do not have to be completed again. Other sections, including Support and Maintenance, Work History, and all the Medical sections, are specific to the SSI and/or SSDI application. 11 BASIC NAVIGATION Accessing the TBB SSI/SSDI website ssi.thebenefitbank.org As an SSI/SSDI specialist you will use the TBB SSI/SSDI website (also called the live-site) to fill out the SSI/SSDI application and other necessary forms. TBB also provides: tools to upload, store, and submit supporting documents tools to track applications and records requests a memo function to allow you to record case notes Note that this website URL is different than the web address you use to access the counselor-assisted version of TBB. Currently, TBB SSI/SSDI exists separately from the traditional version. This means that if you are already a TBB counselor, after your training, you will be given a second login name for use on the TBB SSI/SSDI website. THE BENEFIT BANK SSI/SSDI LOG-IN PAGE Tip: Save this web address in Favorites or Bookmarks to quickly access this page later. Tip: Our online service may work with other browsers, but it is officially supported by and looks best in Firefox. 12 Accessing the SSI/SSDI Training Website The Benefit Bank training website acts as a mirror to the live site. You may practice using TBB on this site any time without worrying about submitting fake client information. Remember: Never assist real clients using the training website and do not enter training clients into the live site. The training site is red, the live site is green. 1. Go to: training-ssi.thebenefitbank.org 2. Your training login name is ohiossi______ 3. The password is always tbb12345 Specialist Portal Upon logging in, you will view the Specialist Portal. From here you can create a new client profile or manage existing clients. Specialists’ name appears here Click here to create a new Client account Search by partial or complete entries Case status must be recorded on the Application Progress page to be included in search results SPECIALIST PORTAL 13 Creating a Client The Client Creation Page captures basic information such as the client’s name, social security number, and address. CLIENT CREATION PAGE 14 Client Portal Upon creating a client you will be brought to the client portal page. This page functions as a homepage for the client. It provides links to applications, tasks, memos, and other resources to assist you in securing benefits for your client. Client’s name appears here… …and here CLIENT PORTAL PAGE 15 Roadmap As the specialist proceeds through the OH SSI/SSDI Application (and other OBB applications), the “Application Menu” allows the specialist to keep track of completed sections and prepare for upcoming questions. The application menu groups related questions into sections such as Household Information, Expenses, and Income. Three features help you to navigate this page: Checkmarks indicate that a section is complete. Arrows appear alongside the next required section of the application. Inactive Links appear as gray text and indicate that a previous section must be completed prior to accessing the link. means this section is complete means this is the next section to complete An inactive link means that a prerequisite section must be completed APPLICATION MENU 16 Navigation Buttons The Previous and Save and Continue navigation buttons appear at the bottom of most pages. The Previous button returns you to the previous page. The Save and Continue button saves the information you’ve entered on the page and takes you to the next page. On longer pages, you may also find a Save button between the other two. This will allow you to save what you have entered thus far on a page, without going onto the next page. NOTE: No information entered into TBB is saved until the specialist clicks on either Save or Save and Continue. Use these navigation buttons to go from page to page in The Benefit Bank. NAVIGATION BUTTONS When working on a long page, an auto reminder pop-up will appear after 20 minutes which will force the specialist to Save the page. This ensures that no work is lost while inputting data onto lengthy pages. 17 Dynamic Content The online service makes liberal use of dynamic content. This technology allows relevant follow-up questions to appear on the same page as the original question where applicable. Click “Yes” and on the same page… DYNAMIC CONTENT …fields for entering more information will automatically appear DYNAMIC CONTENT 18 Required/Important Questions Indicator Red asterisks appear next to many questions throughout the program. In a few cases the asterisks indicate that a response is required, for example the client’s last name must be provided. The majority of questions with asterisks are not required. They are important and should be answered. However, if left unanswered, specialists will still be permitted to proceed to the next page. TBB is designed in this way to afford specialists the greatest flexibility in tailoring their sessions to clients’ individual circumstances. REQUIRED/IMPORTANT QUESTIONS INDICATOR 19 Return to Page Reminder The Return to Page Reminder appears at the bottom of each page. When selected, it records the page and highlights it in the Review and Edit Menu as a green text. Click here to review this page later RETURN TO PAGE REMINDER 20 Help Content The Benefit Bank attempts to place help content throughout the online service where the information is most relevant and beneficial to clients. Glossary Terms appear as blue hyperlinks. Clicking on the term presents a definition or clarifying text. Clarifying Questions are also blue hyperlinks preceded by a question mark icon. These questions, often called “help pops,” anticipate questions that may arise as you navigate the system. Specialist Tips are presented as regular text in a blue box. Appearing only in the SSI/SSDI application, the tips address advocacy issues that are pertinent to the application process. GLOSSARY TERMS, CLARIFYING QUESTIONS & SPECIALIST TIPS 21 Reviewing and Editing Data It may take more than one meeting to gather all necessary information needed to file an application. To ensure that the application you ultimately submit is as accurate as possible, you are encouraged to review all the information you entered prior to submission. In reviewing the application, you may discover errors that need to be corrected or unanswered questions to which you now have information. Even when a response is correct, you may find that it could be expanded upon or better illustrated with a different example. Two features have been developed to assist you in reviewing and editing data: the Review and Edit Menu and Return to Page Reminder. Review and Edit Menu The Review and Edit Menu lists each section of the application. Text colors and symbols are used to help you manage the application: Blue text – Sections you have visited. Green text – Sections you have visited and that you have marked for review at a later time. In order to identify a particular page for review, you need to select the Return to Page Reminder. This feature is a checkbox that appears at the bottom of each page, along with the text: “Check here if you want to review this page later.” When selected, Return to Page records the page and highlights it in the Review and Edit Menu as a green text in the Review and Edit Menu. Gray text - Sections you have not yet visited. Red asterisk (*) - Sections you have visited that contain required/important questions without responses. A drop-down menu allows you to isolate certain sections by toggling between views. You can choose to display all sections, just sections with red asterisks, or just sections with green text. 22 Blue text indicates pages you’ve visited with all required/ important questions complete Green text indicates pages you visited and requested to view later Toggle between views of the application using this drop-down menu Gray text indicates pages you have not yet visited Red asterisks indicate pages you’ve visited with unanswered required/ important questions REVIEW AND EDIT MENU 23 Case Management Tools One of the principal challenges to those charged with facilitating the SSI/SSDI application process is organization. We have developed many tools to assist you in managing your caseload. TASKS Tasks help Specialists stay abreast of their workload. They provide a space to view and record aspects of a client’s case that require action. Tasks are composed of seven core components. Some components are not viewable until after a task is created. Moreover, additional fields will be presented depending on what type of task it is. There are three types of tasks within TBB Client Tasks Specialist Tasks Automated Tasks Tasks can be used to record many actions. Here are a few examples: 1. Due Date – Date by which the task should be completed. 2. Task – Description of item to be completed. 3. Client – Name of client (if any) associated with the task. 4. Created - Name of individual who created the task and creation date. 5. Assigned To – Name of individual who will complete the task. Specialists may assign certain tasks to a supervisor or co-worker in the case of an emergency, vacation, etc. 6. Action/Status – Specialists have the option of marking a task as complete or voided. The column header for active tasks is “Action.” The column header for archived tasks is “Status”. There is no option to delete tasks. 7. Note – Space to record additional information regarding a task. 24 How to Manually Create a Task To create a task, find the tab towards the top of EITHER the Specialist Portal page or the Client Portal page. Create a task from the Specialist Portal Page CREATE TASK Create a task from the Client Portal Page CREATE TASK 25 How to Manually Create a Task (cont’d) After clicking on “Create a Task,” a pop-out window will appear where the Specialist can input the information. Due Date The Due Date is automatically populated with today’s date. This can be adjusted here by using the drop down boxes or clicking on the Calendar Icon. NOTE: The Due Date cannot be changed once the task has been created. Task Enter the information to describe the Task here. Be as specific as possible. Remember that other people (Specialists, Supervisors) could possibly also view these tasks. Assign the Task The Specialist normally assigns the task to herself; however, she can assign the task to anyone within her specified client sharing group (usually defined by a site or an organization). Choose a Client Specialists can choose a Client to associate with the Task. This is OPTIONAL. If a Client is chosen, the task, when active, will appear on both the Client Portal page AND the Specialist Portal Page. If no Client is chosen, the task will ONLY appear on the Specialist Portal Page. Select a Client to link to the task. NOTE: This is optional. In order to make this a “Client Task”, a Client must be chosen from the drop down. Click here to create a task… CLIENT TASK PAGE 26 Automated Tasks Automated tasks are automatically generated by the online service. They are linked to the information that Specialists record on the Application Progress Page. As completed tasks are noted on this master outline, a task indicating the next step requiring the Specialist’s action is automatically added to both the Client’s and the Specialist’s task lists. Updating and saving a task here… … generates a task here AUTOMATED TASKS 27 When to Choose Client Specific Tasks vs. Specialists Tasks Whenever a Client Task is selected, it will also become a Specialist Task. However, a task that is not associated with a particular client will only be a Specialist Task. Examples of Client Tasks Client tasks can either be created by Specialists or automated. They allow you to keep track of the need to do such things as: Call DDS examiner Request client’s medical records Email client’s former employer Send client a birthday card CLIENT TASKS 28 Examples of Specialist Tasks Specialist tasks can also be created by specialists or automated. They differ from client tasks in that they are not necessarily associated with a client. Here is where you would keep track of tasks important to your work, but not tied to any particular client such as: Submit timesheet Discuss monthly activity report with supervisor Prepare outreach materials for health fair Review TBB training update If a client is not selected at the point that a specialist task is created, the task will only be viewable in the specialist’s task list. If, however, a client is selected, the task will function like a client task and be viewable in both the specialist and client task lists. Past due tasks are listed in bold text Future tasks are listed in regular text SPECIALIST TASKS 29 Client Task Lists On the client portal page you will be presented with a list of active client tasks. To see a list of both active and archived client tasks you can either click “View all Tasks,” a link located below the client task list, or “Show Tasks,” located on the toolbar. The complete client task list will show you all the tasks that you have for the client including any notes that have been added. The list is arranged in chronological order, beginning with the oldest task. You will only be able to view tasks that are associated with the client in question. Tasks for other TBB clients and specialist tasks not associated with any client will not be viewable. Specialist Task Lists Specialist task lists are similar to client task lists. Active task lists are posted on the specialist portal page, and clicking on “View All Tasks” below this list or “My Tasks” on the specialist portal will take you to a list of both active and archived specialist tasks. All tasks that are currently or were previously assigned to you are listed here. You will not be able to see tasks assigned to other specialists, even if they concern your clients. Combining Tasks and Return to Page Reminder Sometimes, in managing your client’s case, it will not be enough to simply know what pages you elected to review again. In such cases you will need to assign a task to jog your memory about specific items on which you need to follow up, for example: Inserting the date a medical test was administered Rephrasing a response Adding an example to illustrate a point made in your response Following-up with a family member regarding information a client provided The best way to use these features together is: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 30 Select “Create Task” from the toolbar. A task creation box will pop up. Select a due date. Copy and paste the text of the page’s title and subtitle into the Task field. Insert text describing the task you need to complete into the Task field. Select an assignee. Select a client. Click “Create Task” Click the Return to Page Reminder. MEMOS Items that do not require action, but are nonetheless noteworthy, are recorded as memos. The module has two categories of memos: client memos and specialist memos. Client Memos As you build your caseload, you will make direct observations of clients, analyze information you’ve received, and discuss aspects of a case with third parties. Client memos offer you the space to record such events: Client missed doctor’s appointment Client’s friend died Client was banned from a shelter for misconduct Memos are easily created from the Client Portal page. Click here to create a client memo or add the memo into the text box below and click “Create Memo” Item.” CLIENT MEMOS 31 Specialist Memos Specialist memos, by contrast, are not related to any particular client. Here you would enter general notes pertinent to your work, for example: Instructions for using the scanner provided by your organization’s IT department Password hint for ERE account Create a Specialist Memo by clicking on the “Create Memo” tab from the Specialist Portal Page. Review Memos by click on the “My Memos” Tab. SPECIALIST MEMOS Under the My Memos Tab, Memos can be viewed and can also be added. NOTE: Memos cannot be edited or deleted. SPECIALIST MEMOS 32 CONTACTS TBB allows you to store two kinds of contacts: Client contacts and Specialist contacts. There are two important differences between these contacts. The first concerns access. You must enter a client’s case in order to see their contacts. Client Contacts Selecting “Contacts” from the toolbar on the Client Portal page will bring you to a list of the client’s contacts Click here to edit or delete contacts Click here to add a new contact CLIENT CONTACTS To view the Specialist contacts, you must be logged into TBB as a Specialist, but not yet within a client’s case. Access your Specialist contact list by selecting “My Contacts” from the toolbar on the specialist portal. The second important difference between the two categories of contacts concerns contact type. When adding a client contact you are presented with options such as family, friend, and social worker. Specialist contacts carry designations like SSA employee or medical records staff. In the event that none of the categories fit, both contacts give you the option of “other.” 33 Contact type for client contacts differ from specialists' CLIENT CONTACT CREATION PAGE Contact type for specialist contacts differ from clients' SPECIALIST CONTACT CREATION PAGE 34 DOCUMENT MANAGEMENT Document Checklists In order for an application for Medicaid, SSI, or SSDI to be considered complete, it must be accompanied by documents verifying key information affecting the client’s eligibility for assistance such as citizenship, income, and expenses. Though there is considerable overlap in the proof required for each program, specialists must refer to the separate checklists for Medicaid and SSI/SSDI in order to ensure that they provide the appropriate documentation for each program. Both checklists can be accessed from either the Application Progress Page, the Document Management Page, or the support site. Keep track of documents gathered by checking boxes DOCUMENT CHECKLIST 35 Document Management Page The Document Management Page provides a platform for specialists to organize, store, and submit client documents to DDS. DOCUMENT MANAGEMENT PAGE Uploading Documents The document upload tool allows you to add forms, letters, reports, and other documents critical to the application process to the client’s file. Follow these steps to upload a document: 1. Select the client you are working with to get into the client portal 2. Select “Document Management” 3. Select “Upload a Document” from the document management page 4. Enter a name for the document 5. Select a document type from the drop-down menu 6. Find the document on the computer using the browse menu 7. Enter notes into the note field if desired 8. Click “Upload” 36 The types of documents that are accepted are limited to documents that are 50MB or less and of the following file types. Attempts to upload larger, or other types, of documents will result in an error message. doc (MS Word) wpd (Word Perfect) zip (ZIP files) jpg (JPEG – image file) bmp (bitmap – image file) txt (plain text) xls (MS Excel) pdf (PDF) tif (image file) tiff (image file) docx (Office Open XML Document) mdi (Microsoft Document Imaging) rtf (Rich Text Format) xlsx (Office Open XML Workbook) Complete this information, then… …click here to upload the document DOCUMENT UPLOAD PAGE Uploaded documents appear on the Document Management page UPLOADED DOCUMENT ON DOCUMENT MANAGEMENT PAGE 37 The Help Desk The Benefit Bank provides a Help Desk that responds to phone and email inquiries from counselors. The Help Desk is here to support you as you assist your clients. Contact the Help Desk when: You forget your login name The online service is not responsive or not behaving as expected You need help with technical troubleshooting You get an error message Before contacting the Help Desk, read the help pops and search the online service for answers. TBB contains links to information that will answer many common questions. [email protected] Response within 2 business days Main number: (855) TBB-HELP (855) 822 4357 9 AM – 5 PM EST, Monday–Friday Hours during tax season are: 9 AM – 8 PM EST, Monday–Friday 9 AM – 5 PM EST, Saturday 38 Important Websites The Support Site The Ohio Association of Foodbanks provides a Support Site for specialists. It can be found by going to support.ohiobenefits.org. If you click “Access SSI/SSDI” or click here, you will see the screen below. The Support Site: Provides documents needed to submit SSI/SSDI applications Houses the training to become a specialist Holds print outs for you and your client Contains the training to become a site Social Security www.ssa.gov/applyfordisability SSI/SSDI Live Site ssi.thebenefitbank.org 39 The Training Scenario Create a New Client 1. The client heard about The Benefit Bank through church. 2. Mrs. Lynne S. Nelson was born 2/2/1963. 3. Her social security number is 123-54-6789 4. English is the preferred language for reading/writing. 5. English is the preferred language for talking/listening. 6. Lynne’s present living situation is in a household. 7. Lynne’s location is in a house. 8. Lynne’s address is 110 East Main Street, Columbus, Ohio, 43215. 9. Lynne’s county is Franklin. 10. Lynne’s phone number is 555 555 5555. 11. Lynne’s email address is [email protected] 12. Click create client Apply for the Ohio Common Application for Benefits (Food Stamps) Household Information 1. Lynne confirms her information. 2. There are no other people living with Lynne. 3. Lynne’s birthday is February 2, 1963. 4. Lynne is single. 5. Lynne is a female. 6. Lynne S. Nelson is a U.S. Citizen. 7. Lynne confirms her Social Security Number 8. Yes, Lynne Nelson is considered disabled. 9. No, Lynne Nelson is not considered blind. 10. Lynne Nelson is not a current member of the military and is not a veteran. 11. Lynne Nelson is not a surviving spouse and is not a dependent child of a veteran. 12. English is Lynne’s preferred language for reading and writing. 13. Lynne confirms her contact information 14. Lynne does not have a separate mailing address. 15. Lynne confirms her phone number and email address. 16. Lynne confirms the Household Information Summary Healthy U and Other Programs 1. Lynne is not receiving food assistance. 2. Lynne is not receiving cash assistance. 3. Lynne is not receiving Medicaid. 4. Nobody in Lynne’s house is a veteran. 5. Lynne does not have a long-term medical condition such as arthritis, diabetes, high blood pressure, or heart disease. 6. Lynne is not a caregiver. 40 7. There is no other adult in Lynne’s household that is a caregiver. 8. Lynne is not interested in receiving information on how to prepare herself in the event of disaster or emergency. Voter Registration 1. No, Lynne would not like to apply to register to vote here today. Expenses 1. Lynne’s household did incur qualified medical expenses. 2. Lynne Nelson is the person in the household who required the medical help that led to this expense. 3. The type of medical expense is an office visit/copay. 4. The last payment was for $50.00 5. Lynne makes this payment three times per year. 6. Lynne’s household did not incur child and dependent care expenses. 7. Lynne’s household did not incur child support and alimony expenses. 8. Lynne’s household did not incur blind/disabled work-related expenses. 9. Lynne’s household did incur shelter expenses. 10. Lynne pays $600 monthly for rent. 11. Utilities are included in rent. 12. Lynne is not the parent or child of the landlord. 13. The average monthly rent is $600 14. Lynne Nelson will spend $12.50 per month for office visit’s bill/copayment Income 1. Lynne has work-related income. 2. Lynne S. Nelson receives this income. 3. The type of income Lynne has is wages, salary, bonuses, commissions. 4. ABC Company pays this income. 5. The first of this month, is the last time this money was paid. 6. The gross amount was $200.00 7. Lynne worked today to earn these wages 8. Lynne Nelson expects to receive this income in the next 14 months. 9. Next month on the 1st is the next date this money will be paid. 10. This money is paid monthly. 11. Lynne has no government income. 12. Lynne has no other income. 13. It is calculated that Lynne Nelson will receive $200 this month from ABC Company. Asset Information 1. Lynne gives the SSA permission to obtain any financial records from any financial institution. 2. Lynne has $35 in her savings account at Ohio Credit Union. 41 3. Ohio Credit Union is located at 5 Broad Street, Columbus, OH 43215 4. Her account number is 00-01-02 5. The account was opened in 1992. 6. There has not been a change in value since the beginning of the month. 7. No one in Lynne’s household has property assets. 8. Lynne has a vehicle. 9. Lynne has a car valued at $1,700 10. Lynne’s car is a 2011 Chevy Cruz. 11. Lynne owes 470 on this car. 12. Lynne does not check a box. 13. The vehicle is used to obtain medical treatment 14. The vehicle is used for employment 15. The vehicle is not equipped for use by a handicapped individual. 16. The vehicle is necessary for going places far away (distance) 17. This vehicle does have mechanical problems. It sometimes doesn’t start. 18. Lynne acquired the car in 2012 19. There has been a decrease in this asset since the beginning of the month because of depreciation. 20. No one in Lynne’s household has insurance assets. 21. Lynne is not buying any life insurance policies. 22. No one in Lynne’s household is covered by Medicare or Medicaid. Ohio Application for Benefits 1. Lynne Nelson did receive $200 from ABC Company in the last 30 days. 2. Lynne confirms her address. 3. Lynne does not check the box next to any household members who are currently receiving any public assistance in another state. 4. Lynne does not check the box next to any household members who received Ohio Works First in the last four months. 5. Lynne does not check the box next to any of the household members who can no longer take part in Ohio Works First because of a third work failure. 6. Lynne is not entitled to Medicare Part A 7. Lynne is not receiving SSI 8. Lynne to no receiving Social Security Benefits 9. Lynne is not receiving Railroad Retirement Disability benefits 10. She is not receiving general Assistance, Disability-related Medicaid, Disability benefits from the Veterans Affairs, nor receiving Disability related government benefits. 11. Lynne Nelson is a resident of Ohio. 12. Lynne Nelson does not check the box for visual and/or hearing impairments. 13. Lynne Nelson does not check the box for pregnancy. 14. Lynne Nelson is not homeless. 42 15. After Lynne pays for housing costs (rent or mortgage), child or dependent care costs, child support payments, and taxes, Lynne has spent all her monthly income. 16. There are no migrant or seasonal farm workers in Lynne’s household. 17. Lynne reads the Expedited Food Assistance Instructions and wants to apply electronically (ESUB needs to be on) 18. Lynne does not check the box to indicate she is a student. 19. No one in Lynne’s household is barred from getting Food Assistance because he/she lied to get Food Assistance or a similar food benefit program in another state. 20. No one in Lynne’s household is fleeing to avoid prosecution, police custody, or jail after being convicted of a felony. 21. No one in Lynne’s household is violating a condition of probation or parole. 22. No one in Lynne’s household is ineligible to participate in Ohio Works First because he/she intentionally violated Ohio Works First rules. 23. No one in Lynne’s household ever lied about or misrepresented where they lived in order to receive cash assistance (Ohio Works First or another state's cash assistance program) in two or more states at once. 24. Lynne does not check the box for paying heating or air conditioning. 25. Lynne did not receive help from HEAP either this year or last year. 26. No one in Lynne’s household is on strike. 27. Yes Lynne wants to apply for food assistance. 28. No, Lynne does not want to apply for Ohio Works First. 29. Lynne does not want to apply for help with Medicare expenses. 30. Yes Lynne does want to apply for Aged, Blind, or Disabled Medicaid. 31. Lynne does not want to apply for Refugee Medical Assistance / Refugee Cash Assistance. 32. Lynne does not want to apply for the Nutritional Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). 33. Lynne does not want to apply for Child and Family Health Services (CFHS). 34. Lynne does not want to apply for Bureau for Children with Medical Handicaps (BCMH) 35. Lynne S. Nelson is the household member that is applying for Food Assistance. 36. Lynne S. Nelson is the household member that is applying for Medical assistance. 37. Lynne Nelson does not want to name an authorized representative on the application for Food Assistance nor Medical assistance. 38. Morning is the best time for a county representative to contact Lynne. 39. Lynne does not need in-home care 40. Lynne did not check any of the boxes for a foreign language or sign language interpreter. 41. She is not serving a sentence in a penal institution. 42. Lynne Nelson is white and Asian-American 43. Lynne is not Hispanic/Latino. 44. English is the language that Lynne is most comfortable speaking as well as writing and reading. 43 45. No one pays medical support. 46. She has never received assistance before 47. She did not leave her job within the last 60 days. 48. She lost her job the first of last month because she was in pain. Write down how much Lynne’s Food Assistance could be a month $______________ (Will be asked on final quiz) 49. You open the required documents to click save and continue View all of the forms. There is no need to print them. 1. Lynne wants to e-submit the documents. 2. Lynne does not have a passport. 3. Click save and continue until you have submitted the application Training Assessment 1. Demonstrate that you can use the Memo Tool a. Create a Memo stating what the Food stamp application dollar amount could be for Lynne. You might have written down the amount above after question 48. 2. Demonstrate that you can use the Tasks Tool a. Create a task for yourself to remind Lynne to bring in her bank statement. See page 24 for additional help. 3. Demonstrate that you can use the Document Management Tool and have a scanner. See page 35 for additional help. a. Upload any document into the system. b. Select “Identification documentation” c. Name the file “LOOK HERE, JESSICA” and upload d. On the “Client Document Management System” screen, print this page by pressing (Ctrl + p) e. Scan the document that you printed, and include it in the e-mail in step 4 below. 4. E-mail [email protected] a. Include your test login user name b. Include the scanned document from step 3. 5. Click here to fill out the Training Assessment 44 Number 4 should be included in the scanned document that you e-mail to [email protected] 1 2 4 3 45 Part 2 Training 46 DETAILED NAVIGATION OF TBB SSI/SSDI Client Background In this section, you will be asked to give as much information as possible about the client. Information about their household, work history, education, income, and expenses will help determine the client’s eligibility for benefits. There are several documents that are very useful in completing this section. Please note that the documents are not required, as some clients may not have them in their possession. However, it is recommended that you prepare your client before the first meeting so that they arrive ready with as much documentation as possible. At the end of each sub-section, you will find a list of acceptable documents that can be used to fill out that portion of the application. Some documents will be useful in more than one area, so make sure to use all of the resources available to you. Household Information Household Information is the starting point for all programs in The Benefit Bank. In this section, the Specialist enters information about the client and each member of the client’s household, such as SSN, date of birth, and marital and citizenship status. It also requests the client’s birthplace, current living situation, and disability status. Healthy U and Other Programs This short section gathers information about the client’s enrollment in other benefit programs, such as SNAP and Medicaid; assesses potential eligibility for others services and supports; and provides information and referrals for certain specialized programs. Children/Grandchildren The Children/Grandchildren section captures details about the client’s children and grandchildren. If the applicant has children or grandchildren, even if they are not living with the applicant, this information is needed for SSI and SSDI application forms. Marriage History Applicants who have been married will be asked to enter details about their marriages in the Marriage History section. Immigration Status Clients who are not U.S. citizens will be asked to complete a set of questions about their immigration status. Certain non-citizens, including individuals who entered the U.S. on or before Aug. 22, 1996, may be eligible for SSI. A person’s work history determines his or her eligibility for SSDI, so non-citizens with a sufficient work record may be eligible for SSDI. Additional Client Details This section is meant to gather information that is of particular use to the SSA, and not previously gathered in the household module. This includes information about a client’s special language and contact preferences that may assist dialogue between the SSA and the claimant. 47 Expenses The Expenses section requests information about the applicant’s financial obligations. Applicants are asked about expenses in the following categories: Unreimbursed Medical Expenses o Unreimbursed medical expenses include any hospital bills, prescription bills, office visit bills and copayments, lab fees, and other related expenses that are recurring, currently being paid, or that have been paid off within the last three months. Child and Dependent Care Expenses Child Support/Alimony Expenses Blind/Disabled Work-Related Expenses Shelter Expenses o Shelter expenses include rent or mortgage payments, homeowners insurance, phone bills, and utility bills Clients who have any of these obligations will be asked for the specific type of expense and other details in subsequent questions. Income One of the key factors in assessing an individual’s eligibility for public benefits is the person’s income. When the SSA determines eligibility, some income may be partially or completely excluded in reaching the final benefit calculation. Still, clients are required to disclose all funds received by both themselves and members of their household at the time of application. To make sure that you are entering all pertinent information, it is recommended that you not just ask clients about the broad categories, but solicit a response for each subcategory. There are several categories of income: Work-Related Income o Work wages, salary, tips, worker’s compensation, unemployment compensation, military pay, union pay, and federal work-study are all considered work-related income. If the client was self-employed, they will be required to report their profits and losses. Government Income o Social Security Retirement Benefits, Social Security Survivors Benefits, Veterans Benefits, Cash Assistance, Food Assistance, and Energy Assistance are all considered government income. Other Income o Child Support, Grants, Scholarships, Fellowships, and Life Insurance payments are just a few of the many things that can be considered other income. Even though some income will be excluded from consideration in determining eligibility, applicants are required to disclose all their income and, in some circumstances, the income 48 of people living with them. When a person who is eligible for SSI benefits lives with a spouse who is not eligible for SSI benefits, the SSA counts some of the spouse's income in determining the SSI benefit. Assets To be eligible for SSI, an individual may not have more than $2,000 in resources (the limit is $3,000 for a couple receiving SSI). The client is required to report any assets in their possession. Assets are broken up into the following categories: Liquid Assets o Cash, savings and checking accounts, certificates of deposit, trusts, bonds, stocks, retirement accounts, and mortgage notes are all considered liquid assets. Property Assets o Real estate, business assets, pre-paid burial spaces and funeral expenses, mobile homes, and other property are considered property assets. Vehicle Assets o Vehicles are cars, trucks, ATVs/quads, motorcycles, boats, mopeds, RVs, and campers. Insurance Assets o Health, car, life, homeowner’s, renter’s, flood and disaster insurance policies, HMO’s, and Medicare Supplement plans are counted as insurance assets. NOTE: Information about Medicaid and Medicare coverage is gathered in a separate question in the Assets section and should not be entered as insurance assets. Estates and Transferred Assets This section gathers details about certain kinds of assets. When a client has sold, transferred, or given away a resource, SSA will consider whether the asset was transferred for less than fair market value. Transferring ownership of a resource for less than fair market value can result in a period of ineligibility for SSI. In addition, unprobated estates and life insurance policies may be treated as assets in certain situations. Support and Maintenance This section is designed to populate a series of questions on the SSI application regarding the applicant’s in-kind income (e.g. gifts of meals or housing; non-cash wages). Education Here the client will state their educational history, including the date (to their best approximation) at which they completed their highest level of education. Participation in special education classes and work support programs are also addressed. 49 Work History The client will have to signify the date they were no longer able to perform Substantial Gainful Activity, the date they last worked, and their employment history for the last 15 years. Substantial gainful activity means the performance of significant physical or mental activities in work for pay or profit, whether or not profit is realized. This sub-section will ask some additional questions about the client’s work history and that of a spouse or former spouse (if applicable). This helps to determine if any additional benefits are available. Military History If the client has a military history, then they will be asked about the years they served, their rank, and how they were discharged. If a client’s spouse or former spouse has a military history, only the years served will be required. Combined with the client’s education and work history, this information constitutes a critical element of the disability determination process. It helps to establish the type of work that an individual is qualified to do and provides a basis for evaluating how an individual’s impairments limit their ability to work. Warrants and Police Contact An individual’s contact with the justice system may impact their eligibility for benefits. This section captures information about the criminal justice system involvement, including the nature of the offense(s), warrant information, and probation/parole violations. Application Preferences & Other Benefits This sub-section asks some additional questions about the client. For example, if the client received public benefits in the past. Non-Medical Eligibility Estimate After a client completes the above items in the Background section, TBB will display text explaining whether the client is likely to qualify for SSI and SSDI based solely on non-medical factors (e.g. for SSI, primarily income and resources; for SSDI, primarily work history). TBB could estimate that your client may be eligible for one, both, or neither of the programs. 50 MEDICAL – GENERAL This introductory section asks for some basic information regarding a client’s medical history. A more extensive medical history will be examined in other sections. Basic Medical Background In the Basic Medical Background sub-section, the client will describe his/her own disability. List any of the illnesses, injuries, or conditions that limit the client’s ability to work. You should record what the client says here, regardless of whether it sounds realistic or accurate. If the client uses any assistive devices make sure to take note of that in this section. The client will also be asked about their physical traits, including weight and height. Medical History Details This sub-section allows the client to provide contact details for medical professionals and others familiar with their case. This is important because these contacts may be able to provide some additional information to support the client’s claim for benefits. Detailed information about doctor’s appointments, hospitalizations, emergency room visits, and medications can also be submitted here. It is very important to “save” when prompted, as much information is gathered on this page! As addresses for providers are researched on the Internet, it is easy to exit the application erroneously and lose data entered. 51 MEDICAL HISTORY DETAILS Substance Abuse If a client indicates that they currently or previously used drugs or alcohol, they will be presented with a subsection entitled Substance Use. Most questions are open-ended, attempting to gather not just the hard data, but the intangibles surrounding the abuse. Here, clients reflect on their feelings about usage, its impact on their lives, and previous attempts to quit. These details will allow the specialist to gather relevant medical records, if requested to do so by DDS, to compose a comprehensive narrative history. This section should be updated as often as necessary throughout the information-gathering process. 52 MEDICAL – PHYSICAL This section collects information regarding specific medical conditions and their attendant symptoms. It opens with two categories of conditions, Presumptive Disabilities and Compassionate Allowances, which, if experienced by the client, may lead to expedited processing of their application for SSI and/or SSDI. It moves on to ask about other physical ailments. Again, questions are asked about particular diagnoses along with details like date of onset and whether or not medical evidence exists to support the claim. In order to capture conditions that are as yet undiagnosed, there are also questions concerning non-specific symptoms, for example, “Are you able to climb a few steps without a rail?” While several medical conditions listed in this and other portions of TBB are generally recognizable, such as stroke and diabetes, many conditions are not. For unfamiliar conditions, specialists should consult the client’s medical records (if presented by client) to see whether he/she has a particular diagnosis. Additionally, basic definitions of the illnesses mentioned can be obtained by referencing the SSA’s Disability Evaluation Under Social Security (Blue Book). http://www.ssa.gov/disability/professionals/bluebook/ Body Systems are listed in bold black text Symptoms and SECTION MEDICAL-PHYSICAL follow-up questions are listed in regular black text Illnesses are listed in regular green text 53 The Medical - Physical section presents many common illnesses, injuries, and conditions that are often considered disabling by the Social Security Administration. While the online system has many options, please note that your client’s illness, injury, or condition may not be listed. In this case, you should make sure to write that illness, injury, or condition in the Basic Medical Background sub-section of the Medical-General section. PRESUMPTIVE DISABILITIES AND COMPASSIONATE ALLOWANCES It will be extremely helpful for you to have your client’s medical records available for reference when you are filling out this sub-section. If your client experiences pain or symptoms that have not been diagnosed by a doctor, you should record these symptoms in application answers as appropriate and in the Remarks section. If any of the conditions listed under Presumptive Disabilities and Compassionate Allowances are experienced by the client, this may lead to expedited processing of their application for SSI and/or SSDI. To search the page to see if any of your client’s ailments are listed, hit Control + F on the keyboard and a new search bar will appear. Most browsers will highlight the word on the screen and take you to its location. It may be helpful for you to consult the SSA’s Blue Book, which provides a more comprehensive list of disabilities with additional details. Go to www. ssa.gov and search for Blue Book. Capabilities and Ailments This sub-section will ask some additional questions about the client’s physical health, as shown in the photo on the next page. Body Systems Affected - Part I and II In these two sub-sections, the client will identify the bodily systems affected by their condition. These systems are: Cardiovascular System Digestive System Genitourinary System Hematological System Skin System Musculoskeletal System Endocrine System Respiratory System Nervous System Immune System The client will also be able to indicate if they suffer from any impairment that affects multiple body systems. In both sections the clients are asked to elaborate as much as possible in order to get a better understanding of their conditions and to help determine their eligibility for benefits. As with the Presumptive Disabilities and Compassionate Allowances sub-section, you may find it helpful to use the Ctrl+F feature on your keyboard to help you locate a client’s illness, injury, or condition. 54 MEDICAL - MENTAL This section is designed to help you explore in detail issues related to the client’s psychological functioning. If you are a qualified professional (e.g. licensed MD, DO, PhD, or psychologist), this data will populate on a Mental Status Questionnaire that will be considered medical evidence by the adjudicator. If you are not an acceptable medical source, you have the option to use this section to help you assess whether your client may have a mental health or cognitive impairment that should be developed as part of the claim. It is acceptable to skip this section if you are not a qualified medical source. However, if you believe your client may have a mental health impairment, even if the client’s disability is primarily a physical impairment, it is important to explore and include in the application information about any possible mental health impairments that could impact the client’s ability to work, whether the client has already received treatment for these issues or not. There are several places in the service where information about a client’s potential mental health impairment could be mentioned, including the Basic Medical Background and Medical History Details sections, and/or this information could be included as comments in the remarks sections of the forms, which is entered in the Forms for SSA section. The Medical-Mental section explores the client’s emotional and behavioral state. In order to gather the necessary information, the online service shifts audiences and poses questions directly to the specialist. There are nine sub-sections to the Medical - Mental section: Affect and Mood - (Evaluation & Post-evaluation) Anxiety - (Evaluation & Post-evaluation) Mental Content - (Evaluation & Post-evaluation) Bodily Concerns - (Evaluation & Post-evaluation) Sensorium and Cognitive Functioning - (Evaluation & Post-evaluation) Appearance and Behavior - (Post-evaluation Only) Flow of Conversation and Thought - (Post-evaluation Only) Work-Related Functioning and Multiaxial Classification - (Post-evaluation Only; Classification can only be completed by mental health professionals) Rating Observations - (Post-evaluation Only) Notice that the questions in this section are divided into two categories: Evaluation and Post-Evaluation. Evaluation questions are those for which direct feedback from the client is required, such as those that ask about the client’s ability to perform specific tasks. Post-Evaluation questions do not require the client’s presence. They are primarily observational, soliciting the specialist’s assessment of such characteristics as the client’s appearance, cognitive functioning, and interpersonal skills. You may want to skip the postevaluation questions and return to them later, after the client interview has concluded. It is very important to be as descriptive as possible when giving examples of a client’s symptoms or conditions and when entering information regarding severity and duration. 55 The DDS will be seeking information on how serious a client’s condition is and how it affects his/ her functioning. Avoid giving short answers, such as “very severe” or “not a problem.” If you are not qualified or comfortable answering these questions, make a note in the Remarks section. NOTE: Answer all post-evaluation questions in the third person. For example, “The client (or he/she) has an unfounded fear of spiders, heights, and the government.” DAILY LIVING ACTIVITIES Note: Be detailed and thorough in this section. DDS uses this information to determine the extent of functional limitations related to disabling conditions. This section focuses on the client’s day-to-day experiences. Answers provided here help to paint a picture of the impact an individual’s disability has on routine activities. The questions asked within Daily Living Activities section are broken down into the following categories: Routine and Care (Evaluation & Post-evaluation) How does the client spend their days and evenings? Do they take care of any other people? Do they have any pets or other animals? Sleep Where does the client sleep at night? Do the illnesses, injuries, or conditions affect their sleep? Personal Care Do they need any special reminders to take care of personal needs/grooming? Do they need help with or reminders about taking medicine? Meals / Eating Does the client eat regularly? Do they need help getting meals? Chores and Shopping Does the client drive or use public transportation? Can they handle their own money and accounts? Hobbies and Social Interactions Can the client watch TV, read a book, or sit through a movie? Do they spend time with other people (in person, on the phone, on the computer, etc.)? Activities Affected How mobile is the client? Can they concentrate on completing a task? Can they follow instructions? 56 FORMS Forms for SSA Explaining Limits on Ability to Work The first page of this section focuses on the question, “What are the illnesses, injuries, or conditions that limit your ability to work?” It is a critical question in the SSI/SSDI application process. To help the specialist in formulating a response to this question, TBB provides a “ClientSupplied Answer” and a “TBB-Supplied Answer.” The Client-Supplied Answer is a direct quote from the client. TBB-Supplied Answer is a distillation of data relevant to the question collected by TBB. Using both of the answers specialists can craft a response that clearly communicates their understanding of the client’s case. Client-supplied answer appears here TBB-supplied answer appears here 57 EXPLAINING LIMITS ON ABILITY TO WORK Priority flags The SSA provides for special or priority handling for SSI and SSDI applications in certain situations. Specialists are asked here to identify any priority flags that apply to their client; the priority will be noted in the remarks section of the applications. FORMS FOR SSA Remarks The following forms include Remarks sections, allowing specialists to include pertinent information regarding a client’s case not otherwise captured on the application: Application for Supplemental Security Income (SSA-8000) Application for Disability Insurance Benefits (SSA-16) Disability Report – Adult (SSA-3368) Work History Report (SSA-3369) Function Report – Adult (SSA-3373) Prior to viewing the completed TBB-generated SSA forms, the online service will present the SSA Forms Remarks Page. As you add information, make sure that your remarks are entered on the appropriate form. 58 TBB-Generated SSA Forms Once you have viewed the remarks page you will be presented with the completed forms that must be submitted to SSA. The following is a list of all the SSA forms that TBB may generate for your client. Application for Disability Insurance Benefits (SSA-16) Application for Supplemental Security Income (SSA-8000) Disability Report – Adult (SSA-3368) Function Report – Adult (SSA-3373) Medical report on Adult with Allegation of HIV Infection (SSA-4814) Statement of Claimant or Other Person (SSA-795) Work History Report (SSA-3369) One copy of the SSA-16 and/or SSA-8000, SSA-3368 and SSA-3369 will be generated for each client. Depending on the circumstances of your client’s case, SSA-3373, SSA-4814 and SSA-795 may also be generated. Blank SSA Forms Some SSA forms are not generated by TBB and have to be completed by hand. These are: Appointment of Representative (SSA-1696) Consent for Access to SSI/SSDI Data Authorization to Disclose Information to the SSA (SSA-827) Consent for Release of Information (SSA-3288) Request for Reconsideration (SSA-561) With the exception of the SSA-561, these forms should be completed for each client. There are other types of blank forms that you may want to prepare for your client. For information about these forms and instructions, see the Blank Forms section in the Document Management chapter. 59 FORMS FOR DDS Mental Status Questionnaire The SSI/SSDI module will only generate the MSQ if you provide information that you are a qualified mental health professional. This form should only be submitted if the counselor is a qualified psychiatrist, psychologist, or other qualified mental health professional, and the information included in this questionnaire is not available elsewhere. Typically, this type of mental status information is part of a treating clinician's medical record for an individual with a mental disorder, which also includes other important data such as psychiatric evaluations, psychological testing, psychological history reports, diagnosis, and treatment recommendations. If the client has a mental disorder, all available mental health treatment records should be submitted to the SSA. 60 SUPPORTED APPLICATIONS AND FORMS APPENDIX Forms filled out by TBB Form Number Form Title Purpose SSA8000 Application for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Initial application to apply for Supplemental Security (SSI) benefits. SSA-16 Application for Disability Insurance Benefits Initial application to apply for Social Security Disability (SSDI) Benefits. SSA3368 Disability Report - Adult Gathers information about employment and medical history. SSA3369 Work History Report Gathers details about jobs held over the last 15 years. SSA3373 Function Report - Adult Collects information about how impairments have impacted daily activities. SSA-795 Statement of Claimant or Other Person Populates with overflow text from other forms, including SSA-16, SSA-8000, SSA-3368, SSA3369, and SSA-3374. N/A Daily Activities Questionnaire Provides additional information about how impairments have impacted the client. N/A Mental Status Questionnaire Used to capture current mental health status of client. N/A Medical Summary Report Guide Used to capture important client data not covered on standard SSA forms. 61 Forms filled out manually SSA1696 Appointment of Representative Allows you to act as your client’s representative in application process. SSA827 Authorization to Disclose Information to SSA Allows you to share client’s private information with SSA. SSA3288 Consent for Release of Information Allows SSA to share your client’s records with you. SSA561 Request for Reconsideration Used to appeal an adverse initial SSI or SSDI decision. SSA3441 Disability Report Appeal Submitted with the Request for Consideration when the appeal is on the issue of disability. SSA546 Workers’ Compensation/Public Disability Benefit Questionnaire Gathers information about client’s receipt of Worker’s Compensation and other benefits that might impact SSA benefits. SSA4814 Medical Report on Adult with Allegation of HIV Infection Completed by a medical source when the client is alleging HIV. 62 APPLICATION PROGRESS PAGE The Application Progress Page is an interactive outline of the steps involved in seeking SSI and SSDI benefits. Applying for these programs is a complex process, requiring the action of several parties. This tool allows you and your System Administrator to keep track of where you are. Used consistently, the page ensures that you are managing each case in an orderly and timely fashion. Some of the information you enter on this page also populates administrative reports, which collect data about the progress and outcomes of SSI and SSDI applications. It is imperative that the Application Progress Page is updated with each step of the filing process for each claimant. A red box outlines the current task. As each task is completed, Specialists will log that information and click “Save.” Once the information is saved, the red box moves to the next step in the process. Often, a completed step will generate a task to remind Specialists of the next action they must take. The red box indicates the current task to be completed Mark step as complete by clicking Save APPLICATION PROGRESS PAGE 63 MEDICAL RECORDS REQUEST LETTER GENERATOR The letter generator will only be used if SSA or DDS request assistance from the Specialist to obtain medical documentation. The letter generator merges relevant client information which you have entered in the TBB SSI/SSDI application modules with a letter template. You are able to specify the type of letter you want to send, the source of records, and the treating source and treatment date(s) for the record request. The letter generator is available through the client portal page. First, click on the SSI/SSDI Application. Scroll to the bottom of the Client Application Roadmap. The last section is the Letter Generator. Letter Generator Selector Once you have clicked on the Letter Generator in your roadmap, you are taken to the Introduction. Click Save and Continue to go to the Letter Generator Selector. Then, select Medical Records Request. From this screen, you have the option to choose the Source of Medical Records (either Provider or Non-Provider), select the Provider Name and Treatment Date, and add Comments. 64 A Medical Provider is anyone who is licensed to treat illnesses that are within the scope of their license, i.e.: doctor, psychiatrist, medical specialist. A Non-Medical Provider is a professional organization or person that is aware of a client’s medical situation and can provide information based on current or past experiences with the client, i.e.: social service agency, insurance company that has paid disability benefits, attorney, prison. Print Medical Records Request If you have entered all the information needed for a record request letter, the Print Letter page will appear on the next page. You will now have a link to your completed letter and the letter will also appear in your Track Medical Records Request Tool. This letter will include content from the Client Background, Household Information, and the Medical - General, Medical History Details. To utilize the content of the generated letter, print the letter on your organization’s letterhead and mail it to the designated person. NOTE: If you choose to copy and paste the text from the generated pdf document into a word processing document, you will likely lose the document’s formatting. Also, any changes you make to the word processing document after you copy and paste will not be reflected in the permanent record. Incomplete Information If you have not entered all the client information needed to complete a letter into the SSI/SSDI Application, the Print Letter page explains that a completed letter cannot be generated and lists the reason(s) why. You will be able to click on the link to view the incomplete letter. However, you cannot print and mail the letter until you correct the items that prevent letter generation. To make the corrections, return to the roadmap and add the information to the appropriate fields in the various sections of TBB SSI/SSDI Online Service. Do not copy the letter to a word processor and make changes to it there. Remember, any changes you make to the document outside of TBB SSI/SSDI will not be a part of the permanent record. 65 ACCESSING THE SSA WEBSITE www.ssa.gov/applyfordisability As a specialist you will be responsible for obtaining the Reentry number for your clients from the SSA website. This notifies the SSA office of the intent to file. Clients and specialists have 60 days from the date these numbers are generated to file a full application with the SSA. 66 TRACK MEDICAL RECORDS REQUESTS This tool provides a place for a Specialist to track the status of a medical request they have made for a client’s case. The Track Medical Record Requests Tool will contain medical record information that the Specialist enters into the Household Information and Medical History Details sections. Once a Specialist enters data in response to these questions and then proceeds to generate a Medical Records Request Letter, the content of that request is transferred to the Medical Record tracking tool. This tool is linked with the Letter Generator and medical content cannot be tracked using this feature unless a letter has already been generated. The Track Medical Record Requests Tool may be accessed from two locations. From the Specialist Portal, the Track Medical Record Requests Tool is available from the Specialist Portal Toolbar by clicking My Record Tracker. This allows the Specialist to enter information about and view the status of record requests for all his/her clients. Medical Record Requests Tracking Tool 67 Specialists may also access the Track Medical Record Requests tool from the Client Portal Toolbar. This allows Specialists to enter information about their record requests for that client only and view the status of records requests for that particular client. Medical Record Requests Tracking Tool The Track Medical Record Requests Tool is set up as a series of tables. When certain status conditions are met, the client’s entry will move from one table to another. These tables provide a space to view and record aspects of a client’s case that require action. Some status components are not viewable until after a status field has been updated. Moreover, additional fields will be presented depending on what request table the Specialist is working within. The four tables within the Track Medical Record Requests Tool are: Requests To Be Made Requests Outstanding Requests Received Requests Archived 68 Requests To Be Made The first table in the Track Medical Record Requests Tool is Requests To Be Made. Once a letter is generated, key information found within that letter is imported into this table. The Specialist may add notes, select the Status of their letter request, and click Update to store this information. There are four options from this table that a Specialist may choose from when updating the status of their letter request: Need to Send – Request will stay in Requests To Be Made Case Closed Before Completion – Request will move to Requests Archived Request Cancelled – Request will move to Requests Archived Sent Outstanding – Request will move to Requests Outstanding Requests Outstanding If a Specialist sends their letter and updates the status to Sent Outstanding in the Requests To Be Made table, their medical record request is then transferred to the second table, Requests Outstanding. This table allows a Specialist to further update the status of a Medical Record Request. The Request will then transfer to Requests Received or Requests Archived depending on the Status option selected. 69 Requests Received The next table, Requests Received, allows a Specialist to update the status of a record request once they have heard back from the Provider. Most of the Status options in this table will transfer the request to Requests Archived. If a Specialist selects Faxed to DDS or Mailed to DDS as a Status option, the Request will stay in Requests Received and will only transfer to Requests Archived once the Status option DDS Confirmed has been selected. Requests Archived Once a Request is moved to Requests Archived, a Specialist will be able to see a history of medical record requests made for a particular client. If a Specialist selected the status of Case Closed Before Completion or Wrong or Incomplete Records from the previous table, Requests Received, the Specialist will be able to further update the medical record request from the Requests Archived table to reflect the records having been Received or Resent. 70 Revert Status If a Specialist selects an incorrect Status when updating a Medical Records Request, they are able to use the Revert Status button to send their Request back to the previous table. A Specialist may also collapse each table to more easily view subsequent tables without scrolling down. Roles and Access to Tracking Tool When accessing the Tracking Tool from the Specialist Portal: Specialists will have read and write access to record requests for all their clients. Write access is for status changes only. 71 Submitting Documents Once the SSA establishes non-medical eligibility for SSI and SSDI, and the client’s case qualifies under the non-medical eligibility criteria, SSA will refer the case to the Disability Determination Services (DDS). In some instances DDS is able to make a disability determination based on the initial information filed with the SSA. However, additional evidence is often required to substantiate the client’s impairment claims. In such cases DDS adjudicators will forward a request for medical or functional evidence to TBB. At this point TBB will add both a client and specialist task for the client. The evidence request will also appear via the “E-Submit Document(s)” link on the document management page. Click here to view evidence request E-SUBMIT DOCUMENTS PAGE DDS EVIDENCE REQUEST 72 Once you’ve gathered the necessary evidence, you have two options for forwarding this information to the DDS – e-submitting or faxing. Regardless of the method chosen, DDS will notify TBB of receipt of the records and a task will be added to both the client’s and the specialist’s task lists. Here are the steps for each option: E-Submitting a. Upload the document to be submitted in accordance with the procedure outlined above. b. Select “E-Submit Document(s)” from the document management page. c. Complete the electronic submission form. Enter ERE (Electronic Records Express) username, ERE password and information, site code, Request ID, comments, etc. into the appropriate fields. Most of this information is found on the evidence request, below the barcode. d. Click “Send.” Enter this information … …here Enter comments, if desired DDS EVIDENCE REQUEST 73 Faxing a. Print out the evidence request. b. Organize evidence, using the evidence request as the cover sheet. c. Fax to DDS. ELECTRONIC RECORDS EXPRESS (ERE) ACCOUNTS An Electronic Records Express (ERE) account is necessary in order to submit documents to DDS. An ERE account has been set up for all specialists. Here are some important facts about the account: The ERE account has a unique username and password. This differs from the username and password used to log into The Benefit Bank. Every 90 days you will be prompted to change your ERE password. Change your password and track submission of electronic documents by going to https://secure.ssa.gov/acu/iresear/login?URL=/apps9/ERE/home.do Safeguarding Electronic Documents Most scanners save copies of scanned documents on the hard drive of the computer to which they are attached. TBB has extensive security measures in place to preserve the privacy of documents once uploaded to TBB. However, specialists, and the organizations they represent, are charged with safeguarding copies of documents stored on their computers. Specifically, each organization hosting TBB is required to develop protocols for securing or disposing of scanned documents. Please review your organization’s policy. Your familiarity with and adherence to these guidelines are essential in ensuring that your clients’ information is protected. 74 SEARCHING/CLOSING CASES Existing TBB Client Search It is possible that some of the clients you will encounter have previously used TBB to apply for other benefits, such as Medicaid, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (Food Stamps), and TANF (Cash Assistance). You can learn about any such activity by conducting a search prior to creating a client account. If the information you enter matches any of the clients on file, you will be able to view a summary of the client’s activity. Searching SSI/SSDI Clients You can conduct a search for existing SSI/SSDI clients based on name, last name, Social Security Number, date of birth, application status, or a combination of these criteria. While you can find a case by entering a complete name or SSN, TBB also allows you to search based on partial entries. For example, you could find “Lionel” by entering “lio” or “l” into the first name field. Search by complete or partial entries To view a complete list of your clients, leave all search fields blank and click Search Case status must be recorded on the Application Progress Page to be included in search results SEARCHING CASES TBB uses the information recorded on the Application Progress Page to process searches based on application status. A search for applications pending SSA approval, for example, will only include applications that have first been appropriately noted on the Application Progress Page. 75 After you’ve searched for the client, you will see the following screen. The “ID” column is the client ID required for submitting applications. Closing Cases When a final decision regarding your client’s case has been made and you’ve completed your work with them, you must close their case. You do this from the client portal page. Here you will see a radio button. The status is not changed until you confirm the choice by clicking on “Save Case Status.” You can always re-open a case after it has been closed. Click here to change the Case Status CLOSING CASES 76 77 STEP-BY-STEP APPLICATION PROCESS Overview Note: Do not try to do this in a single appointment. Most applications require between two and four appointments, depending on individual circumstances. 1. Complete Important Forms 2. Establish a Protective Filing Date Obtain a reentry number from the SSA website Create a new client in TBB 3. Complete Applications 4. Submit Application and Follow-up 78 Record the Client ID, 55 days out, and reentry number in memos 1. Complete form SSA-1696 A. Go to the counselor support website - support.ohiobenefits.org. B. Click Access SSI/SSDI. C. Click the Documents tab. D. Download form SSA-1696. E. Complete the form with you client. Print, sign, and date the form in all the spaces marked for Claimant and Representative. F. Put one copy in your submission folder and file the other 3 copies in your client’s records. 2. Complete Consent to Use Information Form A. B. C. D. E. Go to the counselor support website - support.ohiobenefits.org. Click Access SSI/SSDI. Click the Documents tab. Download Consent to Use Information form. Complete on the computer allowing the system to copy down the information to duplicated questions, print (one copy has 2 forms), sign, and date the form. F. Scan and upload into your client’s document management system G. Put “specialist copy” in your submission folder and file the “claimant copy” in your client’s records. 3. Complete from SSA - 827 A. B. C. D. E. F. Go to the counselor support website - support.ohiobenefits.org. Click Access SSI/SSDI. Click the Documents tab. Download form SSA-827. Complete, print two copies, sign, and date the form. Put one copy in your submission folder and file the other copy in your client’s records. 4. Create Client A. B. C. D. E. F. Log into TBB SSI/SSDI - ssi.thebenefitbank.org. Click Create New Client. Complete applicable fields. Click Create Client. Go to TBB SSI/SSDI - ssi.thebenefitbank.org. Open the Client Portal Page for the client you are serving. 5. Obtain a Reentry Number A. Use the link under “Additional Resources” on the support site or go to the United States Social Security Administration website www.ssa.gov/applyfordisability. B. Click Apply for Disability at the bottom of the page. C. Click Start a New Application. 79 D. Choose, “I am helping someone who is not with me.” E. Continue filling applicable fields until a Reentry Number is generated. a. This should only be about 5 “continues” into the process. F. Print this page G. Copy it and create a memo in the client’s portal 6. Find the client ID number, 55 Days out, and Add Two Memos A. From the Specialist Portal search for the client using the Find a Client tool – Highlight the client ID and click Ctrl + C to copy the number. B. Click the client name to open client account. C. In Add Memo box, click Ctrl + V to paste client ID. D. Click Create Memo Item. E. Type the Reentry Number into the Add Memo box. F. Click Create Memo Item. G. Google 55 days away from the day you received the reentry number. This is the last date to email the completed application for data entry. 7. Submit Applications for Other Income Support Programs A. Go to TBB SSI/SSDI - ssi.thebenefitbank.org. B. Open the Client Portal Page for the client you are serving. C. Click Ohio Common Application for Benefits or Ohio HEAP Application to apply for these programs. D. If completing the Ohio Common Application for Benefits turn electronic submission ON by switching the ESUB button to YES. 8. Complete the Ohio SSI/SSDI Application IMPORTANT: This section may take several appointments to complete, so plan accordingly. A. From the client portal page of TBB SSI/SSDI - ssi.thebenefitbank.org - click Ohio SSI/SSDI Application. B. Complete the following sections: Client Background, Medical-General, MedicalPhysical, Medical-Mental, and Daily Living Activities. 9. Print Applications, Review Information, Obtain Signatures A. In the Forms for SSA section of the application, carefully read and follow on screen instructions to enter impairments that limit your client’s ability to work and final remarks. B. Press Save & Continue. C. Enter final remarks when applicable. D. Press Save & Continue. E. Open and review each application. F. Print two copies of the SSA-16 and SSA-8000. G. Print one copy of the other TBB generated forms including SSA-3369, 3368, 3373, and any other forms. 80 H. Client signs and dates one copy of the SSA-16 and SSA-8000. I. Specialist puts signed SSA-16 and SSA-8000 in the submission file and all unsigned forms are filed in the client’s records. 10. Use the template submission email (from the support site) to submit for data entry A. Use the template to send an email to [email protected] and [email protected] – Go to the OBB Access SSI/SSDI support site, http://ssi.ohiobenefits.org. B. Click documents. C. Click template submission email. D. Complete each field. E. You will receive a data entry receipt when your client’s application has been completed (generally within one business day), but you may proceed immediately to step 11. 11. Submit Applications and Forms to local SSA field office A. B. C. D. E. F. G. H. I. J. K. Go to the counselor support website - support.ohiobenefits.org. Click Access SSI/SSDI. Click Documents. Download Application Cover Sheet. Retrieve forms SSA-1696 and SSA-827 from the hard-copy client file (completed earlier in the process). Retrieve signed SSA-16 and SSA-8000. Check the box next to each form number on the Application Cover Sheet as the packet is assembled. In the Submission Date box put today’s date. Type the Reentry Number in the box provided (stored as a memo on the Client Portal Page, see step 5). Complete the form with your client’s name and your contact information. After you receive confirmation from step 10, mail or hand-deliver the completed application packet to the appropriate local SSA field office 12. Maintain communication with SSA, DDS, and your client Your responsibilities as Authorized Representative may include: Helping your client stay informed throughout the process Gathering medical evidence Gathering supporting evidence from non-medical sources Submitting verifications to SSA 81 82 Submitting verifications to DDS Helping clients keep scheduled appointments Providing other assistance as necessary
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