Q&A – Determining Social Security Income

Question:  Is there such a thing as using information from both EIV and the SS award letter?  I have a tenant who started getting benefits in April 2012 that show in EIV, but EIV does not show any info on Medicare deductions. It says “EIV received no benefit data.”  But her SS award letter does show a Medicare deduction of $99.90. Would it be wrong to use the SS benefit amount on the EIV report and then use the Medicare amount that’s on the SS award letter? Or should I use the SS award letter’s info only? What if the EIV income report for her never shows the Medicare info; will I have to keep using the award letter thereafter?  ~Marilyn in NY

Answer:  HUD says that the Social Security income amount shown on the EIV Income Report must be used unless the tenant disputes it or it’s incomplete.  Your question relates to a medical expense amount, rather than income.  You’re pinpointed one of the times that the SS Award Letter should be in the tenant file, because it’s being used for purposes other than income verification.  In this case, the Award Letter is being used for expense verification.  We recommend that, in this case, you circle the Medicare data and note, clearly, that the Award Letter is being used “for Expense Verification ONLY”.