MEMO

From: Social Security Administration
To: Regional Commissioners
Date: 7/7/00 3:18PM
Subject: Use of "The Work Number" to Verify Wages INFORMATION

Many of you have requested guidance about the acceptability of wage verification provided by The Work Number. After reviewing our policies and the practices of The Work Number, we have determined that wage verification provided by The Work Number is acceptable secondary evidence of wages for use in determining SSI eligibility and payment amount. It may also be acceptable evidence of wages for substantial gainful activity (SGA) determinations as long as the verification provides sufficient detail.

What Is The Work Number?
The Work Number is a company that contracts with employers to provide wage and employment verification for them. The service was initially envisioned as being provided to lenders, credit agencies and other commercial entities who paid a fee for using the wage/employment verification. To meet those needs, the data provided is limited to hours worked and gross wages for the 12 most recent pay periods, and total wages for the past 2 years.

The Work Number has recently expanded to provide wage verification to public assistance agencies at no cost to such agencies. That no cost service will provide SSA with an avenue for wage verification for employers that have contracted with the Work Number and have not been providing wage verification directly to us.

What Must Field Offices Do To Use The Work Number?
Field office management must complete an agreement with The Work Number to obtain their services. The agreement form and instructions for completing the form are available on The Work Number's web site, www.theworknumber.com. The agreement registers the FO for The Work Number's services and assigns the office's identifier (which will be the fax number where the office will receive the verification). The FO will receive instructions for using The Work Number once they have registered.

How May Field Offices Use Verification Obtained From The Work Number?
Verification from The Work Number should be a secondary source of wage verification for SSI purposes. Pay stubs provided by the worker are the preferred method of verification (SI 00830.130A.1.). If pay stubs are not available, the FO should first attempt contact with the employer to obtain the verification. If the employer directs the FO to The Work Number, obtain verification from The Work Number. Subsequent contacts for wage verification from that employer can be made directly to The Work Number. The initial response to the FO attempt to obtain verification sets a precedent for contact with that employer.

Verification of wages from The Work Number is an acceptable secondary source of wage verification for SGA purposes as long as the verification provides enough detail to make an SGA determination.

If you have any questions about or recommendations for other uses of The Work Number, please let us know. Staff should direct questions to Office of Program Benefits.

Fritz Streckewald
Marsha Rydstrom
Office of Program Benefits
Office of Public Service and Operations Support