TO:	Upstate Commissioners, TA Directors, Staff Development Coordinators, TOP Coordinators
           CAP Coordinators

FROM: Russell Sykes, Deputy Commissioner, Division of Employment & Transitional Supports 

SUBJECT:	 Delayed Delivery of Interim Assistance Reimbursement (IAR) Checks

EFFECTIVE DATE:  Immediately

CONTACT PERSON:  Temporary Assistance Bureau @1-800-433-8859, extension 4-9344

The Social Security Administration (SSA) has notified the Division of Employment & Transitional Supports that a change in the SSA’s computer system has caused the Department of the Treasury to format and print incorrect addresses on Supplemental Security Income (SSI) checks. The printing of the incorrect address on the SSI check may result in mail delivery problems for the initial direct SSI payments distributed by the SSA to the local district as Interim Assistance Reimbursement (IAR).

Once the SSA determines an Interim Assistance (IA) recipient is eligible for SSI, the initial direct  SSI check is forwarded to the local district as IAR. The SSA sends an award letter to the recipient notifying them that their initial SSI check has been forwarded to the district as IAR .  The address formatting/printing problem may result in the SSA checks that are meant to be mailed to the district, to be returned to the Treasury Department due to an incorrect/unknown address.

If an IA recipient contacts the local district to question why they haven’t received the balance of their initial direct SSI check after IAR has been deducted, and if the district determines the IAR has not been received, the local district will inform the recipient their check may be delayed because it was returned to the Treasury Department for an incorrect address.

Local districts should also note the actual date the SSI check was received from the Department of the Treasury to ensure they are not held accountable for any delays in meeting the required deadlines.

The Social Security Administration is expecting to have this problem resolved by April 2, 2006.