The application starts with questions to capture information about the individuals in the household. This includes basic identifying information about the individual that is required for eligibility determination, normally referred to as non-financial information. The requested information varies based on whether the individual is applying for assistance or not. For example, citizenship status is required to be recorded only for applicants, this question is not asked of non-applicants.
Information that is entered in the application can be verified electronically, through external systems via the federal hub. There are two levels of verification - the first level is the identity proofing of the application filer, through the Remote Identity Proofing (RIDP) process which is used to verify that the application filer is who he says he is. In this process, the application filer's identifying information such as Name and Date of Birth are sent to an external service that generates and sends back a set of questions for the application filer to answer. These questions are called as Precise Identity Questions, which are based on the personal information of the application filer, such as the last four digits of the SSN or Bank Account Number. The application filer's responses are then evaluated by the external service, and a decision returned. If the application filer's identify proofing is successful, then he can continue to complete the application. In case the identity proofing fails, the application filer is directed to get in touch with the external service for follow-up. When resuming the application process, the system validates that the application filer has successfully completed identity verification with the external service. The second level of verification is on the information provided in the application that is used to determine the household eligibility. This electronic verification processing is conditional upon the individual having earlier consented to having their information used in this manner. If consent is given, the system can use verification services by passing personal identifying information like the citizen's social security number to look up other systems and verify their identity, citizenship and other relevant details. The social security number (SSN) for the primary applicant is verified early in the application process, just after the basic identifying information is recorded. This is because a valid SSN is a prerequisite for later services such as verification of annual tax return income.
In general, the personal information entered is used to verify financial and non-financial information that the client attests to. Any client attested information that matches information retrieved from other systems is considered e-verified as it will have been provided to Cúram via the federal verification hub.
This system of e-verification provides flexibility for states with a 'reasonable compatibility' requirement between information recorded on the application and information retrieved from the federal hub. States can define what they consider to be reasonably compatible for the purposes of verification. Information can be accepted as verified even if not an exact match. E-verification and reasonable compatibility introduce the possibility of real-time determinations, meaning a reduced workload for caseworkers as they have no need to follow up with clients for outstanding verifications. This is also beneficial for the applicant as it provides them with a quicker decision.