V. Financial procedures
09/18/2019
The special cash pay
system is used to issue benefits for special needs not included as standard for
each program.
Case
workers may request payment for one-time special needs by completing an MSC 437, Authorization
of Cash Payment form.
Payments are issued
from Salem on the night of terminal entry via the batch process and mailed out
the next day.
1.
Requesting, authorizing, and issuing a payment
Three
different staff persons request, authorize, and issue special cash payments to
ensure proper separation of duties.
A
manager or designee must sign the documents authorizing payments. APD payments
are issued by a terminal entry using SPL1.
·
Staff
requesting a special cash payment must complete the payment request document MSC 437, Authorization
of Cash Payment;
·
Staff
authorizing payments must have delegated signature authority, per a current MSC 286, Delegated Signature Authorization;
o
Note: A special cash
payment should not be issued without a completed payment document or if one or
both signatures are missing;
·
Staff
issuing payments must be designated by a DHS 784, APD Individual User Profile to allow the necessary
access to issue payments through the special cash pay system;
o
Note: Staff given authority
to issue special cash payments, cannot have PSET capability.
For
instructions for creating an SPL record, please see Financial FAQs and Field Guide.
Only
authorized branch staff may enter information into the special cash pay system
to authorize issuance of a check.
SPL
draws case name and address information from the CM (Mainframe) record. During
the overnight batch processing, an SPL check is issued and information about
the payment is sent to the MCR1 file. The SPL record deletes automatically after
the check is issued.
·
A
full list of special cash pays reason codes are located in the Financial FAQs and Field Guide.
·
For
information about special needs types and eligibility, please see the OSIP
program manual, section H. Special Needs.
3. Computer entry for
SPL1 payments
If the consumer does
not have an emergency and staff are mailing a check, the check must be issued
through a terminal entry using SPL1; local office generated checks may be
issued only for emergencies.
·
Note: To convert SNAP
benefits to cash, a revolving fund check may be issued and mailed. See SNAP. H.2: SNAP Cash-out Project for SSI or seniors
To enter
an SPL payment: On a blank screen, type SPL1;
press <enter> and follow the directions listed in DHS Computer Guide
VII.3.4. Making an SPL payment
Record successfully added should appear on the
screen when the action is completed; if not, an error message will display.
·
Note: If sending a
payment to an address other than the consumer’s, the following error message
will display: Changes
can be made now.
Changes, corrections,
and deletions are possible on the same day following successful addition of the
record repeating the above process
On the MSC 437,
Authorization of Cash Payment, add the date the check was entered and your
initials. Make a copy of MSC 437 to keep with the local office financial
transactions and return original to the worker.
Retain copies of the MSC 437 for no less than six (6) years. Match copies
with the report WSP0015X-A – Input to
Check Processing on View Direct.
·
Note: Copies and the
printouts are retained for six (6) years.
·
Note: There is no daily security code needed for
SPL5. Only staff with access to the Special Pay screens can access SPL5.
To issue checks
through SPL5:
1. Log on to the
mainframe;
2. On a blank screen,
type SPL5 and press <enter>;
3. Enter a load sheet
value and press <enter>;
4. After pressing
<enter>, the required fields for the load sheet type will become
available.
Complete the
following the fields on SPL5:
·
Check Issue date: Six (6) digit date of the revolving fund
check: mm/dd/yy.
·
Check Amount: The amount format is 999.99.
·
Check Number: Enter the eight (8) digit revolving fund
check number; must begin with 9.
·
Program: Enter the CMS program code. For a
single-digit program code enter <space> before the digit. For example: Enter
program 2 <space>2.
·
Case Number: If required, enter the CMS case number for
the load sheet type; do not enter the self-check digit.
·
Payee Name: If the check is to a third party on behalf
of a consumer, enter the actual payee name.
o
For
example, if the check is to PGE on behalf of Jane Smith enter PGE as the payee name;
o
Do
not use numbers or special characters such as commas, slashes, number sign, or
other non-alpha-numeric characters;
o
The
first three characters cannot be blank: for example, enter Bi Mart as BIMART.
·
Pay Reason: The Help
Window lists all valid pay reasons.
·
Worker ID Issuing Branch
·
Social Sec: Enter the consumer’s SSN without dashes.