HUD HCV Guidebook § 9.3

PHAs must55 accept any of the following as acceptable evidence of a family member’s or household member’s
SSN:
    • An original SSN card;
    • An original document issued by the SSA that shows the person’s name and SSN (SSA award letter,
        Medicare card, etc.); or
    • An original document issued by a federal, state, or local government agency that contains the name
        and SSN of the individual (unemployment insurance printout, welfare or Medicaid documents, etc.).
A PHA must56 only reject these documents if they are not original, they appear to be forged, or if the original
document is altered, mutilated or not legible. In this case, the PHA must explain to the family why the
document is not acceptable and must request that the family provide alternative documentation. A PHA must
not require only an original SSN card as acceptable documentation.
PHAs submit the SSN for each household member to HUD through the IMS/PIC system. PHAs must validate
the SSNs through EIV, which will generate an error message when any SSN does not match the SSA’s
database.
Once the individual’s identity verification status is classified as Verified, the PHA may, at its discretion, remove
and destroy the copy of the documentation of SSN. Paper documentation must be destroyed by either
shredding or burning. Electronic documentation must be destroyed by erasing or permanently deleting the file.
Additional guidance related to destruction of records is available in HUD Handbook 2400.25, Rev. 4: HUD
Information Technology Security Policy, dated August 2014.
For a participant family, the penalty for failure to disclose and document SSNs as required is termination of
assistance. See the Terminations chapter for information on terminations.