C-820, Data Broker

Revision 23-4; Effective Oct. 1, 2023

All Programs

HHSC contracts with a Data Broker vendor to provide financial and other background information about SNAP, TANF and Medical Program applicants and recipients. The vendor collects and combines information from several data sources into one report. This report is called a Data Broker Combined Report and includes information such as residential address, people living at that address, vehicle ownership, employment, income verification and other information. Within each Data Broker Combined Report, there is an option to request a credit report on the person for whom the Data Broker report was requested.

TIERS requests the Data Broker Combined Report in the Individual Household logical unit of work (LUW) in any mode, other than Ongoing. The Data Broker Combined Report and individual data searches are accessible using the Data Broker Portal.

Follow questionable information policy to resolve discrepancies between Data Broker information and information the applicant or recipient provides. To clear discrepant information:

• contact the household and allow the person to explain the discrepancy; or
• send the household Form H1020, Request for Information or Action, asking for information or verification to resolve the discrepancy.

Federal law limits the use of credit reports to permissible purposes.

Note: Do not request a credit report before the initial interview. If applicable, the request must be made during the interview.

Use the charts below to determine when to request a Data Broker Combined Report, with or without credit information:

Notes:

• Data Broker Combined Reports with or without credit reports are not required for households that apply for or receive SNAP-CAP. If needed, staff may request either a Data Broker Combined Report for verification or a Combined Report with a credit report to resolve discrepancies in reported information, such as negative management.
• For independent children or child-only EDGs, request a Data Broker report on the child only if staff believe there are unreported assets as applicable by program, income or other information that would affect the child's eligibility.

For reported changes, use the interactive search feature in the Data Broker Portal to request a specific type of report based on the reported change. Use the Data Broker Portal to access the following acceptable verification sources:

• Department of Public Safety (DPS);
• United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS);
• Texas Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV);
• OAG
• TWC;
• Texas Lottery Winnings;
• Federal Data Services Hub (FDSH) The Work Number (TWN) data;
• Department of State Health Services (DSHS);
• SNAP Electronic Disqualified Recipient System (eDRS);
• Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT); and
• Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ).

These verification sources provide information on:

• people search information such as name, address, driver license or ID and neighbors;
• alien verification;
• vehicle search including name, address, license plate, vehicle identification number and vehicle valuation;
• income search including new hire, quarterly wages and unemployment insurance benefits, child support and Texas lottery winnings;
• earned income and employment information TWN data; 
• marriage and divorce;
• SNAP disqualifications;
• out of state shopping via EBT card transactions for SNAP, TANF or both; and
• Texas criminal history.

Review the Data Broker reports to accurately determine eligibility and clear any found discrepancies. Failure to review the report may result in eligibility errors that can lead to quality control errors.

Related Policy

Permissible Purpose, C-824
Questionable Information, C-920

C—821 Access Permission

Revision 19-4; Effective October 1, 2019

All Programs

New Users — Through the HHS Enterprise Portal, supervisors or managers complete and submit Form 4743, Request for Applications and System Access, for each employee who needs access to the Data Broker system. Managers obtain a signed Data Broker Security Agreement, TWC Security Agreement, and OAG Security Agreement form for each employee who needs access. In the comment field of Form 4743, the supervisor or manager notes the dates each of the three Security Agreements were signed. Once added to the system, staff receives an email with a temporary password link and further instructions. The Data Broker temporary password link expires within 48 hours from receipt of provisioning email. If the temporary password link expires before staff creates an initial password, staff can request a new temporary password link by selecting the “Forgot Password” link in the Data Broker Portal login screen.

Note: New staff must access the Data Broker system within 45 days of the Data Broker account creation or the system automatically deactivates the account.

Inactive Users — All provisioned staff must access the Data Broker system via the Data Broker Portal or through TIERS at least every 90 days, or the system deactivates access. Once the system has deactivated access, staff must submit a new Data Broker request through the HHS Enterprise Portal. Once staff has been reactivated, they must again complete the required User Access and Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) trainings to use the Data Broker system.

C—822 Data Broker Passwords

Revision 19-4; Effective October 1, 2019

All Programs

Users are directed to the User Options page to create a unique password. Staff can change their password at any time by clicking on the “User Options” field located on the left navigation section in the Data Broker Portal. Staff are required to enter their current password, new password, and confirmation of their new password.

Staff who have forgotten their password can use the “Forgot your Password?” link located on the sign-in page of the Data Broker Portal. A temporary password link is emailed to the address associated with the staff’s account.

C—823 Login Procedures - Data Broker Portal System

Revision 19-4; Effective October 1, 2019

All Programs

This is where you can access the stand-alone Data Broker Portal system. To log on, the staff must enter their User ID which is their 11-digit employee identification number, and a unique password and then click “Login.”

Staff must complete the following steps before gaining access to the Data Broker System:

• create a new password for the Data Broker system;
• log in to the Data Broker system; and
• complete the User Access and Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) trainings.

Notes: The User Access and FCRA trainings are located within the Learning Management System. Staff are directed to these trainings when they login for the first time.

Once the required trainings are completed and staff logs into the Data Broker system, they must read the information and click "I understand the above and agree" to acknowledge that they understand the Data Broker information can only be used for business purposes and is confidential.

Staff must also read the agreement and click "I understand the above and agree" in the “Authorization for Access to Request Credit Report” to acknowledge that they have been adequately trained on the FCRA and agree to only request a credit report when permissible purpose exists.

If staff clicks "I disagree" to either screen, they will not gain access to the Data Broker system or credit reports.

C—823.1 Frequently Asked Questions and Data Broker User Guide

Revision 19-4; Effective October 1, 2019

The Data Broker Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) and the Data Broker User Guide are located under the “Training” section on the left navigation menu within the Data Broker Portal. These documents provide answers to frequently asked questions about Data Broker. The documents include instructions and sample screens to assist staff with understanding the different types of reports available in the Data Broker system.

The FAQs and Data Broker User Guide can be found in the Data Broker Portal.

C—824 Permissible Purpose

Revision 19-4; Effective October 1, 2019

All Programs

The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) covers access to and use of credit reports. The FCRA permits staff to request credit information for persons to determine eligibility.  Staff may not request credit information for purposes other than to determine eligibility. The FCRA requires permissible purpose before staff can legally request a credit report.

Permissible purpose means the person whose credit report is requested must be:

• an applicant or a certified TANF, SNAP or Medical Program household member (or a member who would be certified but is disqualified); or
• a Medical Program MAGI household member.

Note: Do not request a credit report:

• on a payee EDG unless the responsible relative is the child's parent; or
• using an invalid Social Security number.

The FCRA makes a clear distinction between requesting credit reports and other types of inquiries made through Data Broker. Under legal statutes, staff may request identifying information such as address, employment and vehicle registration on any person.

Permissible purpose is not required when requesting non-credit identifying information. For example, if staff suspect an absent parent is in the home, staff do not have permissible purpose to request a credit report on the absent parent. However, it is appropriate to request identifying information available through the Data Broker system.

Note: Those who request information without permissible purpose are in violation of federal law and are subject to fines.

C—825 Data Broker Combined Report Sources

Revision 19-4; Effective October 1, 2019

All Programs

This section describes the various data sources in the Data Broker Combined Report that are not subjected to permissible purpose requirements noted in C-824, Permissible Purpose.

C—825.1 Driver License Information

Revision 19-4; Effective October 1, 2019

All Programs

Data Broker matches information from the Combined Report Search screen against the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) data. When a match is found, DPS data is pulled into the report. Information in this report may identify discrepancies in the identity and residence address of the person. This report includes a person’s sex, race, height, hair color, eye color, name, date of birth, address, and any previous names or addresses. Because DPS re-issues driver’s licenses and ID numbers approximately two years after the driver license and ID number expires, previous names and addresses associated with that number are listed in this section when applicable.

The Validated field displays the date DPS last updated the driver’s license or ID information.

Note: DPS updates information on this report only when the person with a Texas driver license (TDL) or DPS ID provides updated information to DPS.

C—825.2 Persons at Entered Address

Revision 19-4; Effective October 1, 2019

All Programs

Data Broker searches the DPS database and pulls records for all persons listed at the address entered on the Combined Report Search screen. The information pulled includes each person's name, address, and date of birth (DOB). Previous residents may appear if they have not changed their address with DPS.

Information on this report is useful in providing case clues about household composition and exploring parental absence for deprivation.

C—825.3 Neighborhood People Search

Revision 19-4; Effective October 1, 2019

All Programs

This report lists residents located in the 20 addresses nearest the address entered on the Combined Report Search screen. This information may be useful as a case clue for locating absent parents or other case-related activities.

Data Broker pulls this information from the DPS database. The information is only as current as DPS's most recent update. Some persons may have both a Texas ID and a Texas Driver’s License (TDL). These persons appear on the report for each Texas ID and TDL.

Note: Staff may contact a neighbor on the Data Broker report only when:

• the person has allowed staff to do so; or
• information is received from another source that contradicts the person's statement(s).

See C-920 Questionable Information, and C-930 Providing Verification, for information regarding contacting a collateral source not allowed by the person.

C—825.4 Out-of-State Shopping (OSS) Report

Revision 19-4; Effective October 1, 2019

TANF and SNAP

The Out-of-State Shopping (OSS) Report lists households receiving SNAP or TANF benefits in Texas that:

• shopped out of state in the last 60 days;
• did not shop in Texas within a 60-day period; and
• have active EDGs.

The OSS Report is included on the Data Broker Combined Report and is considered a case clue that Texas residency may be questionable. Address OSS information at renewal, reapplications and at a change.

Related Policy

Advisor Action on OSS Report Activity, B-353.1
Out-of-State Shopping (OSS) Reports, B-353
Verification Requirements, A-760
Verification Sources, A-761

C—825.4.1 Clearing Non-Border OSS Report Activity at a Complete Action

Revision 19-4; Effective October 1, 2019

TANF and SNAP

At a Change Action

Send the household Form H1020, Request for Information or Action, to request verification of the household’s address.

Exception: It is not required to clear Non-Border OSS activity when the household’s most recent OSS activity occurred in the:

• month prior to the periodic review month or the periodic review month for TANF; or
• next to the last benefit month or the last benefit month for SNAP.

At a Complete Action

The household must provide verification of their address if the:

• most recent OSS activity occurred within six months before the interview/desk review month, and
• OSS activity listed in the report was not previously cleared.

Refer to chart in B-353 Out-of-State (OSS) Reports, for appropriate action after a household has been asked to provide verification of address.

Note: Take action on any associated Medical Program EDG when clearing any OSS report activity.

Related Policy

Out-of-State Shopping (OSS) Reports, B-353
Verification Requirements, A-760
Verification Sources, A-761

C—825.4.2 Clearing Border OSS Report Activity at a Complete Action

Revision 19-4; Effective October 1, 2019

TANF and SNAP

This report must be cleared when a household submits an application or redetermination or at a change action and the OSS activity in the report makes the household’s address questionable. Clearance depends on the facts in the situation.

Example: A household living in Texas near the Arkansas border and shopping in Arkansas may not cause residency to be questionable. A household living in Austin and shopping only in Arkansas in the past 60 days could be considered questionable.

Note: Act on any associated Medical Program EDG when clearing any OSS report activity.

Related Policy

Out-of-State Shopping (OSS) Reports, B-353
Verification Requirements, A-760
Verification Sources, A-761
Questionable Information, C-920

C—825.5 Texas Vehicle

Revision 19-4; Effective October 1, 2019

TANF, SNAP, Children on TP 32, and Children on TP 56

The Data Broker searches the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles’ (DMV) database and obtains information for all vehicles listed at the address entered on the Combined Report Search screen. Information obtained includes the:

• owner of each vehicle;
• Texas vehicle license tag number;
• year, make, and model of each vehicle;
• average wholesale value of the vehicle; and
• vehicle's lien holder (when available on DMV records).

This information is useful when exploring a household's resources. The information provides case clues on vehicle ownership, value and household composition. Staff must explore and clear discrepancies.

Except for vehicle values, Data Broker receives updated information weekly from the Texas DMV database. Data Broker updates vehicle values monthly. Vehicle values are obtained through the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) book. Texas DMV updates its database when a person renews a vehicle's registration, retitles a vehicle, or reports a change of address to Texas DMV. It is possible for vehicles not owned by the household to appear on this report. This can happen when a person does not complete a title transfer or does not update an address with the Texas DMV.

Vehicles registered at an address, other than where the person lives, do not appear on this report. When a person has a vehicle not shown on the report, staff can use the owner's name, the vehicle license plate number, or the vehicle identification number (VIN) to obtain information by using the Vehicle Search option listed on the left navigation menu of the Data Broker Portal.

The value field lists the average wholesale value of the vehicle and can be used as verification to determine the countable value of the vehicle. See A-1251, Verification Sources, for other acceptable methods of verification.

C—825.6 Reserved For Future Use

Revision 19-4; Effective October 1, 2019

C—825.7 Reserved For Future Use

Revision 19-4; Effective October 1, 2019

C—825.8 Reserved For Future Use

Revision 19-4; Effective October 1, 2019

C—825.9 Texas Marriage and Divorce

Revision 19-4; Effective October 1, 2019

All Programs

This report is pulled from marriage and divorce records from the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) Texas Vital Statistics Unit. It is only available via an interactive inquiry in the Data Broker Portal. Although this report is updated annually, the marriage and divorce data is delayed by three years. The records do not contain information for the most recent three years.

The report provides the dates and names of people married and divorced in Texas. The names shown on the marriage and divorce reports are the names provided to DSHS on the marriage and divorce documents.

If a person changes their name, staff may need to search using the prior held name to find records. Information from this report is not included on the combined report.

C—825.10 Texas Criminal Convictions

Revision 20-4; Effective October 1, 2020

TANF, SNAP and One-Time TANF

The Texas Criminal Conviction report contains a list of all convictions and felony deferred adjudications that are contained in the digital criminal history system maintained by Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS).

The information included in the report depends on the authority reporting the offense and is considered a case clue only.

In most cases, the report includes the classification of the offense (felony, misdemeanor, deferred adjudication, etc.).

The report lists several pieces of identifying information including DOB, sex, race, hair and eye color, height and weight. When a criminal record is found, check each factor to ensure the person on the report is the person on the EDG.

When the report reveals information that indicates the person may have committed an offense subject to action by HHSC, explore the situation with the person. If the person acknowledges they are the person on the report, take the appropriate action.

If staff have reason to believe that the person is the person indicated on the report, but the person disagrees or disagrees with other information contained within the report (such as the type of conviction or whether it was a felony or misdemeanor):

• document the person's response in the Case Comments;
• proceed with the appropriate EDG action without acting on the criminal history report;
• contact the Office of Inspector General (OIG) by emailing OIG Benefits Program Integrity (BPI); and
• document the reason for contacting OIG in the Case Comments.

Once OIG obtains information to clear the discrepancy, the assigned OIG BPI investigator provides the information via email. Staff responsible for clearing this task must document the results of the OIG BPI's findings in Case Comments and, if appropriate, enter information in the Data Collection-Individual Demographic-Conviction/Rehabilitation page. Make an overpayment referral if appropriate.

This report is updated monthly. However, since it contains records reported to DPS by various Texas courts, the report may not be complete. When it is incomplete, staff will investigate further.

Related Policy

Who Is Not Included, A-222
Disqualified Persons, A-232.2
SNAP — Budgeting for Persons Disqualified for Intentional Program Violations, SNAP Employment Services Noncompliances, Felony Drug Convictions or Being a Fugitive, A-1362.4
Alcohol or Drugs, A-2128
When the Individual Signs Form H1073, A-2128.1
Filing an Overpayment Referral, B-770

C—825.11 Reserved for Future Use

Revision 20-4; Effective October 1, 2020

C—825.12 Employer New Hire Report (ENHR) and National Directory of New Hires (NDNH) Report

Revision 19-4; Effective October 1, 2019

All Programs

The ENHR and NDNH reports contain information used as an indicator of unreported earned income. Data Broker displays new hire data from 180 days prior to the date the report was requested up to the current date.

The ENHR contains employer information for people whose employers are based in Texas. The NDNH contains employer information from all 50 states, four territories, and all federal agencies.

These reports provide information such as hire date, employer name and address, and employee name, date of birth and address.

The ENHR and NDNH reports may list the corporate name and address instead of the local business name and address. Consider that the commonly known name of a business may be different from the corporate name.

Related Policy

Changes, B-600
Verification and Documentation, C-900
Questionable Information, C-920

C—825.13 Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) Wages/Benefits

Revision 19-4; Effective October 1, 2019

All Programs

TWC Wages/Benefits information is available through the interactive and combined Data Broker report options and includes information on wages, claimants and unemployment benefit records. Claimant and unemployment benefit payments will display only if the person has applied, is receiving or has received unemployment benefits from TWC.

The TWC information is obtained in Data Broker using one of two methods.

1. Interactive Search allows the user to search TWC information using the TWC Quarterly Wages and Unemployment Insurance Benefits (UIB) link from the left navigation bar in the Data Broker Portal. Four search criteria are identified:

• Claimant Status
• Wage Details
• Benefits
• Combined Wages, Status, Benefits Report

Individual searches can be completed using any of the first three criteria. Selecting the Combined Wages, Status, and Benefits Report search criteria will return a combined report of all three TWC inquiries.

The date filter option is available for the user to request TWC inquiries for any of the four search criteria. Date filter options include two months, four months, six months, one year, two years, three years or all available.

2. The Standard Combined Report includes the TWC information along with all other reports available. See C-825 Data Broker Combined Reports Sources, for other sources.

TWC information returned on the Standard Combined Report defaults to the last two years of data available for wage detail, claimant and benefit payments. If the user needs more than two years of data, the interactive search in the Data Broker Portal can be used.

The following codes appear within the Claimant Status Search and the Combined Wages, Status, Benefits Report:

• Clm Sta — current status of the claim
  • COMPLETE = is valid and complete
  • INCOMPLETE = is missing required information
  • VOID = is voided
  • BATCH = claimant must complete and activate the claim
• Clm Sta DT — date the claim status last changed
• Pgm — the program under which this claim is filed
  • EUC = emergency unemployment
  • EXB = extended benefits
  • REG = regular unemployment insurance
  • TRA = trade affected unemployment insurance
  • TRX = extended trade affected
  • TUC = temporary unemployment
• Clm Dt — the Sunday effective date of this claim
• Pay St — the two initials of paying state
• File Dt — the date the claimant filed his/her claim
• Last employer's name and address
• WBA — the weekly benefit amount
• MBA — the maximum benefit amount
• Balnc — the current benefits remaining
• PaiD – the total amount of benefits paid
• Pend Invstn — if TWC is investigating this claim. If yes, the person's benefits may be delayed. Y = Yes, N = No
• BWE — ending date of this benefit week (will always be a Saturday because TWC begins a new week on Sunday)
• OP — amount overpaid that week
• Status — the status code of each certification
  • AA = bad address
  • AG = agent state certification
  • AR = system error – notify te
  • CV = converted benefit week
  • DQ = disqualified
  • EE = excessive earnings
  • EH = excessive hours
  • FP = first payment
  • FR = fraud
  • FV = fraud voided by appeals
  • GM = good money/accounting
  • IC = open investigation
  • IE = ineligible
  • IN = incomplete investigation
  • IW = waiting week identified
  • NC = response not certified
  • OP = overpaid
  • OR = overpayment reversed
  • OV = overpayment voided
  • PD = processed
  • PP = pending processing
  • PR = pending employer response
  • RC = recovered
  • RP = partial recovery
  • SP = suppression period
  • VC = voided claim
  • WW = served waiting week
  • XX = forced pay
  • YY = offline pay
  • ZZ = pay old claim
• TotDist — sum of any recovered overpayments, child support payments and all other distributions for that week
• TotDedc — sum of any child support deductions and all other deductions for that week
• PmtAmt — amount of benefits issued to the claimant after any withheld for an overpayment recovery, child support or income tax. This amount may be less than the WBA.

The following codes appear within the Benefit Payments Search:

• BWE — ending date of this benefit week (will always be a Saturday because TWC begins a new week on Sunday.)
• File Date — the date the claimant filed the claim
  • V = filed by phone
  • P = filed by paper
• Week Sts — the status code of each certification
  • CV = convert benefit week
  • DQ = disqualified
  • EE = earning adjustment
  • FP = first pay
  • IC = payment flag is "NO"
  • IE = ineligible (will not receive benefits)
  • IN = investigation pending, no payment
  • IW = identified waiting week; will not be paid until claimant receives three times the weekly benefit amount
  • NC = not certified
  • PD = paid
  • PP = pending payment
  • PR = pending for employer's response
  • PROCESSED = this claim is processed
  • WW = waiting week served and paid
• Op Amt — amount of UI overpayment, if any
• Erngs — amount of wages the claimant earned during this week, if any
• Pgm — program under which this claim is filed.
  • EUC = emergency unemployment
  • EXB = extended benefits
  • REG = regular unemployment insurance
  • TRA = trade affected unemployment insurance
  • TRX = extended trade affected
  • TUC = temporary unemployment
• Ddct — sum of any child support deductions and all other deductions for that week. A deduction is a reduction in the weekly entitlement or amount benefiting the claimant. An example would be a reduction in benefit payment because the claimant receives retirement payment from a qualifying employer.
• Dist — sum of any recovered overpayments, child support payments and all other distributions for that week. A distribution is a benefit to the claimant but distributed to an entity other than the claimant. Examples of a distribution would include child support payments, IRS withholdings or overpayment absorption.
• Amt — amount of benefits issued to the claimant, after any withheld for an overpayment recovery, Child Support or income tax.
• Date — date the benefits were issued to the claimant.
• ID – warrant number of this benefit payment. Payment is made by warrant, direct deposit and debit card. The method of payment is indicated by the first character of the payment ID. Codes include:
  • B = direct deposit
  • D = debit card
  • W = TWC warrant

If no information is available for a person, a message with "No records found" displays.

C—825.13.1 TWC Error Messages

Revision 19-4; Effective October 1, 2019

All Programs

An error message may appear when a request is made and the TWC database is unavailable.

When a TWC inquiry is requested and an error is returned, the Table of Contents of the Data Broker Combined Report will display the following message next to the TWC header:

“Request timed out. Please click here to retry again.”

By clicking on this link, staff can re-request the report without re-entering the person’s information. Staff should continue to retry until the information becomes available.

C—825.14 Office of the Attorney General (OAG) Child Support

Revision 19-4; Effective October 1, 2019

All Programs

This report contains child support data from the OAG's database. Data Broker searches the OAG database and pulls records for the person entered on the Combined Report Search screen and displays all people receiving and paying support payments associated with that person.

The OAG information available through Data Broker allows staff to obtain child support income that may not be listed on Form H1010, Texas Works Application For Assistance – Your Texas Benefits, or otherwise reported, reducing the risk of fraud and quality control payment errors. Additionally, Data Broker offers household composition case clues by listing an address for each member, if available, on the combined report associated to a particular OAG case.

This report is also available via an interactive inquiry in the Data Broker Search Options menu to conduct a member or financial search.

• A member search is used when the case name or adult household member's Social Security Number (SSN) is not available.
• A financial search can be done for specific financial information for a period not found on the Combined Report Search.

Note: The Texas Child Support Enforcement System (TXCSES) web-based system is available for limited use, if needed, to obtain information not found within the Data Broker system.

Related Policy

Accessing Texas Child Support Enforcement System (TXCSES), C-832.1

C—825.14.1 OAG Child Support Data

Revision 19-4; Effective October 1, 2019

All Programs

Child support data may be provided in some or all of the six fields below for each report:

• Collections – current child support, medical support, dental support, spousal support, and arrears from the person for whom the Data Broker inquiry was requested.
• Disbursements – current child support, medical support, dental support, spousal support, and arrears to the person for whom the Data Broker inquiry was requested.
• Obligated Support – reported for both collections and disbursements.
• Member Details – includes all members associated with the child support case.
• Unknown Payments – payments made to a person when the type of payment is unknown.  When unknown payments exist, explore the payment type with the person.
• Family Violence Indicator – the child support record in Data Broker will have a family violence indicator when family violence is indicated by OAG.

Note: If staff discover payments or the person states they have received payments not listed in Data Broker, access the Texas Child Support Enforcement System (TXCSES) to verify these payments and obligations. If the necessary information is not available in TXCSES, pend for verification.

Case is a 'registry-only' case, which means that not all obligations nor dependents may be listed.

The Data Broker OAG screens contain a detailed breakdown of the following information:

• The reports are member-oriented instead of case-oriented. The report contains details from all child support cases associated with the person (member), including both collections and disbursements. If the person receives disbursements from multiple absent parents (AP), the payments from each AP are displayed separately within each report.
• The report displays collections and disbursements. Payments from all child support cases associated with a particular person will be displayed in the report.
• Support order obligations are sorted per dependent. Legal obligations typically reflect a monthly amount. The Obligated Support section is displayed to inform staff of the legally obligated amount.
  
  The Per Period Amount column under the Obligated Support section displays the total obligated amount for all children of an absent parent. The Per Child Amount displays each child's portion of legally obligated support. If there is only one child, then the amounts in the Per Child Amount and Per Period Amount columns will be the same. If there are more children, the sum of all the Per Child Amounts will be reflected in the Per Period Amount column.
  
  The Duration column displays the period for which the legal obligation applies. The child support order establishes the begin date and end date of the legal obligation. Orders normally end once the child turns 18 or graduates from high school, if later, although obligations may continue past this date due to a child's disability. When the obligation includes more than one child of a different age and the obligation ends for a child, a new duration period will be reflected in the duration field. If at any time the AP becomes delinquent in payments, child support and medical arrears can be ordered in addition to the amount the AP is originally ordered to pay, and this may prolong the AP's obligation duration period.

Note: Payments (collections and disbursements) are sorted by support type (e.g., child support vs. medical support).

• Disbursement Payments are sorted by dependent. The Data Broker child support function automatically calculates and sorts the payment information for each dependent on the case when a single payment is made for more than one dependent.
  
  The Per Child Amount column displays the amount to be entered into TIERS for each dependent listed in the Dependents column. Data Broker reports payments disbursed for a child under the dependent's name even if the child is not in the household. If a caretaker receives current child support for a nonmember (or a member who is no longer in the home) but uses the money for personal or household needs, count it as unearned income as required by policy in A-1326.2, Child Support. Staff must not count the amount used for or provided to the nonmember for whom it is intended to cover. Verify what the person is doing with the payments and what amount must be counted.

Note: Legal obligations are typically established as a monthly obligation. Wages are typically garnished based on the pay frequency of the AP's job. Therefore, the amounts shown on the screens for collections and disbursements reflect the frequency for which the OAG receives the payments, which is usually other than monthly.

For additional policy information on child support payments and how they are allocated for members and non-members, refer to A-1326.2, Child Support.

• Disbursement Received dates are calculated by Data Broker and displayed in the report. Data Broker automatically applies the policy in A-1326.2.1, Counting Child Support, to estimate the date a child support payment is received by adding five days from the date a warrant was mailed or by adding two business days from the date an electronic transfer was initiated, excluding weekends and bank holidays. Therefore, when using Data Broker to verify child support, use the Receive Date as the estimated date the person receives a child support payment disbursed by the OAG.
• Only payments disbursed to the person will be displayed to assist in reduction of calculation and payment errors. All collections will be displayed in the Collections screen. Because all collections are potentially a deductible expense, only payments that were disbursed to the person will be displayed in the Disbursements screen to help reduce errors (e.g., payments given to HHSC as repayment services will not be displayed). If the OAG disbursed additional payments to an entity other than the person, disbursement information will be listed in the additional payments section of the report and will include the name of the entity that received the payment. This is displayed for informational purposes.

Note: If a person reports receiving child support via the Texas OAG and those payments are not being reflected on the Data Broker Portal, check the TXCSES Web portal to verify the payment(s). Infrequently, staff may also be unable to verify using the TXCSES Web portal. In this situation, pend the case for proof of the child support payment.

Example: A person is receiving child support payments for a dependent from an out-of-state order and the Texas OAG does not yet have the child support order but is receiving payments on behalf of the person.

• Arrears payments are separated in the report to help ensure staff count them properly. Enter arrears payments as income for the person to whom the payments are disbursed, not for the dependent.
• Member addresses are displayed as a case clue to determine household composition and to aid in determining if an absent parent has moved back into the same home as the custodial party. The Member Details section will display all members associated with the person for whom the report was requested. The report will display the person and all members associated with that OAG case.

Note: If an absent parent is making child support payments but moves back into the home of the caretaker and child, do not count the child support as income nor allow the child support as a deduction.

Related Policy

Child Support, A-1326.2
Medical Support Payments, A-1326.2.3
Reimbursements, A-1332
Child Support Deductions, A-1421

C—825.14.2 OAG Error Messages

Revision 19-4; Effective October 1, 2019

All Programs

Error messages may appear when a request is made and the OAG database information is unavailable. When the OAG information is requested and unavailable, a feature in the table of contents of the Standard Combined Report will display the following message:

“Request timed out. Please click here to retry again.”

By clicking on this link, staff can re-request the report without reentering all the person's information. Staff should continue to retry until the information becomes available.

C—825.15 SNAP Out-of-State IPV Disqualifications

Revision 19-4; Effective October 1, 2019

SNAP

This report lists Intentional Program Violation (IPV) disqualification information from other states applicable to the person for whom the report was requested. Follow policy in B-941, Disqualifying a Household Member with a Current SNAP Out-of-State IPV Disqualification, when this is reported.

C—825.16 Alien Status/Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE)

Revision 19-4; Effective October 1, 2019

All Programs

Data Broker provides a verification of alien status using SAVE.

Staff verify the immigration status of each non-citizen applying for benefits by accessing the:

• Data Broker Combined Report in TIERS; or
• Data Broker Portal.

When using TIERS, staff select Individual ID in the Individual Information LUW (only for people 16 years old or older), an Alien Status option appears at the top of the Data Broker Combined Report page with options:

• Alien Status — Sends a Request for Initial Verification to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
  • By clicking on the Alien Status option, the last name, first name and birthdate fields are prepopulated based on the information in TIERS Data Collection.
  • Enter the alien registration number per the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) document.
• Case History — Displays prior SAVE inquiry responses.

When using Data Broker Portal (All people including children under age 16 years old):

• Alien Status — Sends a Request for Initial Verification to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
  • By clicking on the SAVE option, staff will be required to enter the last name, first name and birthdate fields are prepopulated based on the information.
  • Enter the alien registration number per the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) document.
• Case History — Displays prior SAVE inquiry responses.

By clicking on the Verification SAVE Status option, the last name, first name and birthdate fields are prepopulated based on the information in TIERS Data Collection. Enter the alien registration number per the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) document. Staff should only access Data Broker reports for people 16 and older. Staff must continue to use the stand-alone SAVE Web-based system for people younger than 16.

Related Policy

Verifying Alien’s USCIS Documents, A-355
Providing Verification of the Alien's Sponsor Income and Resources, A-316.1

C—825.16.1 Alien Status Historical Data

Revision 19-4; Effective October 1, 2019

All Programs

This feature searches alien status history for up to the last six months to determine if a previously submitted inquiry, with a valid document, is available.  A new alien status inquiry will not display if any inquiry with a valid unexpired document has been completed within the last six months. A message will display along with the historical record when this occurs.

If the document on file is expired, a request to perform a new initial verification automatically occurs.

C—825.16.2 Alien Status Initial Verification

Revision 19-4; Effective October 1, 2019

All Programs

Choose the noncitizen’s document type from a drop-down menu. The Document Type drop-down menu lists the most common types of documents used to verify alien status. If the document type is not listed, choose “Other.” Depending on the type of document, staff must complete certain fields before submitting the request.

The card number from the I-551, Permanent Resident Card, that must be entered in SAVE is 13 alphanumeric digits and begins with three letters. I-551s issued between May 2004 and May 2010 have the card number on the front, and I-551s issued beginning in May 2010 have the card number on the back.

Note: To verify whether SAVE was completed, staff should use Data Broker Case History in the Data Broker Portal.

C—825.17 Inmate or Parolee Match

Revision 23-1; Effective Jan. 1, 2023

All Programs

The Inmate or Parolee Match displays prisoner information for people who are incarcerated.

The following identifying information is displayed, if applicable, for the incarcerated person:

• name;
• SSN;
• DOB;
• last known address;
• incarceration sentence date (first day of incarceration);
• earliest release date;
• prison unit;
• offense; and
• date of offense.

Prisoner match information displayed on the Data Broker Combined Report is considered a case clue, and must be addressed with the household before denying, reducing or terminating benefits. For applications, redeterminations and changes, attempt to contact the household by phone to inquire about the information found in the Data Broker Combined Report.

If the household agrees that the person is incarcerated or the person is not living with the household, remove the person from the case and retest eligibility.

Send Form H1020, Request for Information or Action, to request verification of household composition if:

• the household disagrees with the inmate or parolee match and states that the person lives in the home; or
• phone contact cannot be made.

If the household does not respond to the Form H1020 and the household is a:

• SNAP streamlined reporting (SR) household, remove the incarcerated person from the household.
• SNAP non-SR, TANF, or Medicaid household, deny the household for failure to provide.

Document the following information in case comments:

• the household’s response about if they agreed or disagreed with the incarceration information in Data Broker;
• when a household member is excluded because of incarceration information in Data Broker;
• any attempts made to verify and explain how questionable information was cleared; and
• when a fraud referral is sent to OIG.

Related Policy

Verification Sources, A-251
Streamlined Reporting Households, A-2350
When to File an Overpayment Referral, B-720
Questionable Information, C-920
Documentation, C-940

C—825.18 Texas Lottery Commission

Revision 21-1; Effective January 1, 2021

All Programs

This report contains Texas Lottery Commission verification of winnings and is displayed on the data broker combined report.  The report contains the following information:

• winner’s full name, date of birth and Social Security number;
• paid date;
• gross, net and taxes withheld amounts;
• check ID, claim number and date claim created;
• debt offset (is the same as recoupment):
  • reason for the offset;
  • the agency name the offset is for;
  • withholding amount;
  • withholding number;
  • withholding sequence number; and
  • check ID and agency ID; and
• void date.
  • Only provided if the Texas Lottery Commission voids a check.
  • The winnings must not be counted as income.

Related Policy

Texas Lottery Commission, A-1326.28

C—826 Entry Instructions

Revision 12-4; Effective October 1, 2012

C—826.1 Requesting Data Broker Reports in the Stand-alone System

Revision 19-4; Effective October 1, 2019

Use the Data Broker Portal to pull specific data element searches, such as TWC, OAG, etc. Staff can also use the Data Broker Portal if TIERS is experiencing technical issues.

All Programs

DL Number: Enter the TDL number or Texas ID card number. This is not a mandatory entry, but when staff enter this number and click the Lookup button, the system automatically pulls data for all fields except SSN and Case Number. If DPS data is incorrect or obsolete, enter the correct data over the incorrect data.

Inquire On: Click on the appropriate description for the person on whom you are making the inquiry.

• Applicant — New applicants or household additions.
• Recipient — Currently active recipients.
• None of the Above — Anyone who is not an applicant or recipient.

SSN: Enter the SSN of the person for whom you need Data Broker information. Do not enter an incorrect or false SSN. If an incorrect SSN is entered, an erroneous file may be created or information for the wrong person may be pulled.

Case Number: Enter the TIERS application/case number. Never enter a false TIERS application/case number or one belonging to another person.

Enter information in the remaining fields marked with an asterisk when the Texas ID or TDL number is unknown. These fields are self-explanatory.

C—826.2 Requesting Data Broker Reports in TIERS

Revision 19-4; Effective October 1, 2019

Staff must request and view the Data Broker Combined Report for applicable household members to accurately determine eligibility and clear any discrepancies. Failure to view this report may result in eligibility errors that can lead to quality control errors.

In the TIERS Regular or Customized Redetermination driver flow, submit a Data Broker request for each individual household member 16 and older, including members without an SSN.

In the Redetermination Summary logical unit of work, each page has a DB icon

• Click the DB icon 

• at the top of the page to access the Data Broker window.
• The Data Broker Combined Report link will display.
• Click on the Data Broker Report link to view the Data Broker Combined Report for the person.

Follow the same process for each additional household member for whom a Data Broker Combined Report is needed. The Data Broker Report Link expires after 15 minutes if not clicked.

Data Broker in TIERS cannot do interactive searches on specific data; it only produces the Combined Report. For example, if staff only needs OAG information, staff go to the Data Broker Portal instead.

Requesting a Data Broker Combined Report with Credit Information

A credit report may be requested after a Data Broker report has been displayed. At the bottom of each Data Broker report is a section that allows a credit report to be requested on the person for whom the Data Broker report was run. There is a message displayed that states, “Click here to request and view a credit report.” Clicking on the link is a request for a credit report.

Related Policy

Data Broker, C-820

C—827 Data Broker Combined Report Sources With Credit Report

Revision 19-4; Effective October 1, 2019

All Programs

The credit information provided in Data Broker Combined Report with credit information is received from Experian. It also includes all the sources found in C-825, Combined Data Broker Report Sources.

Related Policy

Data Broker, C-820
Permissible Purpose. C-824

C—827.1 Credit Report

Revision 19-4; Effective October 1, 2019

All Programs

Information provided on this screen is provided to the credit reporting agencies by creditors. Use the information as a case clue only when determining:

• household management;
• vehicle ownership;
• employment; and
• other potential causes of case errors.

Verify credit report information before taking any action on an EDG.

C—827.1.1 Reserved For Future Use

Revision 19-4; Effective October 1, 2019

C—827.1.2 Reserved For Future Use

Revision 19-4; Effective October 1, 2019

C—827.1.3 Reserved For Future Use

Revision 19-4; Effective October 1, 2019

C—827.1.4 Credit Summary

Revision 13-3; Effective July 1, 2013

All Programs

This screen is a record of information creditors provide to the credit reporting agencies. Use the information as a case clue in determining:

• household cash flow,
• vehicle ownership,
• employment, and
• other potential causes of case errors.

The information is generally accurate; however, it cannot be considered verification for any action taken by HHSC. The advisor must verify credit report information before taking any action on an EDG.

C—827.2 Active and Inactive Accounts

Revision 19-4; Effective October 1, 2019

All Programs

This report contains detailed information from creditors which includes corresponding payment records.

This information should be used as a case clue for the household’s management. For example, if all credit cards are paid yet the household’s management is negative, staff should ask how the household is able to pay all bills with reported income.

C—827.3 Lender Information

Revision 19-4; Effective October 1, 2019

All Programs

This report provides the name, address and phone number of the creditor.

C—827.4 Client Income

Revision 19-4; Effective October 1, 2019

All Programs

This report includes information the person reported to lenders regarding their income. This information is not available on every report and is based only on the person’s statement.

Compare employers and income listed to information received during the interview or from the application. Explore any other income or discrepancies reported by the person to lenders.

C—827.5 Inquiries for New Credit

Revision 19-4; Effective October 1, 2019

All Programs

This report lists the names and dates of credit inquiries for the person. Each time a credit report is requested, the name of the requestor and the date of the request is added to the person’s credit report.

An inquiry may indicate the need to further explore the person’s income and resources. For example, inquiries from auto dealers or auto lending institutions are case clues to a possible vehicle purchase.

C—828 Providing Copies of Data Broker Reports

Revision 19-4; Effective October 1, 2019

All Programs

Do not print a Data Broker report unless a person:

• Requests a copy of the Data Broker (DB) report, staff must provide a copy of the DB report.
• Requests a fair hearing and staff used a Data Broker report (including a credit report) to determine eligibility, mail a copy of the Data Broker report, including the credit information, to the hearing officer with the other case information.
• Questions the credit report information, explain that eligibility was based on several sources, including a credit report obtained from the consumer reporting agency.

For most inquiries, historical DB information is retained for five years from the initial inquiry date.  Staff can retrieve and view previously pulled Data Broker inquiries through the Data Broker Portal.

A person has the right under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) to obtain a free copy of the person’s credit report within 60 days from the notice of adverse action. To obtain a free copy, the person can contact Experian at:

701 Experian Parkway
P.O. Box 4500
Allen, TX 75013
888-397-3742
www.experian.com

Related Policy

Permissible Purpose, C-824

C—829 Case Actions

Revision 19-4; Effective October 1, 2019

All Programs

When information on any report and the person’s statement are discrepant, offer the person an opportunity to verify the information.

When staff discover questionable information, treat it as any other questionable information. Provide the individual Form H1020, Request for Information or Action, and pend for verification.

When staff request Data Broker information during a SNAP certification period and the report reveals information regarding anything other than vehicles, follow procedures in B-125.1, Due Dates.

When HHSC takes adverse action on an EDG based on information gained either directly or indirectly through the use of a credit report, the FCRA requires HHSC to notify the person. Staff must indicate in TIERS the action taken was based on credit report information and the TF0001 notice contains specific information about client rights mandated by the FCRA.

Related Policy

Permissible Purpose, C-824
Notice to Applicants, A-2310