Program Operations Manual System (POMS)

PolicyNet ­
POMS
PolicyNet/ POMS&TSCOGI Part 02 IChapter 0021 Subchapter 05

Effective Dates: 06104/2009 - Present (Go to History)

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TN 43 (09-08)

GN 00205.070 RSDI Applications ­
Marital Relationship Questions
A. Background
In an effort to streamline the marriage documentation policy, effective September 27,
2008, only document on the application marriage history from the claimant if it could
result in entitlement or requires proof oftermination, e.g., a divorced spouse married after
his or her marriage to the number holder (NH).

B. Procedure - Discussion during an in-person or
telephone claims interview
The instructions regarding discussing the claimant's complete marital history to identify
benefit entitlement and situations where additional documentation and evidence is
required is unchanged. For iClaims situations, please see GN 00204.055K.
We ask marital information to determine eligibility for various benefits (i.e. spouse's,
widow(er)'s, etc.). See also instructions in GN 00205,145 through GN 00205.160. For a
full discussion of proof of marital relationship, see GN 00305.000.

c. Procedure - Documentation
Document only the following marriages on Title II applications:
• the current marriage;
• marriages that lasted 10 years or longer (includes multiple consecutive marriages
to the same individual if the combined period totals 10 years or more as
described in RS 00202.005A.);
• marriages that ended by spouse's death (regardless of duration);

• marriages that require proof of termination (i.e., divorced spouse eligibility is
dependent on marital status)

D. Procedure - Conlpletion of Modernized Claims
System (MCS) screens
Until the MCS screens (as shown in GN OO?OS.070D.2. in this section) are changed,
follow these operating procedures.

1. EVER MARRIED (YIN) question
The EVER MARRIED (YIN) question on MCS' Identification 1 (IDEN) and Number
Holder Identification (NHID) screens now means asking:
• Are you currently married?
• Did you have any previous marriage that lasted 10 or more years (includes
multiple consecutive marriages to the same individual if the combined period
totals 10 years or more per RS 00202.005A.) or that ended by your spouse's
death?; also if eligibility is dependent on claimant being unmarried, ask ifhe or
she remarried after divorcing the NH. If yes, ask for his or her last marriage
information (regardless of duration)
• If yes to either of these questions, input "Y" to EVER MARRIED and document
the marriage(s) per GN 00205.070D.2. in this section.
• Otherwise input "N" to EVER MARRIED

2. NH Marriage (NH MAR) and Beneficiary Marriage (BMAR) screens
Document only marriages listed in aN 00205.070C. in this section, on the appropriate
screen.

E. Application sunlnlary
The marriage universal text identifiers (UTI) on the MCS and Internet claims printed
application summary have been revised to reflect the change in marriage documentation.

1. Claimant never married (UTI CA017M)
The paragraph that read, "I HAVE NEVER MARRIED.", now reads, "I NEVER
MARRIED OR I HAD NO PREVIOUS MARRIAGES THAT LASTED 10 YEARS OR
MORE OR ENDED IN DEATH."

2. Claimant is currently married and had no previous marriages (UTI

CA019M)

The paragraph that read, "I WAS NOT PREVIOUSLY MARRIED.", now reads, "I HAD
NO PREVIOUS MARRIAGES THAT LASTED 10 YEARS OR MORE, OR ENDED
IN DEATH."

F. Procedure - Paper claim application
Until paper applications are changed, document only the marriages listed in GN
00205.070C. in this section.

G. Reminders
Continue to follow leads and protective filing closeout policy per GN 00202.020, GN
00204.0 I 0 and aN 00204.012 for the marriages that are required to be documented as
described in GN 00205.070C.
If the claimant wants to receive payment at an address different from the number holder's
(NH) but alleges their marital relationship is the same, develop per RS 00202.070.

H. References
• GN 00204.010 - Protective Filing
• aN 00204.020 - Scope of the Application
• aN 00204.022 - Explore Entitlement on Another Earnings Record or to Another
Class of Benefits
• GN 00204.050 - Internet Social Security Benefit Application
• aN 00305.000 - Proof of Marital Relationship
• RS 00202.001 - Spouse
• RS 00202.050 - Spouse's Benefits - Evidence and Forms Requirements
• RS 00207.001 - Widow(er)'s Benefits Definitions and Requirements
• RS 00208.001 - Mother/Father
• RS 00208.005 - Child-in-Care
• RS 00208.010 - Surviving Divorced Mother/Father
• RS 00209.001 - Parent's Benefits - Entitlement and Non-Entitlement Provisions
• RS 00209.005 - Parent's Benefits - Marriage
• =..:::..;::.=-"'-=~- Reduced Spouse's Benefit Where the Family Maximum is
Involved
• RS 00615.682 - Family Benefits Where a Divorced Spouse or a Surviving
Divorced Spouse is Entitled
• RS 00615.756 - Adjusting Benefits for the Family Maximum (FMAX)
• MSOM INTRANETMAPS 005.009 - MAPS Application Summary (AT AS)
• MSOM COMMON 005.007 - Beneficiary Marriage (BMAR)
• MSOM MeS 005.037 - NH Marriage (NMAR)

• MSOM MCS 005.059 - Identification 1 (IDEN)

Section History
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