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FYI - new federal guidance on what to do about WIOA participants without SSNs - suggesting alternative "supplemental" methods of getting information about these participants for required WIOA reports on wage & employment results (after exit from the program, both whether participants are employed and their median earnings, as well as the employment-related portion of the credential attainment measure). Excerpts below "The Departments recognize that in particular circumstances there are challenges the core programs face in tracking the progress of individuals for whom obtaining a quarterly wage record match may not be possible. Eligibility to participate in any of the programs under WIOA is not contingent upon the individual providing an SSN. More broadly, since the performance indicators require reporting on all participants, States are encouraged to develop a method for quantifying the performance outcomes of participants who do not provide SSNs or for whom wage records are not available." "For participants for whom the State does not have an SSN on record, States may use supplemental wage information and wage data from other reliable sources to collect employment-related data necessary for calculating levels of performance." (gives examples of federal, military employees, and self-employed individuals). "acceptable forms of supplemental wage information include, but are not limited to, the following: Tax documents, payroll records, and employer records such as: * Copies of quarterly tax payment forms to the Internal Revenue Service, such as a Form 941 (Employer's Quarterly Tax Return); * Copies of pay stubs (minimum of two pay stubs); or * Signed letter or other information from employer on company letterhead attesting to an individual's employment status and earnings. Other supplemental wage records: * Follow-up survey (self-reported) from program participants; * Income earned from commission in sales or other similar positions; * Detailed case notes verified by employer and signed by the counselor, if appropriate to the program; * Automated database systems or data matching with other partners with whom data sharing agreements exist; * One-Stop operating systems' administrative records, such as current records of eligibility for programs with income-based eligibility (e.g., Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) or Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program ( SNAP)); or * Self-employment worksheets signed and attested to by program participants. (Earnings (or net profit) can be calculated by subtracting total expenses from gross receipts. Not all self-employed individuals receive a salary, but the funds that represent income over expenses that are available to be invested back into the business are considered earnings). "The Departments recommend the programs remind participants, before program exit, that they or their employers may be contacted to obtain confirmation of employment status and earnings, and to explain the expected timeframe for those follow-up contacts. While this reminder is applicable to all participants, it is especially important for those participants for whom UI wage data are not available." "The Departments recognize that programs and States may consider supplemental wage information to be a very difficult aspect of data collection, particularly since it is sometimes difficult to follow up in a way that produces valid and reliable results (e.g., conducting follow-up surveys or other forms of self-reporting). The process includes determining which individuals should be included in the supplemental wage information follow-up; locating the individual, employer or case manager; securing his/her cooperation; and conducting the follow-up procedure. Maintaining contact with, or finding, these former participants and getting them to cooperate in the supplemental wage information follow-up process is critical to its success since the response rate largely determines the validity of the information. Locating such individuals can be difficult, given the transient nature of some core program participants." "The validity of the follow-up process depends largely on the acceptable forms of supplemental wage information received from participants. To help improve this aspect of the follow-up process, it is very important that participants know how they may be contacted later and asked about their employment outcomes. Therefore, programs should inform participants at program entry about the supplemental wage information follow-up process and collect extensive contact information about them, such as addresses and phone numbers of relatives or others who may know the participants' whereabouts over time and employment information, if applicable. In addition, participants should be encouraged to provide new addresses and phone numbers when they move, and programs should implement procedures to update this information periodically while the participant remains enrolled in the program. These procedures can greatly assist in locating former participants months later when the supplemental wage information may need to be collected. States should provide local programs with additional guidance to improve the level of response." [clasp-email-logo] Judy Mortrude Senior Policy Analyst, Center for Postsecondary and Economic Success CLASP | 1200 18th Street NW | Suite 200 | Washington, DC 20036 p (202) 906-8014 cell (651) 276-7067 | jmortrude@clasp.org<mailto:jmortrude@clasp.org> Receive updates<http://org2.salsalabs.com/o/5728/p/salsa/web/common/public/content?content_item_KEY=5471> from CLASP's Center for Postsecondary and Economic Success! [http://www.charitynavigator.org/_gfx_/promo/new/4star88x31.gif] <http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=search.summary&orgid=9420#.Vstdxk9GW71>

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Thanks Judy. Especially good to see clear this statement, which I know from past state directors’ meetings has not always been made clear to them: "Eligibility to participate in any of the programs under WIOA is not contingent upon the individual providing an SSN" Jeff Jeff Carter — Advisor, National Coalition for Literacy www.national-coalition-literacy.org jcarter@literacypolicy.org or jeffcrtr@gmail.org Personal Twitter: @jeffcrtr | literacypolicy.org |national-coalition-literacy.org Cell: (202) 374-4387 > On Jun 5, 2017, at 10:46 AM, Judy Mortrude <jmortrude@clasp.org> wrote: > > FYI – new federal guidance on what to do about WIOA participants without SSNs – suggesting alternative “supplemental” methods of getting information about these participants for required WIOA reports on wage & employment results (after exit from the program, both whether participants are employed and their median earnings, as well as the employment-related portion of the credential attainment measure). Excerpts below > > “The Departments recognize that in particular circumstances there are challenges the core programs face in tracking the progress of individuals for whom obtaining a quarterly wage record match may not be possible. Eligibility to participate in any of the programs under WIOA is not contingent upon the individual providing an SSN. More broadly, since the performance indicators require reporting on all participants, States are encouraged to develop a method for quantifying the performance outcomes of participants who do not provide SSNs or for whom wage records are not available.” > > “For participants for whom the State does not have an SSN on record, States may use supplemental wage information and wage data from other reliable sources to collect employment-related data necessary for calculating levels of performance.” (gives examples of federal, military employees, and self-employed individuals). > > “acceptable forms of supplemental wage information include, but are not limited to, the following: > > Tax documents, payroll records, and employer records such as: > · Copies of quarterly tax payment forms to the Internal Revenue Service, such as a Form 941 (Employer’s Quarterly Tax Return); > · Copies of pay stubs (minimum of two pay stubs); or > · Signed letter or other information from employer on company letterhead attesting to an individual’s employment status and earnings. > > Other supplemental wage records: > · Follow-up survey (self-reported) from program participants; > · Income earned from commission in sales or other similar positions; > · Detailed case notes verified by employer and signed by the counselor, if appropriate to the program; > · Automated database systems or data matching with other partners with whom data sharing agreements exist; > · One-Stop operating systems’ administrative records, such as current records of eligibility for programs with income-based eligibility (e.g., Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) or Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program ( SNAP)); or > · Self-employment worksheets signed and attested to by program participants. (Earnings (or net profit) can be calculated by subtracting total expenses from gross receipts. Not all self-employed individuals receive a salary, but the funds that represent income over expenses that are available to be invested back into the business are considered earnings). > > “The Departments recommend the programs remind participants, before program exit, that they or their employers may be contacted to obtain confirmation of employment status and earnings, and to explain the expected timeframe for those follow-up contacts. While this reminder is applicable to all participants, it is especially important for those participants for whom UI wage data are not available.” > > “The Departments recognize that programs and States may consider supplemental wage information to be a very difficult aspect of data collection, particularly since it is sometimes difficult to follow up in a way that produces valid and reliable results (e.g., conducting follow-up surveys or other forms of self-reporting). The process includes determining which individuals should be included in the supplemental wage information follow-up; locating the individual, employer or case manager; securing his/her cooperation; and conducting the follow-up procedure. Maintaining contact with, or finding, these former participants and getting them to cooperate in the supplemental wage information follow-up process is critical to its success since the response rate largely > determines the validity of the information. Locating such individuals can be difficult, given the transient nature of some core program participants.” > > “The validity of the follow-up process depends largely on the acceptable forms of supplemental wage information received from participants. To help improve this aspect of the follow-up process, it is very important that participants know how they may be contacted later and asked about their employment outcomes. Therefore, programs should inform participants at program entry about the supplemental wage information follow-up process and collect extensive contact information about them, such as addresses and phone numbers of relatives or others who may know the participants’ whereabouts over time and employment information, if applicable. In addition, participants should be encouraged to provide new addresses and phone numbers when they move, and programs should implement procedures to update this information periodically while the participant remains enrolled in the program. These procedures can greatly assist in locating former participants months later when the supplemental wage information may need to be collected. States should provide local programs with additional guidance to improve the level of response.” > > > > <image001.gif> > Judy Mortrude > Senior Policy Analyst, Center for Postsecondary and Economic Success > CLASP | 1200 18th Street NW | Suite 200 | Washington, DC 20036 > p (202) 906-8014 cell (651) 276-7067 | jmortrude@clasp.org <mailto:jmortrude@clasp.org> > > Receive updates <http://org2.salsalabs.com/o/5728/p/salsa/web/common/public/content?content_item_KEY=5471> from CLASP's Center for Postsecondary and Economic Success! > > <image002.gif> <http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=search.summary&orgid=9420#.Vstdxk9GW71> > > > _______________________________________________ > National Coalition for Literacy Members mailing list > Members@lists.national-coalition-literacy.org <mailto:Members@lists.national-coalition-literacy.org> > To unsubscribe: http://lists.national-coalition-literacy.org/mailman/listinfo/members_lists.national-coalition-literacy.org <http://lists.national-coalition-literacy.org/mailman/listinfo/members_lists.national-coalition-literacy.org>