Remember, you must notify your PHA if a household
member dies or moves out. You must also obtain the
PHA’s approval to allow additional family members or
friends to move in your home prior to them moving in.
What are the penalties for providing false
information?
Knowingly providing false, inaccurate, or incomplete
information is FRAUD and a CRIME.
If you commit fraud, you and your family may be
subject to any of the following penalties:
1. Eviction
2. Termination of assistance
3. Repayment of rent that you should have paid
had you reported your income correctly
4. Prohibited from receiving future rental
assistance for a period of up to 10 years
5. Prosecution by the local, state, or Federal
prosecutor, which may result in you being
fined up to $10,000 and/or serving time in jail.
Protect yourself by following HUD reporting
requirements. When completing applications and
reexaminations, you must include all sources of
income you or any member of your household
receives.
If you have any questions on whether money received
should be counted as income or how your rent is
determined, ask your PHA. When changes occur in
your household income, contact your PHA
immediately to determine if this will affect your rental
assistance.
What do I do if the EIV information is
incorrect?
Sometimes the source of EIV information may make
an error when submitting or reporting information about
you. If you do not agree with the EIV information, let
your PHA know.
If necessary, your PHA will contact the source of the
information directly to verify disputed income
information. Below are the procedures you and the
PHA should follow regarding incorrect EIV information.
Debts owed to PHAs and termination information
reported in EIV originates from the PHA who provided
you assistance in the past. If you dispute this
information, contact your former PHA directly in writing
to dispute this information and provide any
documentation that supports your dispute. If the PHA
determines that the disputed information is incorrect,
the PHA will update or delete the record from EIV.
Employment and wage information reported in EIV
originates from the employer. If you dispute this
information, contact the employer in writing to dispute
and request correction of the disputed employment
and/or wage information. Provide your PHA with a
copy of the letter that you sent to the employer. If you
are unable to get the employer to correct the
information, you should contact the SWA for
assistance.
Unemployment benefit information reported in EIV
originates from the SWA. If you dispute this
information, contact the SWA in writing to dispute and
request correction of the disputed unemployment
benefit information. Provide your PHA with a copy of
the letter that you sent to the SWA.
Death, SS and SSI benefit information reported in
EIV originates from the SSA. If you dispute this
information, contact the SSA at (800) 772–1213, or
visit their website at: www.socialsecurity.gov. You
may need to visit your local SSA office to have
disputed death information corrected.
Additional Verification. The PHA, with your consent,
may submit a third party verification form to the
provider (or reporter) of your income for completion
and submission to the PHA.
You may also provide the PHA with third party
documents (i.e. pay stubs, benefit award letters, bank
statements, etc.) which you may have in your
possession.
Identity Theft. Unknown EIV information to you can
be a sign of identity theft. Sometimes someone else
may use your SSN, either on purpose or by accident.
So, if you suspect someone is using your SSN, you
should check your Social Security records to ensure
your income is calculated correctly (call SSA at (800)
772-1213); file an identity theft complaint with your
local police department or the Federal Trade
Commission (call FTC at (877) 438-4338, or you may
visit their website at: http://www.ftc.gov). Provide your
PHA with a copy of your identity theft complaint.
Where can I obtain more information on EIV
and the income verification process?
Your PHA can provide you with additional information
on EIV and the income verification process. You may
also read more about EIV and the income verification
process on HUD’s Public and Indian Housing EIV web
pages at: http://www.hud.gov/offices/pih/programs/ph/rhiip/uiv.cfm.
The information in this Guide pertains to
applicants and participants (tenants) of the
following HUD-PIH rental assistance programs:
1. Public Housing (24 CFR 960); and
2. Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher (HCV),
(24 CFR 982); and
3. Section 8 Moderate Rehabilitation (24 CFR
882); and
4. Project-Based Voucher (24 CFR 983)