Finding Text
Finding Number: 2023-007
Information on the
Federal Program: Federal Agency: United States Department of Veteran Affairs
Program Name: SSVF
CFDA: 64.033
Federal Award Identification Number: 14-MA-209
Federal Award Year: 2023
Specific Requirement: In accordance with the SSVF Program Guide dated December 2020, an organization must maintain adequate eligibility documentation. Grantees must implement policies and procedures that ensure appropriate documentation is obtained and is included in each participant’s file.
Condition Found: During our testing of participant eligibility, we noted the following:
1. Documented approval by either the Program Coordinator or the Case Manager was missing for documentation related to 14 participant files out of the 37 selected for testing.
2. 90-day eligibility recertifications were not performed or not documented appropriately for 17 participants out of the 37 requiring recertification.
Context: We sampled 37 participants out of 159 total participants, using a nonstatistical sample, who were provided support from the Organization’s SSVF program.
Questioned Costs: N/A
Cause and Effect: The Organization is aware of the eligibility requirements under the SSVF program, but was unaware of the importance of retaining all of the required documentation set forth in the SSVF Program Guide. Under the terms of the SSVF grant, grantees with insufficient case file documentation may be found out of compliance with SSVF Program regulations. The Organization also is at risk for providing services to ineligible participants. As a result of the Organization’s inability to provide certain documents, compliance over eligibility was unable to be tested.
Identification as a
Repeat Finding,
if Applicable: A repeat finding; See finding 2022-007, 2021-008, 2020-010 and 2019-011
Recommendation: We recommend the Organization implement a system of controls that would properly document the eligibility requirements of participants under the SSVF program and compliance with the eligibility requirements set forth under the SSVF program. Participants’ documented eligibility should be properly reviewed, evidenced by appropriate supervisor signatures. All eligibility forms, recertification forms and other required forms should be maintained in a file for each participant.
Views of a Responsible
Official and Corrective
Action Plan: Management agrees with the finding and the recommendation. See Corrective Action Plan attached.