Documents to verify Public Benefits Recipient status – ID.me Help Center

To verify your Public Benefits Recipient status with ID.me, you will need to submit specific documents. You may also need to verify your identity with ID.me, if you haven’t already. This article explains the documents you’ll need to verify your Public Benefits Recipient status.

Verify your identity

If you are asked to verify your identity, you can do it with one of the following:

Phone number + date of birth
Valid US driver's license
Valid US state ID card
Valid US passport

Verify your Public Benefit Recipient status

After your identity is verified, you will need to verify your Public Benefit Recipient status. Enter information about your household, including:

Number of members in your household
Household annual income
The state you reside in
ZIP code

Acceptable documents

To verify your Public Benefit Recipient status, you must submit one of the acceptable documents below. The document needs to show that at least one person in your household participates in one of the following programs:

Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) General Assistance

Document Type

Requirements

General Assistance letter from the Bureau of Indian Affairs

General Assistance Letter must show the following:

First and Last Name must match Benefit Qualifying Person's name
Date the document was issued or future expiration date

Community Eligibility Provision (CEP)

Document Type

Requirements

Letter from school proving enrollment

School Enrollment Letter must show the following:

First and Last Name must match Benefit Qualifying Person's name
Name of a CEP participating school
Current academic year

Registration Confirmation

Registration Confirmation must show the following:

First and Last Name must match Benefit Qualifying Person's name
Name of a CEP participating school
Current academic year

Report Card

Report Card must show the following:

First and Last Name must match Benefit Qualifying Person's name
Name of a CEP participating school
Current academic year

Federal Pell Grant

Document Type

Requirements

Financial aid award letter

Financial Aid Award letter must show the following:

First and Last Name must match Benefit Qualifying Person's name
School name
Federal Pell Grant listed as one of the grants awarded
Current academic year

Federal Public Housing Assistance (FPHA)

Document Type

Requirements

Approval letter from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)

Approval letter from HUD must show the following:

First and Last Name must match Benefit Qualifying Person's name
Date the document was issued or expires

Lease agreement or contract from a local public housing agency (PHA)

Lease agreement or contract must show the following:

First and Last Name must match Benefit Qualifying Person's name
Type of Public Housing Assistance credit (ex: Section 8)
Date the document was issued or future expiration date

Verification letter from the Federal Housing Administration (FHA)

Verification letter from FHA must show the following:

First and Last Name must match Benefit Qualifying Person's name
Date the document was issued or future expiration date

Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR)

Document Type

Requirements

Program approval letter or certification notice from a federal, state, or local agency

Program approval letter or certification notice must show the following:

First and Last Name must match Benefit Qualifying Person's name
Start and end dates of award period
Contact information for food distribution center

Medicaid

Document Type

Requirements

Letter or statement from a Medicaid agency

Letter or statement from a Medicaid agency must show the following:

First and Last Name must match Benefit Qualifying Person's name
Be addressed from Department of Health and Human Services, Insurance provider, or Medicaid agency
The issued or effective date must be within the past 12 months

Medicaid ID card

Medicaid ID card must show the following:

First and Last Name must match Benefit Qualifying Person's name
Name of the program (Medicaid, Medi-Cal or other)
The issued or effective date must be within the past 12 months

National School Lunch Program (NSLP)

Document Type

Requirements

Notification of eligibility from Local Educational Agency

Notification of eligibility from Local Educational Agency must show the following:

First and Last Name must match Benefit Qualifying Person's name
Parent name, if shown, must match your name
Date the document was issued or future expiration date

Qualifying low-income

Document Type	Requirements
Current income statement from an employer	Current income statement from an employer must show the following: If submitting pay stubs, file must show at least 3 consecutive months of pay or income statements Must be dated within the past year Proof of income is less than 200% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines First and Last Name must match Benefit Qualifying Person's name
Divorce decree or child support award	Divorce decree or child support award must show the following: Proof of income is less than 200% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines First and Last Name must match Benefit Qualifying Person's name Date the document was issued or future expiration date
Prior year's state, federal, or tribal tax return	Prior year’s state, federal, or tribal tax transcripts must show the following: Proof of income is less than 200% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines First and Last Name must match Benefit Qualifying Person's name Date the document was issued or future expiration date Note: A 1040 Form is not acceptable. An example of an acceptable document would be a tax transcript downloaded from the IRS
Statement of benefits from the Social Security Administration (SSA)	Statement of benefits from the SSA must show the following: Proof of income is less than 200% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines First and Last Name must match Benefit Qualifying Person's name Date the document was issued or future expiration date
Unemployment or workers compensation statement of benefits	Unemployment or workers compensation statement of benefits must show the following: Proof of income is less than 200% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines First and Last Name must match Benefit Qualifying Person's name Date the document was issued or future expiration date

School Breakfast Program (SBP)

Document Type

Requirements

Notification of eligibility from local educational agency

Notification of eligibility from Local Educational Agency must show the following:

First and Last Name must match Benefit Qualifying Person's name
Date the document was issued or future expiration date

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)

Document Type

Requirements

Benefit statement

Benefit statement must show the following:

First and Last Name must match Benefit Qualifying Person's name
Program name (SNAP or state program name)
Eligibility dates or current participation status

Note: EBT cards are not acceptable

Program approval letter

Program approval letter must show the following:

First and Last Name must match Benefit Qualifying Person's name
Program name (SNAP or state program name)
Eligibility dates or current participation status

Note: EBT cards are not acceptable

Verification of coverage letter from federal, state, or local agency

Verification of coverage letter from federal, state, or local agency must show the following:

First and Last Name must match Benefit Qualifying Person's name
Program name (SNAP or state program name)
Eligibility dates or current participation status

Note: EBT cards are not acceptable

Supplemental Security Income (SSI)

Document Type

Requirements

Supplemental Security Income statement

Supplemental Security Income statement must show the following:

First and Last Name must match Benefit Qualifying Person's name
Reference to Supplemental Security Income (not to be confused with Social Security benefits, which is not an eligible program)
Date of award
Award amount

Tribal Head Start

Document Type

Requirements

Letter of enrollment from participating program

Letter of enrollment from participating program must show the following:

First and Last Name must match Benefit Qualifying Person's name
Date the document was issued or future expiration date

Tribal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)

Document Type

Requirements

Letter or statement from a tribal TANF organization

Letter or statement from a tribal TANF organization must show the following:

First and Last Name must match Benefit Qualifying Person's name
Name of TANF program
Award date or period

Veterans and Survivors Pension Benefit

Document Type

Requirements

Summary of pension benefits letter

Summary of benefits letter must show the following:

First and Last Name must match Benefit Qualifying Person's name
Claim and pension information
Date the document was issued or future expiration date

Women, Infants, and Children Program (WIC)

Document Type

Requirements

Benefit statement

Benefit statement must show the following:

First and Last Name must match Benefit Qualifying Person's name
The benefits program’s name
Date the document was issued or future expiration date

Note: WIC cards are not acceptable

Program approval letter

Program approval letter must show the following:

First and Last Name must match Benefit Qualifying Person's name
The benefits program’s name
Date the document was issued or future expiration date

Note: WIC cards are not acceptable

Verification of coverage letter

Verification of coverage letter must show the following:

First and Last Name must match Benefit Qualifying Person's name
The benefit program’s name
Date the document was issued or future expiration date

Note: WIC cards are not acceptable