## Chapter 13. Beneficiary Identification and Records Locator Subsystem (BIRLS), Master Record, and Date of Death Reconciliation Project

#### Table of Contents

> 1\. Processing Cases Identified by the Project 13-1
>
> 2\. Claims Folders Located at Other Offices 13-4
>
> 3\. End Product (EP) and Reports 13-6

## Chapter 13. Beneficiary Identification and Records Locator Subsystem (BIRLS), Master Record, and Date of Death Reconciliation Project

#### 1. Processing Cases Identified by the Project

+------------+---------------------------------------------------------+
| ##### In   | > This topic contains information on processing cases   |
| troduction | > identified by the project, including                  |
|            |                                                         |
|            | -   the purpose of the project                          |
|            |                                                         |
|            | -   dispatching listings to regional offices (RO)       |
|            |                                                         |
|            | -   determining whether the veteran is deceased         |
|            |                                                         |
|            | -   the appropriate action if the veteran is            |
|            |                                                         |
|            | ```{=html}                                              |
|            | <!-- -->                                                |
|            | ```                                                     |
|            | -   deceased, or                                        |
|            |                                                         |
|            | -   not deceased, and                                   |
|            |                                                         |
|            | ```{=html}                                              |
|            | <!-- -->                                                |
|            | ```                                                     |
|            | -   handling file number or identity discrepancies.     |
+------------+---------------------------------------------------------+

+------------+---------------------------------------------------------+
| ##### C    | July 23, 2004                                           |
| hange Date |                                                         |
+------------+---------------------------------------------------------+

+------------+---------------------------------------------------------+
| #          | > The purpose of this project is to reconcile and fix   |
| #### a. Pu | > cases where                                           |
| rpose of t |                                                         |
| he Project | -   a date of death appears in a veteran's Beneficiary  |
|            |     Identification and Records Locator Subsystem        |
|            |     (BIRLS) record, and                                 |
|            |                                                         |
|            | -   an active or suspended Hines master record exists   |
|            |     under the same file number.                         |
|            |                                                         |
|            | > ***Note***: Questions on this project may be sent to  |
|            | > the VAVBAWAS/CO/212A mailbox.                         |
+------------+---------------------------------------------------------+

+------------+---------------------------------------------------------+
| #####      | > Listings of cases with a date of death in BIRLS, but  |
| b. Dispatc | > not in the master record, will be distributed to      |
| hing Listi | > regional offices (RO) quarterly for corrective        |
| ngs to ROs | > action.                                               |
+------------+---------------------------------------------------------+

Continued on next page

1\. Processing Cases Identified by the Project, Continued

+------------+---------------------------------------------------------+
| ##         | > First, resolve whether the veteran is deceased. Do    |
| ### c. Det | > not assume the veteran is deceased based solely on    |
| ermining W | > this list, as many dates of death appearing in the    |
| hether the | > BIRLS record are wrong.                               |
|  Veteran I | >                                                       |
| s Deceased | > The following methods may be used to determine        |
|            | > whether the veteran is deceased:                      |
|            |                                                         |
|            | -   Federal Online Query (FOLQ) with the Social         |
|            |     Security Administration (SSA) through SHARE         |
|            |                                                         |
|            | -   Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical records |
|            |     dated after the date of the list                    |
|            |                                                         |
|            | -   private medical records dated after the date of the |
|            |     list                                                |
|            |                                                         |
|            | -   telephone, e-mail, or fax contact documented by *VA |
|            |     Form 119*, *Report of Contact*, and                 |
|            |                                                         |
|            | -   field examination.                                  |
+------------+---------------------------------------------------------+

+------------+---------------------------------------------------------+
| ##         | > If the veteran is deceased, make sure that the        |
| ### d. Act |                                                         |
| ion if the | -   same veteran is identified in the BIRLS and Hines   |
|  Veteran I |     master record\                                      |
| s Deceased |     ***Note***: If necessary, check or update the       |
|            |     veteran's Social Security number (SSN) and date of  |
|            |     birth (DOB) in the BIRLS and/or Hines records.      |
|            |                                                         |
|            | -   correct date of death is in the BIRLS record, and   |
|            |                                                         |
|            | -   award was terminated from the first of the month of |
|            |     death under [38 CFR                                 |
|            |     3.500(g)](http://w                                  |
|            | ww.warms.vba.va.gov/regs/38CFR/BOOKB/PART3/S3_500.DOC). |
+------------+---------------------------------------------------------+

+------------+---------------------------------------------------------+
| #####      | > If the veteran is not deceased                        |
| e. Action  |                                                         |
| if the Vet | -   use the bupd command to remove the date of death    |
| eran Is No |     from the BIRLS record.                              |
| t Deceased |                                                         |
|            | -   make sure the veteran's SSN and DOB are correct in  |
|            |     both the BIRLS record and Hines master record, as   |
|            |     these entries are mandatory, and                    |
|            |                                                         |
|            | -   develop for the SSN and DOB if they are not of      |
|            |     record.                                             |
|            |                                                         |
|            | > ***Reference***: For more information on what to do   |
|            | > when the veteran alleges he/she was never issued a    |
|            | > SSN, see M21-1MR, Part V, Subpart i, 3.E.17 (TBD) or  |
|            | > [M21-1, Part III,                                     |
|            | > 7.03e](htt                                            |
|            | p://www.warms.vba.va.gov/admin21/m21_1/part3/ch07.doc). |
+------------+---------------------------------------------------------+

Continued on next page

1\. Processing Cases Identified by the Project, Continued

+------------+---------------------------------------------------------+
| #####      | > The office of jurisdiction is responsible for sorting |
| f. File Nu | > out discrepancies and assuring that the correct       |
| mber or Id | > information is entered into the BIRLS and Hines       |
| entity Dis | > records if                                            |
| crepancies |                                                         |
|            | -   discrepancies exist between the file numbers in     |
|            |     BIRLS and Hines for a particular veteran, or        |
|            |                                                         |
|            | -   different individuals are identified by the same    |
|            |     file number in BIRLS and Hines.                     |
+------------+---------------------------------------------------------+

#### 2. Claims Folders Located at Other Offices

+------------+---------------------------------------------------------+
| ##### In   | > This topic contains information on claims folders     |
| troduction | > located at other offices, including                   |
|            |                                                         |
|            | -   a claims folder located at                          |
|            |                                                         |
|            | ```{=html}                                              |
|            | <!-- -->                                                |
|            | ```                                                     |
|            | -   another RO, and                                     |
|            |                                                         |
|            | -   Records Management Center (RMC), Federal Records    |
|            |     Center (FRC), or "Folder Destroyed"                 |
|            |                                                         |
|            | ```{=html}                                              |
|            | <!-- -->                                                |
|            | ```                                                     |
|            | -   removing date of death from BIRLS without the       |
|            |     claims folder, and                                  |
|            |                                                         |
|            | -   fraudulent receipt of benefits.                     |
+------------+---------------------------------------------------------+

+------------+---------------------------------------------------------+
| ##### C    | > April 5, 2005                                         |
| hange Date |                                                         |
+------------+---------------------------------------------------------+

+------------+---------------------------------------------------------+
| ####       | > The location of the claims folders for this project   |
| # a. Claim | > is from the Hines master record.                      |
| s Folder L | >                                                       |
| ocated at  | > If BIRLS shows that the claims folder is located at   |
| Another RO | > another RO, send an e-mail to the VAVBAWAS/CO/212A    |
|            | > mailbox                                               |
|            |                                                         |
|            | -   identifying this project, and                       |
|            |                                                         |
|            | -   indicating that BIRLS shows another RO has          |
|            |     jurisdiction of the case.                           |
+------------+---------------------------------------------------------+

+------------+---------------------------------------------------------+
| ###        | > The RO of jurisdiction in the Hines master record is  |
| ## b. Clai | > responsible for working the case through to           |
| ms File Lo | > completion if BIRLS shows that the folder is          |
| cated at R |                                                         |
| MC, FRC, o | -   located at the Records Management Center (RMC)      |
| r "Folder  |                                                         |
| Destroyed" | -   located at a Federal Records Center (FRC), or       |
|            |                                                         |
|            | -   destroyed.                                          |
+------------+---------------------------------------------------------+

Continued on next page

2\. Claims Folders Located at Other Offices, Continued

+------------+---------------------------------------------------------+
| #####      | > Before removing a date of death from BIRLS without    |
| c. Removin | > the claims file, make sure that                       |
| g Date of  |                                                         |
| Death from | -   the SSN in the master record is verified by the SSA |
|  BIRLS wit |     (Code 1), and                                       |
| hout the C |                                                         |
| laims File | -   SHARE shows the veteran is                          |
|            |                                                         |
|            | ```{=html}                                              |
|            | <!-- -->                                                |
|            | ```                                                     |
|            | -   alive, and                                          |
|            |                                                         |
|            | -   in receipt of Social Security (SS) benefits.        |
+------------+---------------------------------------------------------+

+------------+---------------------------------------------------------+
| ##### d.   | > If there is an indication that someone is or was      |
| Fraudulent | > fraudulently receiving the benefits of a deceased     |
|  Receipt o | > veteran, follow the procedures in M21-1MR, Part III,  |
| f Benefits | > Subpart vi, 5.A (TBD) or [M21-1, Part IV, Chapter     |
|            | > 36](htt                                               |
|            | p://www.warms.vba.va.gov/admin21/m21_1/part4/ch36.doc). |
+------------+---------------------------------------------------------+

#### 3. End Products (EP) and Reports

+------------+---------------------------------------------------------+
| ##### In   | > This topic contains information on EPs and reports.   |
| troduction |                                                         |
+------------+---------------------------------------------------------+

+------------+---------------------------------------------------------+
| ##### C    | > July 23, 2004                                         |
| hange Date |                                                         |
+------------+---------------------------------------------------------+

+------------+---------------------------------------------------------+
| ##### a.   | -   This project is primarily involved in correcting    |
|  EP Credit |     erroneous conditions. The following table explains  |
|            |     which end products (EP) to use when corrective      |
|            |     action is necessary.                                |
+------------+---------------------------------------------------------+

+----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| If ...                           | Then ...                          |
+----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| the case can be resolved without | EP 930 is authorized.             |
|                                  |                                   |
| -   development, and             |                                   |
|                                  |                                   |
| -   calling in the claims file   |                                   |
|     from another site            |                                   |
+----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| development or transfer in of a  | -   control under EP 130, and     |
| file is required                 |                                   |
|                                  | -   take EP 130 when the issue is |
|                                  |     resolved.                     |
+----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| another EP is more appropriate   | > use the more appropriate EP.    |
|                                  | >                                 |
|                                  | > ***Example***: If review of the |
|                                  | > SHARE record reveals that the   |
|                                  | > veteran in a pension case is    |
|                                  | > being charged too little SS,    |
|                                  | > then EP 150 would be            |
|                                  | > authorized.                     |
+----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+

+------------+---------------------------------------------------------+
| #####      | > No recurring report is required; however, ROs are     |
| b. Reports | > required to respond in a timely fashion to requests   |
|            | > from VA Central Office (VACO) for status information  |
|            | > concerning cases on the list.                         |
+------------+---------------------------------------------------------+