If an is stopped because a beneficiary’s address is unknown and checks are undeliverable, payments may be resumed effective the day following the date of last payment if entitlement is otherwise established, and the claimant furnishes a valid, correct address. References: For more information on resuming payments when an award is stopped because the claimant’s address is unknown, see , and homeless claimants, see . b. Categories of Undeliverable Mail Undeliverable mail generally falls within one of two categories essential (has evidentiary value), or nonessential (has no evidentiary value). The table below provides common examples of both categories of undeliverable mail. Essential Mail Nonessential Mail notices of proposed adverse action decision notice requests for evidence from claimants records centers other agencies, and private, third parties questionnaires, including those VA uses to verify dependency status school attendance, and employment status mail involving matching programs, including the Federal Tax Information (FTI) for upfront verification and IVMs, and Social Security Verification Match mail affecting benefit entitlement, including eligibility verification reports (EVRs), and notices of routine review examinations Letters VA releases as notice of cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) for outreach purposes in connection with special projects, such as the Economic Recovery Payment (ERP), and to declare a beneficiary’s eligibility for civil service preference tax abatement, and commissary privileges. Note: Most centrally generated correspondence, such as COLA notices or outreach letters, are mailed in green envelopes to make the identification of nonessential mail easier.
d. Procedure for Obtaining a Correct Address for Undeliverable Essential Mail Because telephone numbers are less likely to change during moves, whenever possible, use telephone development as the first action to obtain a corrected address for undeliverable mail and document the results in accordance with M21-1, Part III, Subpart iii, 1.B.1.d. Follow the steps in the table below when telephone development fails to obtain the correct address for undeliverable essential mail. Step Action 1 Review the claims folder to ensure the address used on the undeliverable mail matches the current address of record. 2 Is a yellow-colored USPS sticker that shows a forwarding address on the envelope in which VA originally enclosed the mail? If yes, go to Step 8. If no, go to the next step. 3 Perform a Share inquiry to determine whether the corporate record, master record, or pending issue has a different or more current address than that shown on the returned mail. Was a different address found? If yes, go to Step 8. If no, go to the next step. 4 Access Automated Medical Information Exchange (AMIE)/Compensation and Pension Record Interchange to determine whether the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) has a more current address or telephone number. Was a different address If yes, go to Step 8. If no, go to the next step. Note: If the claims folder shows the last record of contact with the claimant predates the last date of medical treatment shown in AMIE/CAPRI, the address in VHA’s record may be more accurate.