Consent by assistance applicants and participants.

§ 5.230 Consent by assistance applicants and participants. (a) Required consent by assistance applicants and participants. Each member of the family of an assistance applicant or participant who is at least 18 years of age, and each family head and spouse regardless of age, shall sign one or more consent forms. (b) Consent authorization —(1) To whom and when. The assistance applicant shall submit the signed consent forms to the processing entity when eligibility under a covered program is being determined. A participant shall sign and submit consent forms at the next regularly scheduled income reexamination. Assistance applicants and participants shall be responsible for the signing and submitting of consent forms by each applicable family member. (2) Subsequent consent forms—special cases. Participants are required to sign and submit consent forms at the next interim or regularly scheduled income reexamination under the following circumstances: (i) When any person 18 years or older becomes a member of the family; (ii) When a member of the family turns 18 years of age; and (iii) As required by HUD or the PHA in administrative instructions. (c) Consent form—contents. The consent form required by this section shall contain, at a minimum, the following: (1) A provision authorizing HUD and PHAs to obtain from SWICAs any information or materials necessary to complete or verify the application for participation and to maintain continued assistance under a covered program; and (2) A provision authorizing HUD, PHAs, or the owner responsible for determining eligibility for or the level of assistance to verify with previous or current employers income information pertinent to the assistance applicant's or participant's eligibility for or level of assistance under a covered program; (3) A provision authorizing HUD to request income return information from the IRS and the SSA for the sole purpose of verifying income information pertinent to the assistance applicant's or participant's eligibility or level of benefits; and (4) A statement that the authorization to release the information requested by the consent form expires 15 months after the date the consent form is signed. Effective Date Note: At 88 FR 9655, Feb. 14, 2023, § 5.230 was amended by revising paragraphs (b)(1), (b)(2), and (c)(4), and adding paragraph (c)(5), effective Jan. 1, 2024. For the convenience of the user, the added and revised text is set forth as follows: § 5.230 Consent by assistance applicants and participants. (b) * * * (1) Applicants. The assistance applicant must submit the signed consent forms to the processing entity when eligibility under a covered program is being determined. (2) Subsequent consent forms. Prior to January 1, 2024, participants signed and submitted consent forms at each regularly scheduled income reexamination. On or after January 1, 2024, a participant must sign and submit consent forms at their next interim or regularly scheduled income reexamination. After all applicants or participants over the age of 18 in a family have signed and submitted a consent form once on or after January 1, 2024, family members do not need to sign and submit subsequent consent forms at the next interim or regularly scheduled income examination except under the following circumstances: (i) When any person 18 years or older becomes a member of the family, that family member must sign and submit a consent form; (ii) When a member of the family turns 18 years of age, that family member must sign and submit a consent form; or (iii) As required by HUD or the PHA in administrative instructions. (c) * * * (4) A provision authorizing PHAs to obtain any financial record from any financial institution, as the terms financial record and financial institution are defined in the Right to Financial Privacy Act (12 U.S.C. 3401), whenever the PHA determines the record is needed to determine an applicant's or participant's eligibility for assistance or level of benefits; and (5) A statement that the authorization to release the information requested by the consent form will remain effective until the earliest of: (i) The rendering of a final adverse decision for an assistance applicant; (ii) The cessation of a participant's eligibility for assistance from HUD and the PHA; or (iii) The express revocation by the assistance applicant or recipient (or applicable family member) of the authorization, in a written notification to HUD.