Overview

HUD estimates that the total income and rent errors attributable to tenant underreporting of income was $364 million in FY 2008, a decline of 63 percent from the FY 2000 baseline of $978 million. UIV is a key strategy in reducing these errors and has been proven to increase accuracy and efficiency in determining family eligibility and computing income and rent calculations. The EIV System (a UIV tool) has already proven to be instrumental in reducing income and rent determination errors and improper payments due to unreported and underreported family household income.

UIV is the verification of income, before or during a family reexamination, through an independent source that systematically and uniformly maintains income information in computerized form for a large number of individuals. PHAs should put forth a conscience effort to ensure that they use all available resources, including UIV techniques to obtain verification of tenant-reported (unreported or underreported) income.

Effective January 31, 2010, HUD now requires PHAs to use HUD's centralized Enterprise Income Verification (EIV) System to validate tenant reported income and inform tenants of the PHA's capability and intent to compare tenant-reported information with UIV data. Read the Final Rule and issued Guidance. PHAs should contact the EIV Coordinator at their local HUD field office for further information on obtaining access to the EIV system.

UIV Tools and Tips: Matching Tenant Reported Income

Enterprise Income Verification (EIV) System

A HUD provided Internet-based tool that allows PHAs to view employment information, wages, unemployment compensation and social security benefit information at any point in time. The system also compares PHA verified/tenant reported wages, unemployment compensation and social security benefit information reported on HUD form 50058 with the UIV-reported amounts for the same income sources to identify families that may have substantially under reported their household income.