Duplicate Participants Q and A

This information was last updated in June 2021.

Q: What are the guidelines for "Role 10" staff and/or CPAs looking at potential duplicates?

A: Review guidance from 2014, System Administration: Duplicate Participant Records: Guidance for WIC Users with Role 10 – LSA (PDF).

In the guidance it compares DOB, first, middle, last name, address, city, telephone numbers, race, gender, cert dates, agency, etc. These are a great way to compare and determine if participants ARE duplicates or ARE NOT.

The link above shows what to do in both situations to compare and resolve potential duplicates and/or records known to be duplicates. Most importantly, when you find a duplicate, you must look at certification and benefit issuance to see if there is overlap.

Q: Do both agencies need to resolve duplicates if it involves Households in two agencies?

A: The Role 10 administrators in both agencies involved will see the potential duplicates until one agency resolves the duplicates. If all agencies are checking regularly, it will keep HuBERT cleaned up and less risk of participant violations/duplicate records.

Q: Do you suggest we put "Duplicate Do Not Use" in front or behind the last name?

A: This step is not necessary if your Role 10 staff follows the procedures to find and resolve duplicates (see 2014 instructions linked above, page 12).

• If two records are found or created, ask your Role 10 staff to access “Potential Duplicate Participants” in HuBERT and search by state ID.
• After a record is marked as a duplicate, if a user tries to open the duplicate record, the following message will display as a pop-up and in Show Details.

Q: Our Role 10 staff only checks duplicate participants every quarter, is this ok?

A: Talk with your WIC Consultant; we are suggesting agencies do this weekly or biweekly to clean up duplicates and resolve ones not found to be duplicates. This practice done more regularly can ensure we have less potential for participant violations.

Q: If a duplicate participant is discovered, shall we rapidly stop/rescind the benefits issuance?

A: If you find a duplicate that has overlapping certification and benefits issued, gather information to determine what has occurred, involve other agencies connected, and contact your WIC Consultant and the State WIC Program Integrity Specialist. Take action to cancel one set of benefits as quickly as possible. Role 10 staff also needs to be involved to make one chart the duplicate.

Q: Where can I find the modules on Prescreening (Statewide Look Up) and moving a State ID to a foster family?

A: On the HuBERT Clinic Training Modules webpage, there is a link to the Prescreen Module and the Change Household ID - Create New Household Module