Ohio Launches Income Verification Platform for Aid
Counties now use the Ohio NextGen360 Verification Platform after Ohio's contract with The Work Number expired June 30.
Updated on Nov. 11, 2026 in Jobs — General
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The Ohio Department of Job & Family Services began using the Ohio NextGen360 Verification Platform to verify income and employment for public assistance applicants. Portage County Job & Family Services has begun contacting employers directly to confirm employee wages.
Why it matters
County agencies lost access to The Work Number, an Equifax employment verification service, for public assistance eligibility decisions when Ohio's contract expired. Employers and applicants now face new steps to confirm income for Medicaid, SNAP, Ohio Works First and certain child support services.
Access to The Work Number for county eligibility decisions ended June 30 when Ohio's contract expired. Employers can reach the ONVP Help Desk at 855-905-5627, though the source does not report how many verification requests the platform will handle.
The players
Ohio Department of Job & Family Services
The state agency that oversees public assistance programs in Ohio, including Medicaid, SNAP and Ohio Works First, and launched the new verification platform.
Portage County Job & Family Services
The county agency responsible for determining public assistance eligibility for residents of Portage County, which has begun contacting employers directly for income verification.
Equifax
A major consumer credit reporting company whose The Work Number service provided employment verification to county agencies until Ohio's contract expired.
Experian
A global information services company that offers Experian Payroll Verification, which may supply income data when employers report payroll information through it.
The details
Applicants may securely connect their payroll account to the verification platform, and employees must authorize sharing of payroll records before they can be accessed. When electronic verification is unavailable, Portage County Job & Family Services may contact employers directly with county-specific forms to confirm wages and employment, and Experian Payroll Verification may supply income data where employers report through Experian.
Timeline
June 30: County agencies' access to The Work Number ended as Ohio's contract expired.
November 11, 2026: Reporting on the new Ohio verification program in Portage County was published.
Program Shift
The Ohio NextGen360 Verification Platform replaces The Work Number, the Equifax service county agencies relied on for eligibility checks until Ohio's contract with it expired. Counties now split verification between electronic payroll connections and direct employer contact.
Employers may receive direct requests from county job and family services offices to confirm employee wages and employment. Prompt responses can reduce delays for employees seeking assistance.
The takeaway
Employees seeking public assistance may speed their application by authorizing secure payroll account connections, while employers should be ready to answer direct verification requests from county agencies.
Further reading
Explore more on Jobs — General to see how public assistance income checks affect workers across Ohio.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Akron Beacon Journal.
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