340: 50-7-46.

In order to determine the household’s eligibility and monthly benefit amount; you must take into account both the income already received by the household, and any anticipated income the household is reasonable certain to receive.

Sometimes in the application month, the household’s anticipated income may be less than a full month’s wages. In this case you must decide if you are going to use actual or anticipated income for the month of application.

Actual Income

For wages, actual income is used (if known and already received) for the initial month of certification. In this case, you would count all the income for that month.

Example 1: Benefits begin in application month

Sally applied for SNAP benefits July 23. She was interviewed the same day. She never received benefits before. During the interview, she states that she lost her job on July 12th. She was paid weekly and received her last check July 21. The pay stubs were all provided for the 7/7, 7/14, and 7/21 pay dates.

Actual income would be used to determine Sally’s eligibility for July. She has received and verified all income for the application month.

Example 2:

Wiley applied for SNAP benefits July 23. The interview was completed on July 27th. Wiley has been employed at Acme Industries for the past year. He is paid weekly on Mondays.   The pay stubs were all provided for 7/5, 7/12, 7/19, and 7/26.

Wiley has received and can verify all his pay for the application month. Actual income would be used to determine eligibility for July.

There are three scenarios in which actual income would NOT be used:

• All income is not received or known for that month.
• The client is paid bi-weekly and has received 3 paychecks
• The client is paid weekly and has received 5 paychecks

Anticipated Income

After the initial month, you should anticipate what future months of income will be based on the best information you have. If the income is not received on a monthly basis, then the income should be averaged and converted to a monthly amount. If the client applies for benefits and has ongoing earned income – anticipated income would be used. Anticipated income is always used with mid-certification renewals.

Example 3:

Susan applies for SNAP benefits on August 5^th and was interviewed on the same date. She and her family never received benefits before. Susan is paid weekly on Mondays. She provided copies of the 8/2, 7/26, 7/19, 7/12, and 7/5 pay stubs.

Anticipated income will be used to calculate eligibility for August.

Example 4:

Joan applies for SNAP benefit July 12. The interview was completed on July 16. She declares she lost her job on July 5th and she will receive her last check on July 19th. She was paid bi-weekly and provided the verification of the July 5^th paystub and worker was able to verify with the employer of the gross amount of the July 19th check. She also reported that she began working a new job on July 14th. She will be paid bi-weekly and will receive her first check on July 30 for one week of work. She provided a letter from her new employer which states that she will work 20 hours per week at $9 dollars an hour. Worker was able to verify with the new employer the gross amount of the first paycheck.

Actual income would be used for the terminated employment income July 5^th and July 19^th paycheck. As she has already started the new job at the time of the interview; and we have confirmation of the hours, hourly rate, and date of first check; we can also use anticipated income for the July 30^th paycheck. A MICAL would be set up with one line for the actual terminated and one line for the anticipated week of income. Unfinished issuance would be used to anticipate income for the rest of the certification period.

NOTE: The income from new employment cannot be counted unless the client has actually started the job.