Countable resources include liquid and non-liquid resources.

Types of Liquid resources: cash on hand, money in bank accounts, savings certificates, stocks or bonds, lump sum payments, etc. Liquid resources are not limited to this list.

Types of countable non-liquid resources considered: personal property, boats, buildings, land, or other property that are not excluded, mobile homes other than home property, licensed and unlicensed vehicles that are not excluded.

Vehicles as a resource: We assess the equity and the fair market value. We count the greater of the two.

• Vehicles exempt the equity test
  • One licensed vehicle per adult household member
  • Vehicle used by a minor household member if used to drive to work, school, training, or to look for work.

Determine the equity value in all other vehicles including the unlicensed vehicles. We would count as a resource the greater of the equity value or the fair market value.

For all vehicles determine the fair market value, unless they meet an exemption. Exemptions include:

• used for income-producing purposes, such as a taxi, fishing boat, or delivery vehicle or are required by the terms of employment;
• annually produce income consistent with their fair market value;
• needed for long-distance travel for work, other than daily commuting;
• used as the household’s home;
• necessary to transport a physically disabled household member or disqualified member regardless of the transportation’s purpose;
• needed to carry most of the household’s fuel for heating or water for home use

If one of these exemptions does not apply, you would determine the fair market value of the vehicle and anything over $4650 is a countable resource.

To determine the fair market value, use the average trade-in value listed in the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) books, other blue books, or one of the Internet websites that provide data on the market value of used vehicles at no cost to the user.

Available websites include:

1. CarPrices carprices.com
2. Edmund’s edmunds.com
3. Kelley Blue Book kbb.com
4. NADA nada.com

Resource Exclusions or Resources not counted:

• Home property and surrounding property that is not separated from the home.
• Household goods, personal effects, cash value of life insurance policies, one burial plot, and the value of one funeral agreement per household member, cash value of pension or retirement plans or funds
• Property that annually produces income consistent with its fair market value, such as rental homes or vacation homes.
• Property that is essential to the employment or self-employment of a household member, such as farm land or work-related equipment,
• Installment contracts for the sale of land or buildings when the contract or agreement produces income consistent with its fair market value.
• Government payments designated to restore a home damaged in a disaster
• Resources with a cash value that is not accessible to the household, for example irrevocable trust funds, security deposits on rental property, property in probate, real property that the household is making a good faith effort to sell
• Resources that are prorated as income, such as for self-employed persons.
• Indian lands held jointly by the tribe and can only be sold with the Bureau of Indian Affairs approval.
• Resources of household member who receives SSI or TANF

Transfer of Resources

At application the worker asks about any resources being given away or transferred within three months prior to the application for SNAP. Persons who transfer resources for the purpose of qualifying or attempting to qualify for SNAP food benefits are disqualified from SNAP participation for up to one year from the discovery of the transfer. The length of the disqualification period is determined based the amount transferred plus the current countable resources minus the allowable resource standard. Once you add the amount transferred to the current countable resources any the amount over the allowable standard determines the disqualification period.

1. $0 to 249.99, the disqualification period is one month;
2. $250 to 999.99, the disqualification period is three months;
3. $1,000 to 2999.99, the disqualification period is six months;
4. $3,000 to 4,999.99, the disqualification period is nine months; or
5. $5,000 or more, the disqualification period is 12 months.

Examples:

1. John won 10,000 in the lottery. He gave away $5,000 to a friend and he used the other $5,000 to pay off his vehicle. When we counted all his resources his total countable resources totaled $2500.

John is disabled and his allowable resources per the Appendix C-3 is $4,250.

His transferred amount was $5,000 added to his countable resource of $2500 totals $7500. He is allowed to have $4250.

7500-4250 = $3250 is the amount we count as the transfer. Looking on the chart above, he will be disqualified for 9 months. We would contact Adult and Family Services Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) staff for guidance prior to denying the application or implementing a disqualification period.

2. Betty is married and has one child age 16 who works part-time. They have three cars. Neither Betty nor her husband work. Her son drives his car to and from work.

All three cars are exempt the equity test.

Now we look at the fair market trade in value.

Betty’s car is valued at $6,000; her husbands is valued at $5,000, and her son’s car is valued at $3000.

6000 – 4650 (allowable deduction from the total trade in value) = 1350

5000 – 4650 (allowable deduction from the total trade in value) = 350

3000 is less than the 4650 so there is no resource counted on this vehicle.

Total resources counted for the vehicles is $1700, this would be added to the countable resource amount from other sources and compared to allowable resource standards on the Appendix C-3 to determine resource eligibility.