Effective January 1, 2020, all programs will exclude earned income from temporary employment in the 2020 Census. Most temporary positions associated with the 2020 Census are enumerators who reside and work in their own communities, many of who will be low income. Excluding the income of temporary census employees assists the Census Bureau with staff recruitment and retention while allowing individuals with limited or no employment to gain valuable work experience without a reduction in benefits. The State also excluded temporary census income in 2000 and 2010.

FNS is extending the Census 2020 demonstration project to align with the Census Bureau’s Post-Enumeration Survey (PES) operations. To align with the extension of Census operations, the agency will exempt earned income from Census employment February 1, 2021 through October 31, 2021.

Because United States Department of Agriculture has specific reporting requirements, staff will need to enter Census earned income in KEES using the Income Type Combat Pay with a description in the description box of “Census Income”. This income type will exempt the income for all programs.

It is also important to note that the exemption of Census income only applies to income directly received from the Census Bureau. Some of the Census jobs may be through private companies contracted through the Census Bureau and the income received by clients employed by an outside contractor can NOT be exempt under this provision.

If there is any doubt whether or not the income is from a private contractor or the Census Bureau, the income source will need to be verified. Otherwise, the income does not need to be verified since it is exempt.