6000 - Income

 

There are two types of income, earned and unearned. Income shall include money received from such sources as wages, self-employment, property rentals, pensions, benefits, and contributions.

 

For applications, there shall be ineligibility for cash assistance when there is no budgetary deficit resulting from excess income.

 

For on-going cases, there shall be ineligibility for cash assistance when there is no budgetary deficit resulting from excess income, unless there are earnings included. When earnings are included, eligibility for the Work Incentive payment is to be explored.

 

Example #1: Eligibility exists in the first month of application, but no benefit was received due to proration. The following month the income which includes earnings, exceeds the TANF budgetary standard. Because there was eligibility in the previous month, even though no benefit was issued, there is eligibility for the Work Incentive payment in the second month.

 

Example #2: Client reports receipt of new employment. The first month of projected income indicates client is eligible, however the grant amount is under $10 and will not be issued. The following month, the gross earnings exceed the TANF budgetary standards, and eligibility for the Work Incentive payment exists.


6100 General Guidelines

 

The following general rules are applicable:

 

  1. Income must be real. To be real, income must be such that its value can be defined and measured.
     
  2. Income value must be established by objective measurement.
     
  3. Income shall be considered available when a client has a legal interest therein and the legal ability to make it available. Earned income is available to the individual producing it and all persons for whom he is legally responsible. Unearned income is available to the individual for whom it is intended and all persons for whom he is legally responsible.
     

  4. The income of all persons whose needs are included in the cash assistance plan, food assistance household (including excluded and disqualified individuals) or child care nuclear family must be considered. In addition, the income of all mandatory filing unit members who are excluded from the assistance plan in accordance with 4113, 4212.2, and 4212.3 must be considered unless otherwise exempted. If, in the month of application, a mandatory filing unit person has left the home, his or her income shall not be considered as being available to the family in that month. Also see 6400.
     

  5. The total income of both spouses shall be considered in determining the eligibility of either or both for assistance if they are living together (including physical separation while maintaining a common life). For TANF, Child Care, and Food Assistance, this provision would not be applicable when one or both spouses enter an institutional arrangement but would be applicable to HCBS arrangements if the care is being provided in the home and the couple continues to live together.
     
  1. The income of an eligible or ineligible parent shall be considered in determining the eligibility of a minor child for assistance if the parent and child are living together. This includes the minor parent, unless that parent is in school per 2230 for TANF, Child Care, and Food Assistance. For TANF, Child Care, and Food Assistance, if the child receives HCBS services in the home and continues to live with the parent, the income of that parent must still be considered.
     

    If a parent enters an institutional living arrangement (whether or not the facility is Medicaid approved) for other than a planned brief stay (not to exceed the month of entrance and the following two months), his or her income shall be considered in determining the eligibility of a minor child only for the month the arrangement begins. Thereafter, only the minor child's income as well as any income contributed by that parent can be considered in determining the eligibility of that child. For TANF, Child Care, and Food Assistance, if the parent receives HCBS in the home and continues to live with the child, that parent's income must still be considered.
     

  2. A conversion of property from one form to another shall not be considered as income except for the proceeds from a contract for the sale of property.
     

  3. Income shall not be considered both as income and as property in the same month.