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5412 Third-Party Beneficiary SNAP CERTIFICATION MANUAL – SECTION 5000 5100 Income - Summary 5. Utility reimbursements made by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) or third-party energy assistance payments (for example, LIHEAP) do not count as income if the SNAP household contains an aged or disabled member. If the household does not contain an aged or disabled member, the third-party energy assistance payments will count as income for SNAP. See SNAP 5714 for information about handling reimbursements for normal living expenses. 5412 Third-Party Beneficiary SNAP Manual 07/01/03 A beneficiary is an individual for whom a gain or benefit is intended. An individual who receives an entitlement check such as VA or SSA is usually the intended beneficiary. However, in some cases, the intended beneficiary does not actually receive the income. Another individual is designated to receive the income as a payee and to use the income for the care and maintenance of the intended beneficiary. In these cases the intended beneficiary is called a third-party beneficiary. Money received for the care and maintenance of a third-party beneficiary who is not a household member is excluded to the extent that the money is actually used for the care and maintenance of the beneficiary. EXAMPLE 1: Mr. Smith is the payee for his brother’s SSI check. Mr. Smith and his brother do not live together. Mr. Smith states that he uses all of the SSI check to meet his brother’s needs. None of the SSI check would be counted as income in Mr. Smith’s SNAP case. If the intended beneficiaries of a single payment are both household and non-household members, any identifiable portion of the payment intended and used for the care and maintenance of the non-household member is excluded. EXAMPLE 2: Ms. Conway receives Social Security for herself and one child. Ms. Conway is enrolled in college. She lives on campus and the child lives with its grandmother.