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SNAP CERTIFICATION MANUAL – SECTION 5000 5500 Included Income 5514 Verification of Earned Income

5514 Verification of Earned Income SNAP Manual 10/01/03 Earned income must always be verified at initial application and when a semi-annual report is submitted. Earned income will be verified at recertification when a change is reported independent of the semi-annual report if he income is from a new source, or has changed by $50.00 or more. Income that is unchanged or that has changed by less than $50.00 will be verified only if information regarding the income is incomplete, inaccurate, inconsistent or outdated. See the Glossary definition of Verification for additional information. Acceptable verification of earned income is listed below in order of preference. 1. The most recent consecutive check stubs that accurately portray the individual’s income. 2. An Earnings Statement (DCO-97) properly completed by the employer or designee and containing weekly earnings if a history of earnings is available. 3. A signed statement from the employer that indicates the date of the most recent consecutive pay periods and the gross amount received at each pay period. 4. A copy of the employer’s wage records for the most recent consecutive pay periods. 5. Telephone contact with the employer. 6. A Check Verification Form (DCO-70) indicating the gross amount of each of the most recent checks. 7. Pay envelopes if properly dated and indicating the gross pay. If none of these items are available and the household has not changed employers, one of the following items may be used as verification of earned income. • Employee’s W-2 Form - (for monthly income divide yearly wages bytwelve). • State or Federal Income Tax Returns - (for monthly income divide yearly wages by twelve). • The most recent information appearing on the WESD “Wage Screen - (for monthly income divide quarterly wages by three). • State Income Tax Bureau - (most recent wages reported). No household will be denied SNAP benefits solely because someone outside the household failed to cooperate with a request for verification. The term “outside the household” will not apply to ineligible students, ineligible aliens, or to individuals disqualified or ineligible for one of the following reasons: a) intentional program violation; b) failure to provide a social security number; c) noncompliance with the work registration requirements; d) noncompliance with the