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ESA SNAP Policy Manual 127 10.4.1 Nonrecurring Lump Sums and Accrued Benefits Lump sum payments and retroactive benefits are excluded as income and counted as a resource/asset in the month received. Example 1 Ms. Williams and her two children receive TANF and SNAP. Between January and August, Ms. Williams received a TANF benefit of $200. ESA discovers that her TANF benefits were miscalculated for the eight-month period and that she should have received $275 each month. In September, she receives a payment of $600 to offset her underpayment for the eight-month period in addition to her $275 regular TANF benefits. The household’s SNAP benefits were calculated correctly between January and August based on the income Ms. Williams actually received (based on a TANF benefit of $200). The $600 underpayment is treated as an asset, not as income, in the month received. The household receives TANF and is categorically eligible for SNAP, so the additional assets do not affect eligibility or benefit level for SNAP.

Example 2 Ms. Johnson and her two children received TANF and SNAP from January through April. She found a job in April and stopped receiving TANF. She continues receiving SNAP. In June, Ms. Johnson is awarded a $300 TANF underpayment based on a prior ESA error. The $300 is considered an asset in June, but the family is also considered to be a TANF recipient in June and categorically eligible for SNAP with no impact to SNAP eligibility or benefit level due to the issuance of an underpayment. 10.5 Deemed Assets All or part of the assets of responsible individuals are counted toward the asset limit. Assets are deemed available to a unit. ESA must count assets deemed available to a household even if the household does not actually have access to the assets. If a disqualified or ineligible household member is a mandatory household member, ESA deems all of this person’s assets to the household.  Exclude up to $1,500 of the noncitizen’s sponsor’s total net assets.  Deem the amount in excess of the $1,500 exclusion to the household that includes the sponsored immigrant. ESA must deem assets of the sponsors of sponsored noncitizens for SNAP if no exemption applies. A countable asset controlled by the sponsor of a sponsored noncitizen included in the applicant’s assistance household must be considered when determining program eligibility. ESA must add the net value of the sponsor’s assets minus program-specific disregards to the applicant’s own assets when determining asset eligibility. Return