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ESA SNAP Policy Manual 157 household earnings to ensure the timing of paychecks and pay periods does not affect program eligibility. Example 1 Ms. Elizondo and her two children apply for SNAP. Ms. Elizondo works and is paid biweekly. In the month of application, she has already received one paycheck for $350 and is expecting to receive a second paycheck for $400. Follow these steps to compute anticipated income: 1. Average the two paychecks to compute average biweekly earnings ($350 + $400 = 750 ÷ 2 = $375). 2. Convert the biweekly earnings to monthly earnings by multiplying the average biweekly earnings by 2.15 ($375 x 2.15 = $806.25).

Example 2 Mr. Thompson is under contract to drywall an office building. The renovation is scheduled to take six months. The contract states Mr. Thompson will be paid $6,000 when the work is completed. Divide the $6,000 contracted earnings by the contractual six-month period. Mr. Thompson is treated as if he earns $1,000 per month during the months covered by the contract. See Section 11.2.1, Self- Employment Income.

 If self-employment or rental income is received less often than monthly, convert the self- employment or rental income to a monthly amount based on past or estimated future proceeds.  Divide educational benefits by the number of months in the period the benefits are intended to cover (e.g. semester, term).  If income is received on a regular basis and is representative of the amount the applicant or recipient can reasonably be expected to receive throughout the eligibility period, total countable income is projected based on the income actually received during the 30 days preceding the date of application or recertification.  If total countable income received during the 30 days preceding the date of application is not representative of the income the applicant or recipient can reasonably be expected to receive, as in cases where the individual has been ill, is performing seasonal labor or anticipates an increase in income, make the necessary adjustment for an accurate projection of income.  If income is received on an irregular basis, review the case circumstances with the applicant or recipient to determine the most appropriate means of projecting income. A lump sum payment of earned income must be prorated over the months it is expected to take to earn the payment. If the irregular income is from self-employment or seasonal employment, review the income earned during the three months prior to the month of application or recertification if that is the best estimate of what future earnings during the certification period are likely to be. Return