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Chapter: 1800 Income Program: MSSI, SFP 25 1840.0901 Verification of Unearned Income (MSSI, SFP) All non-exempt unearned income must be verified at application and review unless otherwise specified. The following sources may be used to verify unearned income:

1. BENDEX or SDX tapes, 2. SSA document (award letter TYQY), 3. VA award letter, 4. pension or award letter, 5. Unemployment Compensation award letter, 6. child support court statement and/or current statement from absent parent, and 7. bank account statements to verify monthly interest/dividend income of more than $10. Accept the individual’s statement for monthly interest/dividend income of $10 or less. Bank account interest is included income only in patient responsibility calculations. 1840.0902 Verification of Unearned Income (MSSI, SFP) All unearned income must be verified from the source. Bank statements are not acceptable verification for any unearned income except the interest on the bank account, as they reflect the amount of benefits received after deductions, not necessarily the amount of income which must be counted. (Data exchange is an acceptable source of unearned income verification.) 1840.0903 Gross Benefits (MSSI, SFP) The gross benefit amount received, or anticipated to be received, is considered unearned income. Benefits are owned by the individual for whom they are intended unless the individual is not in the home and the benefits are not redirected. Deductions for optional items such as health insurance and Medicare premiums continue to count as income. 1840.0904 SSA Income (MSSI, SFP) Benefits that are paid by SSA are unearned income. These types of benefits include Title II Social Security benefits, SSI, special age 72 payments (PROUTY), and black lung benefits.

The gross entitlement amount (prior to any deduction) is entered into the FLORIDA system on AFMI. The cents should not be dropped. (The system automatically drops the cents when calculating the budget for food stamps and SSI-Related Programs.)

For MSSI and SFP: Social Security benefits recouped by SSA are addressed in Chapter 2400.

For treatment of lump sum payments for SSA and for SSI-Related income refer to Chapter 2600. 1840.0905 Annuities, Pensions and Retirement Income (MSSI, SFP) Annuities, pensions, retirement or disability payments are all included as unearned income. These payments result from the purchase of an annuity, retirement from employment, survivor benefits for a former employee's dependents, or injury or disability, and may be made by an employer, an insurance company, or public or private fund.