Page 15

Chapter: 2400 Budgeting Income Program: FS 10 2410.0349 Multiple Assistance Groups Sharing Utilities (FS) If the dwelling has the ability to incur a heating or cooling cost, the full SUA is allowed for each AG that shares in any of the utility costs of the dwelling.

Residents of public housing that share a central meter and are charged only for excess heating or cooling costs are entitled to the full SUA.

If more than one AG shares in paying non-heating or cooling utility costs of the dwelling, the full BUA will be allowed for each AG sharing in the utility costs.

If more than one AG shares in paying the telephone expense and that is the only utility expense of the dwelling, the full phone standard will be allowed for each AG sharing in the telephone expense. 2410.0350 Separate Residences Sharing One Utility Meter (FS) When separate dwellings share one utility meter, the dwelling billed by the utility company is entitled to claim the standard utility allowance if they incur heating or cooling costs. If the dwelling billed by the utility company has no heating or cooling expense but has other utilities, they will, be able to claim the basic utility allowance. All other dwellings sharing the meter will, based on their circumstances, claim either the standard utility allowance, the basic utility allowance, or the telephone standard. 2410.0351 Verification of Utility Expenses (FS) The individual’s statement is acceptable verification of shelter and utility expenses unless questionable. If questionable, the expenses must be verified.

Utility Expenses for an Unoccupied Home: The utility expenses of a home temporarily unoccupied because of employment or training away from the home, illness, or abandonment caused by a natural disaster or casualty loss are allowable. For expenses to be allowed, the assistance group must intend to return to the home and the current occupants of the home, if any, must not be claiming the shelter expenses for food stamp purposes. In addition, the home must not be leased or rented to another individual or family during the temporary absence of the assistance group.

The assistance group is not entitled to claim utility expenses in both their present setting and the unoccupied home. The eligibility specialist will include the greater of the two shelter expenses in the food stamp budget. 2410.0352 Homeless Income Deduction (FS) A homeless income deduction may be allowed for assistance groups in which all members are homeless and they do not receive free shelter throughout the calendar month. (Refer to food stamp allowances in A-1). All homeless households, which incur or reasonably expect to incur shelter costs during a calendar month, shall be eligible for the homeless income deduction unless higher expenses are verified.

Homeless households which incur shelter-related costs, such as charges for hotel and motel rooms, homeless shelters, payments to relatives and friends with whom they are staying, telephone charges, and the cost of staying in their cars are also eligible for the homeless income deduction. To ensure that individuals and families without permanent housing receive the maximum allowable shelter deduction, the eligibility specialist must consider whether a household's benefits would be higher under the homeless shelter deduction or the excess shelter deduction.

This deduction will be subtracted from the net income in determining eligibility and allotment. Homeless households, which incur no shelter costs during the calendar month, will not be eligible