321 E. 12th Street, Des Moines, IA 50319-0114

February 13, 2026 GENERAL LETTER NO. 7-E-126 ISSUED BY: Bureau of Financial, Food, and Work Supports Division of Community Access and Eligibility SUBJECT: Employees’ Manual, Title 7, Chapter E, SNAP Income , 1, 8, 10-12, 18, 20, 31, 35, 38, 42 and 43, 48, 52, 54 and 55, 57, revised. Summary This chapter is revised to  Update IAC and CFR citations  Update the 10/1 changes in standard medical deduction, standard deduction, maximum shelter deduction, homeless deduction, and standard utility deductions Effective Date Upon receipt. Material Superseded Remove the following pages from Employees’ Manual, Title 7, Chapter E, and destroy them: Page Date 1, 8, 10-12, 18, 20, 31, 35, 38, 42 and 43, 48, 52, 54 and 55, 57 September 27, 2024 Additional Information Refer questions about this general letter to your eligibility determinations manager.

Title 7: SNAP Page 1 Iowa Department of Health and Human Services Employees’ Manual Chapter E: Income Overview Revised February 13, 2026

Overview This chapter describes:  Income verification requirements.  Types of income that are counted for SNAP.  Deductions allowed from the income. Use this chapter in conjunction with 7-F, Budgeting and 7-I, Specific Households and Participants to determine eligibility and benefit levels. Income Verification Requirements Legal reference: 7 CFR 273.2(f) Households must verify all gross countable income except Family Investment Program (FIP) grants. Types of verification include:  Form 470-2844 or 470-2844(S), Employer’s Statement of Earnings  Wage stubs  Statements from the employer  Award letters  Self-employment records or tax forms  Legal documents  Bank statements  Household’s records of tip income NOTE: Do not use WAGE screens as verification. Past quarterly income cannot be used to determine a monthly amount for a projection. Verify gross countable income:  At application,  At recertification,  When new income is reported, and  When income changes. When a source other than a household member fails to cooperate in supplying needed verification and no other source is available, determine the amount of income based on client- provided information. Do this only as a last resort. Document verification or why information was not verified. See 7-B, Verification for a list of people who are considered part of the household for verification purposes.

321 E. 12th Street, Des Moines, IA 50319-0114

February 13, 2026 GENERAL LETTER NO. 7-F-104 ISSUED BY: Bureau of Financial, Food, and Work Supports Division of Community Access and Eligibility SUBJECT: Employees’ Manual, Title 7, Chapter F, SNAP Budgeting, 2-4, 7 and 8, 11, 13- 17, revised. Summary This chapter is revised to  Update IAC and CFR citations  Update the gross and net income limits effective 10/1/25  Update the SNAP maximum benefit allotment effective 10/1/25 Effective Date Immediately. Material Superseded Remove the following pages from Employees’ Manual, Title 7, Chapter F, and destroy them: Page Date 2-4, 7 and 8, 11, 13-17 September 27, 2024 Additional Information Refer questions about this general letter to your eligibility determinations manager.

Title 7: SNAP Page 2 Iowa Department of Health and Human Services Employees’ Manual Chapter F: Budgeting Anticipating Income Revised February 13, 2026 Income in the Month Received Income in the Month Received Legal reference: 7 CFR 273.10(c)(2) and 273.11(a); 441 IAC 65.9(234) Policy: Only count income for a month when you can reasonably anticipate that it will be received. Procedure: When there are one-time variations in the normal receipt date, count the payment for the month for which it is intended. Examples:  Mailing cycles for monthly payments like Family Investment Program (FIP) benefits, Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits, and Retirement, Survivors and Disability Insurance (RSDI) payments can occasionally cause households to receive two checks in a month.  An employer may issue checks early when the normal payday falls on a weekend or holiday.

A household has a member who is in the military. They chose to receive the military pay on the first of each month. The worker knows they will receive two checks in December because a holiday falls on January 1. The check that will be issued at the end of December is considered as received on January 1. If the employee asks the employer to hold back wages, you must count the wages as income in the month in which the wages would normally be received. If an employer holds wages without the consent of the employee, do not count the wages as income unless the household anticipates that it will:  ask for and receive a wage advance; or  receive wages previously held by the employer and the wages have not previously been counted as income. Count wage advances only when you can reasonably expect them to be received. Comment: Never count income as a resource for the same month that you used it to calculate SNAP benefits. For determining countable resources, see 7-D, What Resources to Count. Income in the Application Month Legal reference: 273.10(c)(1)(i), and (ii) Policy: Use the household’s income for the entire calendar month in which the application was filed to determine their eligibility and benefits for the month of application.