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Title 5: Centrally Administered Programs Page 47 Iowa Department of Human Services Employees’ Manual Chapter E: Healthy and Well Kids in Iowa (hawk-i) Types of Income Revised July 3, 2009 AmeriCorps

AmeriCorps Public Law 103-82, 441 IAC 86.2(2)“b”(11)

The National and Community Service Trust Act of 1993 amends the National and Community Service Act of 1990 and establishes a Corporation for National Community Service. The Corporation administers national service programs including AmeriCorps.

AmeriCorps is designed to engage Americans in a year or two of national service in exchange for an educational award for each year of completed service. It includes three programs: ♦ AmeriCorps*USA for participants 17 years and older ♦ AmeriCorps*VISTA for participants 18 years and older ♦ AmeriCorps*NCCC for participants 16 to 24 years of age

Payments to AmeriCorps participants may also include a living allowance and a child care allowance, if child care is needed to participate in the program.

Participants may be provided health insurance if they are not otherwise covered by health insurance. People with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations, supplies, and services they need to participate.

The living allowance payments made to participants in the AmeriCorps VISTA program are exempt as income as long as the Director of ACTION determines they do not exceed the minimum wage. See VISTA Payments for more information.

Count payments made to participants in other AmeriCorps programs as follows: ♦ Treat the living allowance (stipend) as earned income. If the AmeriCorps participant is a child under age 19, treat the earnings as described in Child’s Earnings. ♦ Do not consider the child care allowance as income. ♦ Exempt the educational award as income. ♦ Exempt as income the health insurance and reasonable accommodations, supplies, and services made available for AmeriCorps participants who have disabilities.