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Title 5: Centrally Administered Programs Page 68 Iowa Department of Human Services Employees’ Manual Chapter E: Healthy and Well Kids in Iowa (hawk-i) Types of Income Revised July 3, 2009 VISTA Payments

VISTA Payments 441 IAC 86.2(2)“b”(11) Exempt Title I VISTA volunteer payments, as long as the Director of ACTION determines the value of all such payments is less than the federal or state minimum wage when dividing payment by the hours of service.

To date, the Director of ACTION has determined no VISTA payments to equal or exceed the minimum wage. The Department will issue notification when these payments are no longer exempt.

When notification is issued that VISTA payments exceed the minimum wage limit, the entire VISTA payment will be counted as unearned income. This is because people receiving VISTA payments are considered volunteers rather than employees. Vocational Rehabilitation Training Allowance 441 IAC 86.2(2)“b”(29)

Exempt training allowances issued by the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation Services of the Department of Education. The vocational rehabilitation counselor establishes an allowance amount that meets the client’s needs for items relating to the rehabilitation program, such as tuition, books, transportation, lodging away from home, and similar items. Wages 441 IAC 86.2(2)“a”(1) Count all wages and salaries as earned income. When an employer holds wages at the employee’s request, the wages are counted as income in the month when the employer would normally pay the wages. However, when the employer holds wages as a general practice, the wages are counted as income in the month the household actually receives them.

Wage advances are counted as income only if the wage advance is anticipated to continue and is representative of future income.