This is an optional verification

Legally obligated child support payments paid to or for a non-household member are allowed as a deduction. Child support payments paid by a household member to a third party (for example, a landlord or utility company) as part of a support order must be included as part of the child support deduction. Payments that are made by the household for health insurance for a child must also be included as part of the child support deduction. If the SNAP client is making legally obligated child support payments and it includes arrearage amounts, it is a deductible expense, even if the arrearage is not specified in the court order.

If the household fails to verify the expense or documentation of the expense cannot be obtained, calculate the eligibility and benefit level without the expense, as it is an optional verification.

Per 106 CMR 364.370, SNAP households must meet the applicable gross income standard (except for households with at least one member who is federally disabled and/or at least age 60) before BEACON deducts their countable expenses and calculates their benefit level.

When performing this initial test of eligibility, legally obligated child support payments paid for a non-household member are excluded. Before comparing the household’s total gross income to their gross income limit, BEACON will subtract the household’s countable child support payments from their total monthly gross income, provided that you properly enter the legally obligated child support expense that the client has verified.

John lives alone and has gross earned income of $2,270 per month. They pay $500 per month in court-ordered child support, $1,600 in rent, and full utilities. The case manager enters $2,270 in the Earned Income page and $500 in the Support Expenses page. The gross income limit for a household of 1 is $2,265. When performing the gross income test, BEACON will subtract $500 from $2,270 to bring John’s countable gross income to $1,770. Although John’s actual monthly gross income at $2,270 exceeds the gross limit for a household of 1, John will pass the gross income test due to the subtraction of the child support expense.

If the household passes the initial gross income test after BEACON deducts child support expenses from gross income, BEACON will add the child support expenses back into the total gross income and perform the regular SNAP benefit level calculation . Building from the previous example, BEACON would calculate John’s benefit level as follows:

Table A Child Support Expense as an Income Exclusion from Initial Gross Income Table B Child Support Expense as a Deduction in the SNAP Benefit Calculation Monthly Gross Income $2,270 This is John’s actual gross income. → Monthly Gross Income $1,770 This is John’s gross income after the child support expense is deducted. Monthly Child Support Expenses - $500 BEACON subtracts the monthly child support amount before applying the gross income test. Monthly Child Support Expenses + $500 BEACON adds the child support amount back into John’s gross monthly income. $1,770 This is John’s income after BEACON deducts the monthly child support amount. Monthly Gross Income $2,270 This is John’s actual gross income. This table outlines the child support expense as an income exclusion Standard Deduction - $193 Gross Income Limit for Household of 1 $2,265 As a household of 1, this is John’s monthly gross income limit. They pass the gross income test because $1,770 < $2,265. Earned Income Deduction - $454 Child Support Deduction - $500 BEACON applies this deduction in the SNAP benefit level calculation. Preliminary Adjusted Net Income (PANI) $1,123 Shelter Deduction - $624 Net Income $499 Maximum Benefit for a Household of 1 $281 30% of Net Income - $150 Benefit Level $131 This table outlines the child support expense as a deduction in the SNAP benefit calculation.

Self-declaration of child support paid is not an acceptable verification. To receive a deduction, a household must verify:

the legal obligation to pay child support, and

the amount of child support the household actually pays

If the client is receiving RSDI and the child support expense is being deducted from the gross RSDI amount, a letter from SSA stating that the deduction is taken out for child support payments will suffice for both proof of court order and proof of payment. If the client is receiving UC payments and the Employment Modernization and Transformation (EMT) Payment Distribution Summary field shows that there is a Withholding for Child Support payments, this will suffice for both proof of court order and proof of payment. Staff must enter the Pre-Tax Authorized Amount in BEACON and enter in the amount of the child support expense deduction in the Support Expenses page of BEACON.

Important : The case manager must ask the client the name(s) of the child(ren) for whom the child support is paid. A verbal self-declaration is sufficient followed by narrative entry. If the child(ren) for whom the payments are being made is included in the SNAP case, the deduction must not be applied.

The chart below details the acceptable verifications of a household’s legal obligation to pay child support, the amount of the obligation and the actual payment of child support.

Verification of Legal Obligation Verification of Payment Court or Administrative order; Legally enforceable separation agreement; Divorce decree; DOR lockbox bill; Statement from SSA; Withholding for Child Support from DUA; or Other DOR documentation Recent copy of cashed checks; Wage withholding statements; Verification of withholding from SSA; unemployment compensation; Written statements from the custodial parent regarding payments; or Proof of payments by the noncustodial parent paid to a third party on behalf of the custodial parent

Remember : A document that is acceptable as verification of the client’s legal obligation to pay child support is not necessarily proof that the client is actually making these payments.

A lockbox bill or other verification from DOR may be acceptable verification of the legal obligation and payment of child support expenses. If the SNAP household is claiming an expense, the DOR verification must state whom the payments are for.

If a client with a legal obligation to pay child support states that they are not making payments, you do not need to verify that payments have stopped. You must zero out the expense and write a detailed Narrative to explain the situation. It is important that the expense be zeroed out rather than ended because it will remind the next case manager to discuss whether payment of expenses has resumed so verification can be requested at that time, if appropriate.

Important : Mobius View is available for DTA to verify receipt of child support income for our clients. You are not authorized to do a reverse lookup on someone’s confidential information to verify if a client is legally obligated to pay child support and the child support amount paid.

Some clients make child support payments on a regular basis, by having it deducted automatically from their paystubs. DTA can use the paystub as proof pf payment, but not as proof of the legal obligation.

When a client verifies that they are no longer receiving wages from a job from which they were paying child support via wage assignment, the worker must cold call the client to determine if the child support payment(s) is being made through another source. If the worker connects with the client, the worker must ask the client whether they are still paying child support. If the client reports that they are no longer paying child support, the worker must zero out the child support expense and wrap up the case.

If the worker connects with the client and the client reports that they are paying child support, you must send an optional VC-1 for proof of payment.

If the worker does not connect with the client through the cold call, the worker must send an optional Verification Checklist for proof of child support payment(s). If verification is not provided by the VC-1 due date, an action will generate for Verifications Due. If verification of child support payment is not received, the worker must zero out the child support expense and process the case.

When a worker receives a DUA Match for an unemployment payment that has ended, the worker must review the case to see if there is a record for a child support deduction paid from UC.

If so, the worker must cold call the client to determine if the child support payment(s) is being made through another source. If the worker connects with the client, the worker must ask the client whether they are still paying child support. If the client reports that they are no longer paying child support, the worker must zero out the child support expense and wrap up the case.

If the worker connects with the client and the client reports that they are paying child support, you must send an optional VC-1 for proof of payment. If the worker does not connect with the client through the cold call, the worker must send an optional Verification Checklist for proof of child support payment(s). If verification is not provided by the VC-1 due date, an action will generate for Verifications Due. If verification of child support payment is not received, the worker must remove the child support expense and process the case.

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At the beginning of every federal fiscal year, the United States Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service (USDA FNS) adjusts maximum SNAP benefits, deductions, and income eligibility standards. These adjustments are known as the “SNAP COLA.” The SNAP COLA is based on changes in the cost of living and takes effect on October 1st of each year.

The standard utility allowances (SUAs) are updated annually to coincide with the COLA.

The annual SNAP COLA was processed during the weekend of September 20, 2025. The new COLA figures will be applied to the entire SNAP caseload. This recalculation will impact benefits beginning in October.

Effective October 1, 2025, the COLA will be as follows:

The gross, net and 165 percent income eligibility standards will increase.

The maximum shelter deduction (for households without an elderly or disabled member) will increase from $712 to $744.

The standard deduction will increase for all households:

AU Size Old Standard Deduction New Standard Deduction 1 $204 $209 2 $204 $209 3 $204 $209 4 $217 $223 5 $254 $261 6 or more $291 $299

The Disaster SNAP Income Eligibility Standards have increased.

The maximum SNAP benefit levels for all household sizes will increase. To reference these changes, please refer to the COLA Standard Amounts link found at the bottom of this page.

The Homeless Shelter/Utility Deduction will increase to $198.99 (which BEACON will round to $199).

The Bay State CAP High Shelter value will remain the same at $481.

The minimum SNAP benefit level for eligible one- and two-person households will increase to $24.

Heating/Cooling SUA increase to $914

Non-heating SUA increase to $556

Phone SUA increase to $64

Bay State CAP SUA increase to $914

The maximum asset limit for non-categorically eligible households with an elderly and/or disabled member will remain at $4,500. The maximum asset limit for all other households will remain at $3,000.

The income reporting threshold for Simplified Reporting households at Interim Report (unearned income only) and Change Reporting households during case maintenance will remain at $125.

Recalculation results indicate that most SNAP households will see an increase in SNAP benefits.

During the weekend of September 20, 2025, active SNAP households, including Bay State CAP households, will be automatically recalculated using the new COLA standards.

Effective Monday, September 23, 2025, the new COLA standards will be used in all automated SNAP calculations. You must use these standards in any necessary manual calculations.

SNAP eligibility charts, issuance tables, standard utility allowance amounts, maximum and minimum benefit amounts, shelter deduction and standard deduction amounts will be updated and posted on the www.mass.gov/dta website for October 1, 2025.

You can also view the new figures by referring to the Helpful Charts and Figures .

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Heating/Cooling SUA increase to $914