3. NON-SIGNIFICANT INCOME CHANGES

A. Non-significant income changes are defined as temporary, very short term variations in the earned or unearned income amount caused by a situation which is not of an ongoing nature or which is of a variable nature.

B. Some examples are changes in the rate of return on investments that are not expected to persist, previously anticipated fluctuations in wages, occasional changes in wages due to unpredictable overtime, unpaid absences, or occasional illness.

C. When non-significant income changes occur during the certification period, they often do not impact eligibility or benefits.

D. Unless the income is averaged, it is counted as income only in the month it is received. Whenever a full month's income is anticipated but is to be received on a weekly or biweekly basis, it is converted to a monthly amount by multiplying weekly amounts by 4.3 and biweekly amounts by 2.15. When less than a full month's income is anticipated, the actual amount of anticipated monthly income is used.

E. With the exception of migrant farm worker households which are destitute, households may elect to have income averaged. Households which, by contract or self-employment derive their annual income in a period of time shorter than a year have that income determined in accordance with Section 444-2.

F. Households receiving scholarships, deferred loans, or other educational grants have such income averaged over the period for which it was provided. (See Section 444-7(2).)

G. Nonrecurring lump sum payments are counted as assets starting in the month they are received. They are not counted as income in determining SNAP eligibility and benefits amounts.

H. Annuities and lottery winnings that are paid annually are averaged over a 12 month period.

I. Wages held at the request of the employee are considered income in the months they would otherwise have been paid. Wages held by an employer as a general practice are not counted until they are expected to be received. Advances on wages are counted when reasonably anticipated.

J. Households receiving income on a recurring monthly or semimonthly basis do not have their countable monthly income varied merely because of changes in mailing cycles or pay dates or because weekends or holidays cause additional payments to be received in a month.