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EAP Policy Manual FFY24 Chapter 3 Program Eligibility Requirements Page 35 Note: Retirement payments can begin at age 59½ or older. Count early retirement benefits received by those under age 59½ only if they are not penalized. Early withdrawal (prior to retirement) is penalized, thus is the drawdown of an asset and is not counted as income. Note: Some PERA (Public Employees Retirement Association) recipients may not receive Social Security. However, they are able to receive the Medicare benefit if they pay for it out of pocket. Just as the amount taken out of a Social Security check for the Medicare benefit is not included in a household’s gross income for the EAP purposes, neither is the amount paid out of a household’s PERA. For example, if a person gets PERA of $1,000 and must pay $43 for Medicare, their gross income for EAP purposes is $957. Social Security (SS) / Supplemental Security Income (SSI) / Retirement, Survivors & Disability Insurance (RSDI) / Social Security Disability Income (SSDI) These types of Social Security income require only one month of income documentation. Listed below are some examples of acceptable income documentation. • An award letter showing income received from the Social Security Administration (SSA). Online Income Verification details how households can obtain SSA income documentation online or via the SSA toll free number. • Copy of benefit check received within the one month eligibility period or in the month the application was signed. • Bank statement showing direct deposit made during the one month eligibility period or in the month the application was signed. • Verified proof of income that was provided by the household to another government program, e.g., SNAP, MFIP, etc. • Computation of current benefit amount based on the previous year’s benefit amount. • Service Providers may verbally confirm current benefit amounts and compare with verified prior program year benefit information to ensure the benefit amounts claimed seem reasonable. • Service Providers must document this in the household file. • Statement reflecting electronic deposit of unearned income received within the one month eligibility period. • Additional electronic options, such as debit cards, are available to deliver unearned income benefits to households. • Transaction statement showing the benefit deposit transaction generally lack personally identifiable information such as names or Social Security Numbers. Households may provide such statements as proof of unearned income. The Service Provider should verify with the household which member the income is for and accept as provided. • The prior year Form SSA-1099. Determine the number of months benefits were received to calculate the one month income.