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July will meet the needs of the family for that month and subsequent months. NOTE: The standard of promptness requirement that benefits be paid for the month in which the 30th day expires means also that the applicant must be prospectively eligible for the benefit during that month. Do not approve an application for a month for which the worker knows that the applicant is not eligible for the benefit. Deny such an application when handled within 30 days. The applicant must reapply and benefits may be approved only for a month in which the applicant will be eligible prospectively. Determining Benefit Amounts Prospectively: Prospective income will be used to determine ongoing eligibility for all TANF cases. Prospective budgeting means that the benefits to be authorized for the review period are based on the household s circumstances reasonably anticipated for a period of time. Reasonably anticipated income is based on the income received in the four weeks prior to the date of the interview, excluding any income that cannot be reasonably anticipated to continue during the review period. Income that could not be reasonably anticipated to continue would include overtime not usually received, a one-time bonus, etc. If a future change is indicated at the time of application or review, the prospective income will be based on the future change. Future changes must be verified and include changes such as a job change, reduction of hours, a lay-off, etc. Noncontinuing income will not be considered in determining reasonably anticipated income for a household. However, the noncontinuing/terminated income will be counted in the appropriate budget month. Example: Household applies on April 15, 2011. A household member who lost his job on April 8th verifies date of termination and wages received on April 4th and 11th (last check received). The two checks received for April will be counted in the April budget along with any other income. The terminated income will not be included in the budget for May and ongoing. Prospective budgeting also applies for an individual being added to an active case, including transfer of children. See Chapter 7, Special Procedures, for proration of benefits and special procedures for accrual rights of additions to active cases. Once reasonably anticipated income for a household is determined, the income will be coded in the

6001 Volume III | Chapter 6 Revised 07-01-06

MAVERICS system. The system will convert the income based on the frequency of the income. For example, income paid weekly will be converted by 4.33, bi-weekly converted by 2.15, and semimonthly multiplied by 2. This conversion process averages the anticipated income while allowing for four and five week pay periods for individuals paid weekly as well as months with three pay periods for those individuals paid bi-weekly. The fluctuation of pay periods would not be considered as variable basis of issuance. See Variable Basis of Issuance in this chapter. Example: The household is due for review effective December, 2011. The client comes in for her appointment November 1, 2011 and reports she is still working, being paid weekly