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Allow dependent care costs ONLY if the following are met:

1. Someone outside the SNAP household filing unit provides this service;

2. The individual can be living in the same residence but not be required in the SNAP filing unit, and 3. The household is obligated to pay for this service. When a portion of the dependent care expense is reimbursed or paid for by another publicly funded entity or other third party, only the amount of the dependent care expense in excess of these payments is allowable as the deduction. Allowable dependent care costs include: 1. The costs of care given by an individual care provider or care facility; 2. Transportation costs to and from the care facility; and 3. Activity or other fees associated with the care provided to the dependent that are necessary for the household to participate in the care. Transportation cost will be reimbursed at the IRS mileage rate.

CHILD SUPPORT DEDUCTION:

Members of a household making legally obligated child support payments TO an individual living outside of the SNAP household FOR a child living in or out of the SNAP household are allowed an expense for the amount of the child support payments paid. The expense is allowed regardless of whether the payment is for the current period or is for arrearage. EXCEPTION: If the payment is sent to someone outside the home who returns the payment to a member of the SNAP household, the child support deduction is not allowed.

Legally obligated means the household has a legal obligation to pay the support (e.g., court order, administrative order, legally enforceable separation agreement, etc.). The legally obligated child support amount must be verified but cannot be used as verification of the actual child support payment. The actual child support paid must also be verified. Legally obligated payments made to a third party on behalf of the non-household member are also allowed as a deduction. The payment must be a legal obligation and verification of the order and the amount must be obtained. Examples of third-party payments are rent payments paid to a landlord, payments of health insurance premiums, etc.

BUDGETING CHILD SUPPORT EXPENSE:

The eligibility staff member must review and evaluate the payment history of the household member with the expense to determine the prospectively budgeted amount.

If the individual has paid several monthly payments, an average of the past months' payments can be used to prospectively budget if anticipated to be the same for the prospective period. If the individual does not have a stable payment history, the prospected amount is based on the amount the individual anticipates paying until a stable history can be determined. If payments are paid by garnishment of wages and the individual is paid weekly or bi-weekly, the deduction