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FOOD AND NUTRITION SERVICES CERTIFICATION INCOME AND RESOURCES FNS 305 RULES FOR BUDGETING INCOME

1 Section 305 Change #01-2023 January 09, 2023 FNS 305 RULES FOR BUDGETING INCOME Change #01-2023 January 09, 2023

305.01 GENERAL RULES FOR BUDGETING INCOME When determining countable income for the certification period use the following guidelines: A. Food and Nutrition Services (FNS) uses a prospective, or income averaging, budgeting method to determine eligibility and the benefit amount. B. All income shall be counted in the calendar month the household receives the income unless it is otherwise noted. C. Budget all countable gross earned and unearned income using the same procedures except for income types listed in section FNS 315 Special Budgeting Procedures. D. Representative income is income received during the base period that is considered reflective of the FNS unit’s future income. Representative income is used to calculate and budget a monthly amount that is reasonably expected to be available to the FNS unit during their certification period. E. Nonrepresentative Income is income received during the base period that is irregular, changed, new, or terminated and cannot be reasonably expected to be available to the FNS unit during their certification period. Explore other budgeting methods to calculate and budget a monthly amount that is reasonably expected to be available to the FNS unit during their certification period. F. Exclude any money used to repay an overpayment to the same source. Example: If the individual’s Social Security (SSA) check is garnished to repay an overpayment from previous SSA overpayment, exclude the overpayment amount from the gross income. This is a repayment to the same source. Example: If the individual’s SSA check is garnished to repay a Supplemental Security Income (SSI) overpayment, the gross amount is used. These are not repayments to the same source. Refer to manual section FNS 315 Special Budgeting Procedures for SSI payments. Example: An individual’s private retirement check is garnished to repay a previous overpayment from the same source, exclude the overpayment amount from the gross income. This is a repayment to the same source.