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FOOD AND NUTRITION SERVICES CERTIFICATION INCOME AND RESOURCES FNS 315 SPECIAL BUDGETING

3 Section 315 Change #01-2022 January 11, 2022 2. If the attendant care payment is provided by a FNS unit member to another FNS unit member from his/her own pocket, do not count payments to the member providing the care as income. Such attendant care payments are not counted as earned income because the money is moving between FNS unit members. C. Determine if the attendant care payment is received as wages by a FNS unit member for care provided to a FNS unit member and paid by a non-FNS unit member. Count these payments as earned income. EXAMPLE: Household size of two includes adult niece and elderly aunt. They have chosen to receive FNS benefits together. The elderly aunt requires attendant care and niece provides the care. Elderly aunt’s son pays the niece for this care. Count payment to niece as earned income. D. Do not count payments paid by an outside source to a provider for care of a FNS unit member. 315.04 BONUS/VACATION PAY A. Bonus/vacation pay is money given by the employer to an employee in addition to the employee’s regular pay. 1. Count bonus/vacation pay in the month of receipt when the amount and date of receipt can be reasonably anticipated. 2. If bonus/vacation pay was received in the base period, determine if is representative. (This means that the next payment will be about the same amount, and there is some certainty of expected receipt, and the pay will be received during the certification period.) 3. If this pay will be received monthly, anticipate for each month of the certification period. 4. If this pay is received less frequently than monthly and anticipated during the next certification period, review payment history to determine anticipated dates of receipt and payment amounts. Prorate the anticipated gross amount over the certification period. 315.05 CAFETERIA PLANS AND FLEXIBLE BENEFITS Some companies make monetary credits available to employees. The credits may be used for a variety of things, e.g, to buy health insurance, life insurance, annual leave, or sick leave, but the employee cannot elect to receive a cash payment. The credit shows up on the pay stub. If the employee does not use the credits, the employee loses them. These credits are not counted as income as they are not legally obligated and otherwise payable to the employee as earnings.