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

6 Section 315 Change #01-2022 January 11, 2022 • Use any full representative months received during the base period. 2. New, changed, or terminated child support income: • Explore alternate budgeting methods to project the amount expected to be received during the certification period. F. Calculating Monthly Child Support Amount. Child support income is budgeted using the same methodology as all other income. Budget both current and arrearage using the same method. Do not use a 3-month average unless the frequency is determined to be monthly or sporadically. 1. Child support received during the 3-month base period is representative of ongoing income. a. Review the payments received during the 3-month base period to determine the number of representative pays received during the base period. Do not count any one-time lump sum payments or non- representative payments. i. Allow two business days after the payment has been applied to the client’s case in ACTS for direct deposit and ncKIDScard (child support debit card). ii. If child support is verified through ACTS, remember the date shown in the system is the date the check was written. It is mailed on the next workday. b. Determine if there is a pattern such as weekly, bi-weekly, or bi-monthly to the child support payments or if the payments are sporadic. c. Calculate monthly countable child support income based on meeting a pattern or being sporadic. i. Pattern. • Add all representative payments received during the base period. Result is total child support received. • Divide the total child support received by the number of payments received. Result is average child support payment per pay period. • Multiply the average child support payment per pay period by the frequency conversion. Result is total countable monthly child support.