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237 (07/2026) Chapter 2:Eligibility • Section 5: Financial eligibility • Applicants are advised they may be asked to repay any overpayments regardless of whether they are caused by the applicant or ODHS|OHA. SNAP For SNAP eligibility on a new application, applicant’s circumstances are always looked at prospectively. That is, ODHS|OHA considers what is already known has happened in the initial month (the month containing the filing date), and what is expected to happen for the remainder of the month. When the whole month is considered, eligibility and benefits are issued based on the same information. If the applicant is not eligible, the application is denied. This is prospective eligibility and budgeting for SNAP. Prospective eligibility is used for new applications regardless of which reporting system is used for ongoing months. There is one exception to using actual income already received plus income expected for the remainder of the month: when cases are certified in SRS when ongoing income that is expected to continue is converted. Note: An application is considered new only when it is received after a break in benefits. It is a new application if a household returns an application for redetermination after the prior certification month ends. If the amount of income to be received or when it will be received is uncertain, the portion of the applicant’s income that is uncertain should not be counted by ODHS|OHA. TANF In the initial month, actual income is only used if the income comes from a new or terminated source, or if the previous ongoing income is significantly different from ongoing income. A job or income source is considered new if the participant will receive their first payment in the initial month. If the individual has already received their first payment prior to the initial month, the income source is considered ongoing. Actual income is not used for self-employment or periodic income. Prospective eligibility and budgeting is used for stable income, income that can be prorated and annualized income. It can also be used for participants who leave the filing group due to domestic violence and for benefit groups when a new individual is added in the payment month after ODHS|OHA is notified the individual is a household member. The participant and ODHS|OHA jointly determine the anticipated income to be counted. ODHS|OHA will count only income reasonably certain to be available. However, some income is considered available even when it is not received in the budget month (e.g., converted, averaged and annualized income). ERDC For ERDC, income is budgeted so the anticipated amount is the same for each month, including the initial month. This policy is intended to help ODHS|OHA and participant predict the family’s income with a reasonable degree of accuracy using prospective eligibility and budgeting. Important considerations include: • The copay for future months should be known in advance so both the family and the child care provider will know how much the ERDC program will pay, and how much the family will be expected to pay. • Some differences between estimated income and actual income are to be expected. However, unanticipated changes during the certification may occur and should follow reporting requirements.