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S N A P M A N U A L

172 Chapter 13 Determining Household Eligibility and Benefit Levels 1 3 . 1 P R O S P E C T I V E E L I G I B I L I T Y Prospective eligibility is the use of anticipated and/or actual income and circumstances to determine eligibility for the benefit month. If prospective ineligibility is determined, the case must be closed at the earliest possible effective date. All SNAP cases are budgeted prospectively. The Agency will use the following budgeting procedures to determine ongoing prospective income: (A) To determine representative income, verify all income received in the past 30 days (four (4) current consecutive weeks) prior to the file date. The file date is the date the application (initial or reapplication), recertification or report form is received. (B) Determine the number of times this income was received in those four weeks. Use income receipt date (not pay period ending date). To determine countable income, the Agency must use four consecutive weeks of income received in the past 30 days, unless one or more of those pay dates is determined to be not representative. Representative income is that which is within the range of what would be considered typical or usual for that particular job. Income that is significantly higher or lower due to circumstances that are not typical or usual would not be considered representative. Such a break or difference in income might be due to illness, a death, vacation, emergency or overtime, etc. The Agency must also determine if a week in which no pay is received in the four-week period is representative, considering the nature of the job in making this determination. If the pay for one or more of the four consecutive weeks is not representative, disregard that week(s) income and document the reason it was not considered representative income. See Section 13.4 Determining Income.

Chapter 13