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• Allowable business expenses from self-employment.

Earned income from employment of minor children who are not considered the applicant parent is not countable in the household income for child care assistance. The minor’s unearned income will be counted in the household income.

8.3.3 Fluctuation in Earned Income Fluctuating earned income is considered income which varies in amount from month to month or is received at irregular intervals. This may be due to irregular employment or considered irregular because of factors such as seasonal increases or decreases in employment or type of work (e.g., sales work on commission basis).

Irregular or fluctuating income should be averaged over a period sufficient to take the fluctuations into consideration. Individuals who receive their total annual income in a period shorter than one year due to fluctuations or irregular intervals, may have that income averaged over a 12-month period. Seasonal Income is considered earned income. If an individual reports seasonal income, the EABS is expected to enter the monthly equivalent income for the individual on their earned income evidence. 8.3.4 Acceptable Verification of Earned Income • Copies of pay stubs. If pay stubs are available, which accurately reflect an applicant’s current employment, they must be submitted with the application. If the applicant provides two pay stubs that are not consecutive and the EABS is able to determine the gross wages and hours worked for the missing pay stub by looking at the YTD totals, this would be the equivalent of the last two pay stubs. o Particular attention should be given to all pay stubs as the applicant may also receive tips, commissions, overtime shift differential pay, or other employment related income that is countable when calculating income. • Copies of actual pay checks if paid directly by check and pay stubs are not available. It must reflect gross income somewhere on the check. The EABS may have to verify rate of pay and/or hours worked. • Verification of current wages obtained by phone call. EABS should narrate the date, time and whom they spoke with to verify current wages. • Payroll printouts. • Verification completed through the Equifax interface in BEES. • A wage verification form signed by the applicant’s employer that indicates the number of hours worked per week, rate of pay per hour, estimated commissions and tips. Wage verification forms are acceptable if employment has just begun and pay stubs are not available. A wage verification would also be acceptable in the following situations: o An employee is just returning to work from a leave of absence or there is a change in hours that would not be reflected on the pay stubs. For example, an employee may have been part-time and has now accepted a full-time position with the same employer. A wage verification would be necessary to accurately prospect income. o There are extenuating circumstances that have resulted in reduced hours reflected on an applicant’s pay stubs. For example, the applicant may have had a death in the family, a sick child, unpaid vacation or missed work due to being ill themselves. A wage verification could also be accepted in these circumstances. • A signed statement from an employer verifying gross income and hours worked for the last two pay periods. • Printouts of income screens form ACCESS. • A copy of the employee’s first full paystubs verified by YTD amounts and pay period dates to be the first full pay period worked.