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Chapter 3: Household Income Rev. 8/2012 12 the employer’s policy, DSS may provide a copy of the Authorization to Furnish and Release Information page to the employer and request that information be provided directly to DSS. (2) Verification from ACCESS Income verification found on the ACCESS system that has been received within the 3-month LIEAP report period is acceptable as income verification. The programs using ACCESS are required to obtain those verifications and keep them on file. (3) Verification by E-mail If verifications are obtained by e-mail, a copy of that e-mail should be kept as part of the client file. (4) Verification by Phone Verifications obtained by phone should be narrated. The narration should include the date verification was obtained and the source of the verification. (5) Verification by Declaration If the household declares income on the application but cannot provide further verification and there are no other means of verifying the income, the caseworker may obtain the information either by phone or by mail. If received over the phone, the caseworker must narrate the individual they spoke with, date verified, type of income and how often received. If received by mail, documentation must exist in the client file with narrative explaining what income was declared. (E) Income Inclusion/Exclusion Table:

Income Definition Count Wages (including from a S corporation), internships, salaries, tips, commissions, bonuses, royalties, VA Caregiver Stipend and any other taxable forms of financial compensation for services provided

Count gross income received in previous 3-months. Y Self Employment Income is the net profit/loss plus depreciation. For households with self-employment, eligibility must be determined based upon the household’s most recent Federal Income Tax Return. If the client has not generated enough income to require a tax return to be filed, the client must complete a self–employment ledger for the prior calendar year (January 1 – December 31.) 1099-MISC tax form indicates income only

Y