Page 216

Page | 215 Using Wage Verification or Paystubs for New Employment: If the individual has not received income from the new employer, wage verification must be obtained from the employer. When wage verification has been obtained from the employer, use that information to prospect income for the application month and the following months.

Step 1: Review the hours the individual has worked and is scheduled to work for the paycheck(s) that will be received in the application month. Use that amount to prospect the first month’s income. Or Use wage verification from the employer to prospect the income.

Step 2: If wage verification is not used to prospect the income, then you must flag the case to gather more income information. To determine a full month’s income, request the income be submitted for the previous month by the 10th of the following month.

If the household states the first full month of income is representative of the income to be received, no changes are anticipated, and there is no questionable information, then the first full month’s income may be used for future months. If the information is questionable or the household’s states that month’s income is not representative, gather the following 2 months of income for a total of 3 months.

Use the AMND code when updating income after the requested verification is receive

Terminated Employment in Month of Application If the income is from a terminated source, the Benefits Specialist must determine when the final check will be received. If the job ended and the final check was received in the month of application, then actual income would be used to prospect income for the month of application.

If the final check will not be received until the next month, then the conversion factor should be used if the customer is paid weekly or bi-weekly. The case would then need to be updated the following month to show the actual income received from the final pay.

Example 1: Sarah applies for SNAP on August 22nd. She reports her employment went out of business on August 2nd. She received one paycheck on August 16th in the amount of $725. Budget actual income for month of August in the amount of $725. Updated September income to show $0.

Example 2: Robert applied for SNAP on July 29th. He reports his job ended on July 28th. He is paid weekly but will not receive his final check until August 5th. Budget converted income for application month of July. Updated actual income for August from the final check rec’d on August 5th.

Example 3: Carl applied for SNAP on September 22nd. He reports he was let go from his job on Sept 15th. He was paid weekly and received his final check the same day he was let go. Budget actual income for September as it is not a full month’s income, and the income terminated in the month of application.