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Tennessee Housing Development Agency 2025 LIHEAP Policy Manual for Regular and Crisis Assistance 26

This thorough and systematic review process is essential to maintain the integrity of the LIHEAP program and to ensure that all applications are processed accurately and efficiently.

2.13 Income Income refers to cash receipts earned and/or, in some cases, unearned by the applicant household before taxes. For a more detailed breakdown of what constitutes income, refer to the “Cash Receipts Include” and “Exclusions” lists below. Income will be automatically calculated within the THDA mandated, SmartSimple Software System. THDA Compliance Asset Management team will conduct ongoing monitoring of the SmartSimple system to ensure compliance and accurate income calculation. Cash Receipts Include: • Wages, commissions, salaries, and tips, before any deductions • Net receipts from self-employment: This includes receipts from a person’s own business or from an owned or rented farm, after deducting business or farm-related expenses, • Regular payments such as Social Security*, TANF, railroad retirement, unemployment compensation, strike benefits from union funds, workers compensation, veterans' payments, training or any other stipends, severance pay, child support, regular adoption assistance, military family allotments, or money regularly received from an absent family member or someone not living in the household • Irregular income: Income derived from occasional work such as mowing lawns, childcare, donating plasma, collecting cans/bottles, informal child support agreements, or cash gifts received in the past 30 days • Regular insurance or annuity payments • Net income from Social Security, pensions (private and government, including military retirement pay), and VA benefits (excluding Medicare premiums, overpayment recovery, or garnishment payments) • Dividends and/or interest: A letter from a corporation listing the amount, or a bank statement. Interest is only counted if it exceeds $200 annually and is withdrawn • Net rental income and net royalties • Periodic receipts from estates or trusts • Net gambling or lottery winnings • Black Lung benefits: Considered income, except for the first $20 of each monthly benefit