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Vermont Department for Children and Families Reach Up Eligibility Rules Economic Services Division 2200 66

6. Utility bills; 7. Telephone bills; 8. Child care expenses necessary for a member of the Reach Up household to maintain employment, with the following limitation: i. If the overdue expenses were incurred when the participant was receiving Reach Up, only the unsubsidized amounts are considered eligible expenses.

9. Expenses for one or more motor vehicles per Reach Up household, essential for employment, education, training or other day-to-day living necessities, include the following, but not day-to-day operating expenses:

i. Overdue bills for repairs;

ii. Purchase and use tax;

iii. Loan or lease payments;

iv. Inspection fee;

v. Insurance; and

vi. Registration fees.

2248.2 In-Kind Income (08/01/2024, 23-28)

a. In-kind income is defined as any basic requirement that is furnished regularly at no cost to the Reach Up household. b. In computing the requirements, if any basic need item is furnished in part or in full and is considered unearned in-kind income, the item may not be claimed as an expense in the budget and no unearned in- kind income is budgeted. c. In computing the requirements, if any basic need item is furnished in part or in full and considered as earned in-kind income, the item may be claimed as an expense in the budget and it shall be given a monetary value by the employer and treated as earned income in the budget computation. 1. However, in no case shall the monetary value assigned to a need item received as earned in-kind income exceed the ratably reduced amount specified for that item in the Basic Need Standards Table (rule 2244.1) for a Reach Up household of equal size.

d. The monetary value to be budgeted as earned in-kind income shall be that portion of the housing allowance attributable to earned in-kind income, ratably reduced.

1. This ensures that earnings received in the form of housing do not reduce the amount of Reach Up benefits provided to meet the Reach Up household's other basic needs.

e. In no case shall the provision of fuel and/or utilities as part of an Reach Up household's housing be