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Example 4 George owns a four unit apartment building and lives in unit 1. His annual interest paid on his mortgage for the most recent tax year is $9,765. His operational expenses, including taxes on the building, from the most recent taxes is $12,359. This totals $22,124. This amount divided by four units equals a proportionate share of $5,531. $5,531 multiplied by three rental units equals $16,593. This represents his total budgetable annual expenses. His total annual rental income equals $28,800 ($800 per unit per month). $28,800 –$16,593 _________ $12,207 $12,207 / 12 = $1,017.25 net monthly rental income. 15.4.24 REWARD Wisconsin Stipends Count REWARD Wisconsin stipends as income. These stipends are awarded to child care professionals. 15.4.25 Certain Payment Types Related to the COVID-19 Pandemic There is no uniform policy for how to count payment types related to the COVID-19 pandemic; some payment types are counted as income and some payment types are not counted as income. The criteria used to evaluate whether a payment type is counted as income include: • The text of the federal law that authorized the payment type; • Guidance received from federal agencies; and • Whether the payment can be considered “disaster assistance”. The payment types that count as income include but are not limited to: • Workforce Retention and Recognition Stipend Program payments. These payments are awarded to child care professionals. • USDA Coronavirus Food Assistance Program – Direct Payments to Farmers and Ranchers. • Child Care Counts Stabilization Payments. See section 15.3.30 CERTAIN PAYMENT TYPES RELATED TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC for non-countable types of pandemic-related income. 15.4.26 Virtual Currency Virtual currency is money that is a digital system not in U.S. dollars or other money system backed by a government. Examples may include, but are not limited to, Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Litecoin. Traditional currency, such as the U.S. dollar, is used to purchase virtual currency, and virtual currency may be sold for traditional currency. Virtual currency does not refer to Venmo or PayPal. Venmo and PayPal are payment services that facilitate the movement of funds between people or businesses; they are not currencies. Income earned via Venmo or PayPal sales would most likely fall under self-employment income policies, not virtual currency. If virtual currency is sold, income received from the sale is counted as income. See SECTION 15.5.19 VIRTUAL CURRENCY for information about treatment of virtual currency that the applicant or member has earned through work. This page last updated in Release Number: 26-02 Release Date: 04/15/2026 Effective Date: 04/15/2026