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West Virginia Income Maintenance Manual Chapter 4

West Virginia Income Maintenance Manual Page 105 Chapter 4 Income

WV WORKS This section contains specific instructions for determining countable income and the benefit level for WV WORKS. 4.5.1 BUDGETING METHOD Eligibility is determined, and benefits are issued on a monthly basis; therefore, it is necessary to determine a monthly amount of income to count for the eligibility period. The following information applies to earned and unearned income. For all cases, the Worker must determine the amount of income that can be reasonably anticipated for the assistance group (AG). For all cases, income is projected; past income is used only when it reflects the income the client reasonably expects to receive during the certification period. There is one exception that requires use of actual income instead of conversion or proration; see Section 4.5.1.E below. When the amount of an anticipated income source is determined by use of an income tax return, it is not necessary to change the method by which that income source is anticipated at each redetermination prior to the next tax return, unless the anticipated income from that source for the upcoming certification period is expected to change. 4.5.1.A Methods for Reasonably Anticipating Income There are two methods for reasonably anticipating the income the client expects to receive. One method uses past income and the other method uses future income. Both methods may be used for the same AG for the same certification period. The method used depends on the circumstances of each source of income. Use past income only when both of the following conditions exist for a source of income: • Income from the source is expected to continue into the certification period; and • The amount of income from the same source is expected to be more or less the same. For these purposes, the same source of earned income means income from the same employer, not just the continued receipt of earned income.