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West Virginia Income Maintenance Manual Chapter 4
West Virginia Income Maintenance Manual Page 140 Chapter 4 Income
4.6.1.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 or POC. • 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. Use future income when either of the following conditions exist for a source of income: • Income from a new source is expected to be received in the certification period or POC. For these purposes, a new source of earned income means income from a different employer. • The rate of pay or the number of hours worked for an old source is expected to change during the certification period or POC. Income that normally fluctuates does not require use of future income. Fluctuating Work Hours Example: The Thorn family members have the following income: Mr. Thorn has earnings that fluctuate greatly from week to week. He expects no change in his earnings. Mrs. Thorn was earning a substantial monthly salary but was laid off last week. She will begin work next week at a job that pays $9.00 per hour. She does not know how many hours she will work, but her employer has told her she will work a minimum of 20 hours per week. Mr. Thorn’s income is anticipated by using his past income as an indication of what he can expect to receive in the certification period. Mrs. Thorn’s income from an old source cannot be used because it will not be received in the upcoming certification period. Instead, the Worker must anticipate what her future earnings will be based on the best information available at the time. Mr. Thorn’s source of income meets the requirements for using past income to anticipate the future income, but Mrs. Thorn’s source is new and must be projected.