Availability of Income

[EAS 44-101, 44-102]

Receipt of Income

All reasonably anticipated income must be considered to be available to the AU during the SAR payment Period and must be considered when determining eligibility and grant amount. Income is considered reasonably anticipated when the income has been or will be approved or authorized as of a date within the upcoming SAR Payment Period, or the household is otherwise reasonably certain that the income will be received within the payment period; and the amount of income is known.

Example Example A recipient reports that an AU member will start a new job in the upcoming payment period and the payday falls within the next SAR Payment Period and reports the anticipated wage amount and expected hours. Because the timing and amount of the income is reasonably certain, the EW must consider this income to be reasonably anticipated and therefore, the income must be used in the benefit calculations for the next SAR Payment Period. The EW must document the recipient’s statement of expected hours and wages in the Maintain Case Comments window. 

Example Example A household reports that a member has been verbally approved for State Disability Insurance (SDI). However, the AU member has not received an actual award letter or check, and does not know the exact start date or amount. Because the timing and amount of the income is unknown, the EW must not prospectively budget this income in the calculation for the upcoming SAR Payment Period. 

Manipulating Receipt of Income

If it appears that the recipient is deliberately manipulating the receipt of income in order to be eligible, there may be grounds for denial or discontinuance of aid on the basis of not accepting potentially available income.

Ordinarily, a recipient is paid on regular intervals or days in the month. If the pay dates are random or inconsistent, contact the employer to determine payroll practices. Be sure not to reveal the name of the recipient unless there is a signed release of information from the customer.

Income to the AU

All the net nonexempt income of every member of the AU and appropriate income from the non-AU members must be used in the budget computations. Refer to Social Security, Railroad Retirement and Other Pensions [EAS 44-113.3]. 

Related Topics

Income

SSI/SSP or CAPI Income

Family Income

Potentially Available Income

Treatment of Income

Transfer of Income