016.20.14 Ark. Code R. 002

Current through Register Vol. 49, No. 9, September, 2024
Rule 016.20.14-002 - Resource Limit Increase for Regular Households (2014)
1600 Process 4 - Determining Household Composition
1621 Citizenship Status
3. Add the sponsor's deemed resources to any resources declared by the alien's household.
4. Compare the total resources (the deemed portion of the sponsor's resources and the resources declared by the alien's household) to the maximum resource limits, which are $2,250 for households without a member age 60 or older and $3,250 for all households with at least one member age 60 or older.
5. Deny the application if the household's total resources exceed the appropriate maximum resource limit.

Note:For individuals who sponsor more than one alien, the deemed resources will be prorated among the aliens who have applied to participate or who are actually participating in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

If the sponsored alien's household is eligible based upon resources, determine the amount of the sponsor's income by completing the following actions:

1. Determine the sponsor's total gross monthly-earned income. Include net self-employment income. Include SSI and other public assistance payments. Include the earned income of the sponsor's spouse if the sponsor and his/her spouse are living together. (This income must be included even if the sponsor and spouse were not married at the time the agreement to sponsor was signed.) To determine gross monthly income, follow the instructions in SNAP 7500.
2. Calculate the earned income deduction and subtract it from the sponsor's gross earned income. (See the Current Standards Appendix for the current percentage used to calculate the earned income deduction.) The result is the sponsor's net earned income.
3. Add together all the unearned income of the sponsor and his or her spouse. Do not include income excluded under SNAP 5400. The result is the sponsor's total unearned income.
4. Add together the sponsor's net earned income and total unearned income. The result is the sponsor's net income.
5. Subtract from the sponsor's net income the maximum gross SNAP income allowable for the sponsor's correct household size. To determine the sponsor's correct household size, include all individuals who could be or who are claimed as tax dependents even those not actually living with the sponsor.
6. Use the resulting amount as unearned income in the sponsored alien's SNAP budget. (If the sponsor actually provides money to the sponsored alien, any money in excess of the deemed income amount will be shown in the alien's SNAP budget in addition to the deemed income.)

note:For individuals who sponsor more than one alien, the deemed income will be prorated among the aliens who have applied to participate or who are actually participating in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

Any money paid by the sponsor or the sponsor's spouse to an eligible sponsored alien will be counted as income in the household SNAP budget only to the extent this money exceeds the amount deemed to the sponsored alien.

1621.7.5 Changes in Sponsors

SNAP Manual 06/15/98

If the alien changes sponsors during the certification period, he or she must report the change to the county office within ten days and verify the following information regarding the new sponsor:

a. Name, address and telephone number; and b. Resources and income.

Within ten days of the report, the alien's eligibility will be re-determined based upon the new sponsor's income and resources. If the action adversely affects the alien, a notice of adverse action must be issued at least ten days before the effective date of action.

1621.7.6 Reporting Changes in Sponsor's Income

SNAP Manual 10/01/03

The sponsored alien must report to the county office the following changes in the sponsor's income within ten days of the day the change becomes known:

* Change in employment.

* Loss of employment.

* Acceptance of new employment.

Exception:Semi-annual reporting households may report these changes on the first semiannual report submitted after the change.)

The deemed income must be recalculated to reflect these changes. If the reported change results in a decrease in benefits or case closure, a notice of adverse action must be issued. Verification of reported changes in the sponsor's income or spouse's income is required.

11400 Special Instructions - Occasional Reporters 11460 Summary Chart

certification, no additional notice is required.

5.Case Closed at Household's Request

When a household voluntarily requests case closure in writing, no notice is required. If a verbal request for closure is made by the household in the presence of the county office worker, written confirmation of the closure will be issued via the Notice of Action (DCO-1). The written confirmation will not offer the household the same protection as an adequate notice. (See the SNAP Glossary definition of Notice of Action.) Should the household appeal the action to close the case, benefits will not be continued pending a decision.

6.Addressee Unknown/No Forwarding Address

When mail is returned by the post office with a message from the post office indicating that the addressee is unknown, has moved and left no forwarding address, or that the address provided does not exist, the case may be closed without notice. The worker must insure that a county office error did not cause the mail to return. The county office worker must also insure that the household has not reported an address change which was not processed or was processed incorrectly. The returned mail, including the envelope, must appear in the case record. The action to close the case must be fully documented.

11460 Summary Chart

SNAP MANUAL 11/01/14

Occasional Reporting

Type of Change

Reporting Requirement

Processing Standard

Verification Code

Notice Code

INCOME - Change in source

Within 10 days of date known

10 days

VR

NOAA or AN

INCOME - Increases or decreases by $50 or less

None

10 days

VIO

NOAA or AN

INCOME - Increases by more than $50

Within 10 days of date known

10 days

VR

NOAA or AN

INCOME - Decreases by less than $50

Within 10 days of date known

10 days

VIO

AN

INCOME - Decreases by $50 or more

Within 10 days of date known

10 days/not later than the beginning of next calendar month

VR

AN

LIQUID RESOURCES Reach or exceed $2,250

Within 10 days of date known

10 days

VIO

NOAA or AN

VEHICLES Acquires a vehicle

Within 10 days of date known

10 days

VIO

NOAA or AN

ADDRESS/RESIDENCE

Within 10 days of date known

10 days

VQ

AN

HOUSEHOLD MEMBER - Enters home

Within 10 days of date known

10 days/not later than the beginning of the next calendar month

VQ

NOAA or AN

HOUSEHOLD MEMBER - Leaves home

Within 10 days of date known

10 days

VQ

NOAA or AN

SHELTER COSTS

Only if change of residence - If so, within 10 days of date change becomes known.

10 days

Entitlement to Standard VQ Actual Utility costs VS25

AN

CHILD SUPPORT

None

10 days

VR

NOAA

DEPENDENT CARE COSTS

None

10 days

VC

NOAA or AN

MEDICAL COSTS

None

10 days

VS25

NOAA or AN

Notice Codes for Reported Changes

AN .............. Issue an adequate notice.

NOAA ......... Issue an advance notice of adverse action.

NON ........... No notice is required.

Verification Codes for Reported Changes

VC ............... This information must be verified when the amount paid or caretaker/provider changes.

VR .............. This information must be verified.

VQ .............. This information must be verified if questionable.

VIO ............. This information must be verified if incomplete, inaccurate, inconsistent, or outdated. VS25 ........... This information must be verified if the source has changed or the amount has changed by more than $25.

12200 Changes Reported by the Household 12232 Liquid Resources

If the reported information shows a vehicle will be totally excluded, no additional action is required. If not, it must be determined if the countable value of the vehicle will make the household ineligible.

See SNAP 4821 for instructions on determining the countable value of a vehicle.

If the information provided shows the countable value of the vehicle plus other resources make the household ineligible, additional information may be needed. For example, it may be necessary to determine if the household "traded in" a vehicle currently counted as a resource.

If additional information is needed, an advance notice of adverse action must be manually issued to the household via a Notice of Action (DCO-1). The DCO-1 will specify the information to be provided and will state that failure to return the information by the specified date will result in case closure.

12232 Liquid Resources

SNAP MANUAL 11/01/14

When a household reports liquid resources exceeding $2,250, the SNAP case will be closed unless the household contains a member age 60 or older or is categorically eligible as defined in SNAP 1920. If the household has a member age 60 or older, the household will remain eligible unless its total resources exceed $3,250.

See SNAP 4950 for an explanation of the procedures for handling lump sum payments.

Additional contact with the household will be required if the household reports liquid resources in excess of $2,250 but doesn't specify the amount.

12233 Actions to Take to Change a Resource

SNAP MANUAL 11/01/14

Vehicles

1. Determine the countable value of the new vehicle (see SNAP 4800 - 4841).
2. If the vehicle has any countable value, add this figure to the existing resources. If applicable, subtract the countable value of the vehicle used as the "trade-in."
3. Compare the household's total countable resources to the applicable resource limits (see SNAP 4300 - 4310).
4. If the household's total countable resources are less than the limits, the household continues to be eligible. If not, close the case.

Liquid Resources

If the household's liquid resources exceed the applicable limit ($2,250 for regular households or $3,250 for age 60 or older/individuals with disabilities households), the case will be closed unless the household is categorically eligible

12240 Income Changes

SNAP MANUAL 10/01/03

12241 Determining Effect of Change

A reported change in income will be reviewed to determine:

* If the information reported is adequate to determine the effect of the change on the household's monthly SNAP benefit amount; and

* If verification is required.

Other factors to be considered are listed below.

1. Loss of earnings by an eligible student may change student status from eligible to ineligible (see SNAP 1622.2).
2. An individual who is terminated or laid off from a job may get unemployment compensation.
3. An individual who loses earnings due to illness, injury, or pregnancy may get worker's compensation, sick pay, or maternity benefits.
4. A voluntary quit may have occurred (see SNAP 3401.1).
5. An individual who becomes entitled to SSA, SSI or VA may receive a lump sum payment (see SNAP 4950 - 4951).
6. Receipt of SSA or VA by an individual with dependents in the home may mean the dependents also have income.
7. Loss of income may result in receipt of loans or contributions if the household no longer has the income necessary to meet its expenses.

In these instances, for occasional reporters, the worker will use the procedures in SNAP 12400. Semi-annual reporters will be asked to explain these circumstances before the semi-annual report form is processed (see SNAP 11550).

The case record must also be reviewed to determine if a change in work registration status has occurred. See the chart below:

4300 Resource Eligibility Standards

SNAP Manual 11/01/14

A household's eligibility will be denied or terminated when the value of the household's countable resources (both liquid and non-liquid assets) exceed the following:

* $3,250 for all households with an age 60 or Older or a individual with disabilities (see Glossary definition of age 60 or Older/Individuals with Disabilities Households) member regardless of household size;

OR

* $2,250 for all other households.

A household where at least one member receives a TEA benefit as specified in SNAP 1920 is categorically eligible and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program's resource limits will not apply to that household.

If no household member receives TEA benefits, the household is classified as categorically eligible only if all household members receive SSI benefits. If not all household members receive SSI benefits, the entire household is not categorically eligible. However, the individual household members who receive SSI benefits are categorically eligible. This means that any resources solely owned by an SSI recipient are not to be counted when the household's total resources are determined, but all resources owned by the other household members are to be counted. If the resources owned by household members who do not receive SSI exceed the resource limit, the entire household (including the SSI recipient) is ineligible to participate in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Co-owned resources will not automatically be excluded under this policy. Instead, the resource will be handled in the same manner as any other jointly owned resource. See SNAP 4910 and SNAP 4601 for instructions.

4310 Uniform Resource Standards

SNAP Manual 08/01/98

Resource standards are uniformly applied to all households except those in which all members are recipients of TEA and/or SSI. Except for categorically eligible households, all resources currently held by the household and all resources anticipated to be received during the certification period must be reported at the time of the interview.

. Payments to the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe of Michigan (P.L 99-346, Section 6(b) (2));

* Per capita payments to the Chippewas of Mississippi ( P.L. 99-377, Section 4(b), 8 /8/86);

* Payments to heirs of deceased Indians under the Old Age Assistance Claims Settlement Act except for per capita shares in excess of $2,250 ( P.L. 98-500, Section 8, 10 /17/84);

* Payments to the Puyallup Tribe of the State of Washington (P.L. 101-41, 6-21-89); and

* Payments under the White Earth Reservation Land Settlement Act of 1985 to the White Earth Band of Chippewa Indians in Minnesota ( P.L. 99-264)

* Payments under the Seneca Nation Settlement Act of 1990 to members of the Seneca Nation (P.L. 101-503).

* Funds appropriated in satisfaction of judgments awarded to the Seminole Indians in dockets 73, 151, and 73-A of the Indian Claims Commission (P.L. 101-277)

* Funds distributed or held in trust for members of the Chippewas of Lake Superior ( P.L. 99-146).

* Assistance paid under P.L. 95-608, the Indian Child Welfare Act of 1978.

* Payments to the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation under the Grand Coulee Dam Settlement Act (P.L. 103-436).

* Funds appropriated in satisfaction of judgments awarded to the Seminole Indians by the Indian Claims commission (P.L. 101-277)

* Distributions under the Michigan Indian Claims Settlement Act, Section 111, to the Ottawa and Chippewa Indians of Michigan (P.L. 105-143)

5.Per capita payments of $2,250 and less made under Public Law 98-64 to Native

Americans from judgment awards and funds held in trust by the Secretary of the Interior and purchases made with certain per capita payments to specific tribes or bands of Indians.

This exclusion applies on a per-person and not a per-household basis. It applies individually to each payment regardless of how frequently the payments are made and regardless of the number of months for which the payment is made. When such payments are deposited in a bank or financial institution, the funds remain excluded. The length of the exclusion period will be determined by the type of funds in the account. See SNAP 4960.

disqualification as well as the household's right to an administrative hearing. The disqualification period will begin with the month of application.

If the household is certified at, the time the transfer is discovered, a notice of adverse action that explains the reason for and the length of the disqualification must be sent. The disqualification period begins with the first benefits authorized after the expiration of the adverse action period, unless the household requests an administrative hearing and continued benefits.

Note: A disqualification penalty can be imposed only once for the same transfer.

4974 Periods of Disqualification

SNAP Manual 11/01/14

To determine the length of the disqualification period, the county office worker must add the value of the transferred resource to the total countable resources and then subtract the resource limit. The remainder will be used to determine the period of disqualification as explained in the following chart.

AMOUNT IN EXCESS OF THE RESOURCE LIMIT

PERIOD OF DISQUALIFICATION

$ 0 - $ 249.99

1 month

250 - 999.99

3 months

1,000 - 2,999.99

6 months

3,000 - 4,999.99

9 months

5,000 - and up

12 months

Example:A 54-year-old woman made application for SNAP benefits as a one-person household. One week before she submitted the application, the woman transferred $4,000 from a bank account to a relative leaving a balance of $1,000 in the account. The household's total countable resources are $1,000. The value of the transferred resources is $4,000.

$1,000 countable resources + $4,000 amount of transfer = $5,000

$5,000 - $2,250 resource limit = $2,750.

The transfer will result in a six-month disqualification.

. Per capita payments of $2,250 and less made under Public Law 98-64 funds held in trust by the Secretary of Interior.

* Under 25 USCS 1408 (as amended by P.L 93-134, P.L 97-458 and P.L 103-66, Section 13736, 10/7/93) interests of individual Indians in trust or restricted lands will not be considered a resource and up to $2,250 per calendar year of income received by Indians from such interests will be excluded as a resource and as income. Interests include the Indian's right to or legal share of the trust or restricted lands. The exclusion applies to each individual Indian who has an interest.

* Payments of relocation assistance to members of the Navajo and Hopi Tribes (Pub. L 93-531).

* Payments to the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewas, Arizona ( P.L. 97-403).

* Payments to the Blackfeet, Grosventre, and Assiniboine tribes (Montana) and the Papago (Arizona) P.L. 97-408).

* Per capita and interest payments made to the Red Lake Band of Chippewas ( P.L. 98-123, Section 3, 10 /13/83).

* Per capita and interest payments made to the Assiniboine Tribe of the Fort Belknap Indian Community and the Assiniboine Tribe of the Fort Beck Indian Reservation (Montana) ( P.L. 98-124, Section 5 ).

* Payments to the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe of Michigan ( P.L. 99-346, Section 6(b)(2)).

* Per capita payments to the Chippewas of Mississippi ( P.L. 99-377, Section 4(b), 8 /8/86).

* Old Age Assistance Claims Settlement Act, provides that funds made to heirs of deceased Indians under this Act except for per capita shares in excess of $2,250 ( P.L. 98-500, Section 8, 10 /17/84).

* Payments to the Puyallup Tribe of the State of Washington (P.L. 101-41, 6-21-89).

* Payments under the White Earth Reservation Land Settlement Act of 1985 to the White Earth Band of Chippewa Indians in Minnesota ( P.L. 99-264).

* Payments under the Seneca Nation Settlement Act of 1990 to members of the Seneca Nation (P.L. 101-503).

* Funds appropriated in satisfaction of judgments awarded to the Seminole Indians in dockets 73, 151, and 73-A of the Indians Claims Commission.

* Funds distributed or held in trust for members of the Chippewas of Lake Superior ( P.L. 99-146).

Name of Resource

How Handled

Policy Reference

Security Deposits

Exclude as a resource.

SNAP 4550

Stocks

Count current per stock value times the number of stock held by the household.

SNAP 4670

Trust Funds

Exclude as a resource only if inaccessible as defined in SNAP 4510. If accessible, count full value of fund.

SNAP 4510

Vacation Homes (Includes time-share condominiums, R.V. parks, etc.)

Count equity value unless the property annually produces income consistent with its fair market value.

SNAP 4700

Vehicles

See SNAP 4800-4870.

SNAP 4800-4870

7420 Determining Total Resources

SNAP Manual 7/01/98

To determine the household's total resources, the worker must add together:

a) countable liquid resources,
b) the excess value of all countable vehicles, and
c) the equity value of all countable non-liquid resources. The resulting figure will be compared to the applicable resource limit.
7430 Limits for Total Allowable Resources

SNAP Manual 11/01/14

No Limit

Categorically eligible households have no resource limit in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. See SNAP 1920.

Resource Limit - $3,250

This limit applies to households not classified as categorically eligible when there is a member aged 60 or older or a disabled member as defined in the Glossary definition of Aged/Disabled. (This includes one-person households.)

Resource Limit - $2,250

This limit applies to households not classified as categorically eligible when all household members are age 59 or younger.

Unless a household is categorically eligible, the household's total resources must be equal to or below the applicable limit. If not, the household's application will be denied.

operational, he or she will not be referred to the E&T Program. However, he or she will be referred at the next certification if verification of disability is not provided.

For households with a member who must meet the requirement to work (RTW), the imposing of a RTW penalty or the granting of a personal exemption will not be delayed. However, the process of verifying RTW compliance may be delayed. See SNAP 3600 for additional information.

9444 Alien Status

SNAP Manual 07/01/03

Expedited service only provides for postponing verification. If an individual will not declare basic information about citizenship and/or alien status, there is no basis on which to allow the individual to participate in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. He or she will be classified as an ineligible alien when the application is processed. See SNAP 1621.6.

If an alien states he or she meets one of the conditions under which non-citizens may participate in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (see SNAP 1621.8) and wishes to be included in the SNAP household, the worker will ask the household to supply documentation of his or her alien status. If the household cannot supply this documentation within the expedited processing time frames, verification will be postponed. The alien will be allowed to participate; however, the required documentation must be provided at the time of the next application if the alien is to continue participating in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

9445 Resources

SNAP Manual 11/01/14

Countable liquid resources include cash on hand, checking and savings accounts, stocks and bonds, and lump sum payments.

Applications from expedited households with non-liquid resources which exceed the resource limit will be denied. The resource limits are:

* $3,250 for households, including one person households, with an individual living with a disability and/or persons aged 60 or older as defined in the Glossary definition of individual living with a disability and/or persons aged 60 or older household ;

* $2,250 for all other households.

016.20.14 Ark. Code R. 002

12/8/2014