016.20.95 Ark. Code R. 012

Current through Register Vol. 49, No. 9, September, 2024

Rule 016.20.95-012 - Food Stamp Basis of Issuance Tables

STANDARD DEDUCTION

6210Farm Loss Deduction

The losses from a farming enterprise operated by a household member may be deducted from the household's other countable income. FSC 5640.1 contains instructions for applying the Farm Loss deduction.

6300The Standard Deduction

A uniform standard deduction is mandated by Federal law and is applied to all households regardless of size, type of income or household composition. See Appendix D for the current standard deduction.

The standard deduction is applied in the following manner on the Food Stamp Authorization document, EMS-233, when there is both earned and unearned income in the household.

1.Calculate the net earned income (field 37) by applying the earned income/deduction as described in FSC 6200 above.

2.Total all unearned income. Enter this figure in field 49.

3.Calculate gross income by adding together net earned income and total unearned income. Enter this figure in field 51.

4.Subtract the standard deduction in field 52 from the gross income (field 51). The figure obtained will be adjusted gross income. Enter this figure in field 53.

Example - The household has one member with gross earnings of $795. Two members each receive an AFDC grant of $142. The calculations which follow are based on deduction amounts in effect 10-1-95.

1.Calculate net earned income (field 37). Gross earned income $795 x 20% = $159 earned income deduction. $795 gross earned income - $159 earned = $636 net earned income.

2.Calculate total unearned income (field 49). $142 AFDC + $142 AFDC = $284

3.Calculate total gross income (field 51). $636 net earned income + $284 total unearned income = $920 gross income.

4.Subtract the standard deduction (field 52). $920 total gross income - $138 standard deduction = $78Z adjusted gross income.

When there is only earned income in the food stamp budget, the gross income (field 51) will consist of the amount calculated as the net earned income in field 37.

Example: The household reports only earned income of $795. The caseworker calculates the earned income deduction as $159 and $636 as the net earned income in field 37. $636 will be entered as the total income in field 51 and the $138 standard deduction will be subtracted from this figure ($636 - $138 = $498) to obtain the adjusted gross income in field 53.

When there is only unearned income in the food stamp budget, the gross income (field 51) will consist of the amount calculated as the total unearned income in field 49.

Example: The household reports only unearned income of two AFDC checks. They total $284. $284 will be entered as the gross income in field 51 and the $138 standard deduction will be subtracted from this figure ($284 - $138 = $146) to obtain the adjusted gross income in field 53.

6400The Dependent Care Deduction

Dependent care costs are payments for the actual care of a child or other dependent person (e.g. an incapacitated adult). Payments are deductible only when necessary for a household member to:

1.Accept or continue employment; or

2.Pursue education preparatory for employment; or

3.Comply with the Project SUCCESS Employment and Training (E & T) Program requirements; or

4.For those individuals not subject to the E & T requirements, an equivalent effort to seek employment. (An individual's statement that they are seeking employment will be adequate to establish an equivalent effort.)

The dependent care deduction will include costs such as baby sitter or day care fees or the cost of an attendant for an incapacitated adult.

Dependent care costs may not exceed a maximum allowable amount determined by Federal law. See Appendix D to this manual for the current maximum allowable amount.

Example - (Based upon the maximum al1owable amount of $175 per dependent effective 9/1/94.) A household reports that a member is employed. This member has two children aged 2 and older. The member pays $45 per week per child to a day care center.

Calculated prospectively, dependent care costs would be $45 x 4.334 = $195 per child reduced to the maximum allowable amount of $175 per dependent. ($175 X 2 = $350 total dependent care costs.)

When a household member receives two telephone bills (e.g., one from Southwestern Bell and one from AT&T), the worker will examine both bills to determine the total allowable basic fees and taxes on such fees. Basic fees will include charges for line access (including mileage charges) and for leasing of equipment for one telephone. Long distance charges are not allowable. Fees to companies specializing in reduced rate long distance call service are not allowable. When a household has "Lifeline Service", charges for local calls in excess of the number permitted will not be allowable. The reduced basic service fees such households incur will be allowable.

5.Shelter costs for a home temporarily unoccupied by its owners. Shelter costs will be allowed for those homes that are temporarily unoccupied by the owners because of employment or training away from home, illness or abandonment caused by a natural disaster or casualty loss.

In order to include the costs of a home temporarily unoccupied by the owners, all four of the following criteria must be met:

The household must be incurring these shelter costs;

The household must intend to return to the home;

The home must not be leased or rented during the absence of

the owners; and

If there are occupants currently in the home, these

occupants must not be claiming the shelter costs for food

stamp purposes.

Verification. If a household claims expenses for a temporarily unoccupied home, the worker will verify the household's actual utility expenses for the unoccupied home in every case and will not use the standard utility allowance.

6.Charges for Repair of Home. Charges for the repair of the home which was damaged or destroyed due to a natural disaster such as, but not limited to, a fire or a flood are deductible when such charges are billed or otherwise become due. Shelter costs will not include charges for repair of the home that have been or will be reimbursed by private or public relief agencies, insurance companies, or from any other source.

7.For homeless households, a shelter estimate of $143. A homeless household, as defined in FSC 1850, is composed entirely of homeless individuals. All homeless households, including those residing temporarily with another household but qualifying for separate household status as per FSC 1630, will be eligible to use a shelter estimate of $143 as the household's total shelter cost if the household reasonably expects to incur shelter costs during the month. Households residing temporarily with another household must pay the other household for shelter in order to qualify for the shelter estimate.

If the household verifies its actual costs are higher than $143, the household may use its actual costs rather than the standard.

If a homeless household has difficulty in obtaining traditional types of verification - e.g., rent receipts or receipts for utility bills, the caseworker may use collateral contact to verify actual shelter costs. Or, in the case that a homeless household has declared shelter costs which are comparable to costs incurred by other homeless households, no verification need be required. (Example, a household resides in a shelter with a basic charge known to the county office.)

6620Explanation of the Utility Standard

The utility standard is a predetermined amount which eligible households may elect to use in their food stamp budget to calculate their total shelter costs. When the utility standard is used in the budget, no actual utility costs are considered regardless of whether the costs are more or less than the standard amount.

There are restrictions on which households may elect to use the utility standard. There are restrictions on how often eligible households may switch from using the utility standard to using actual costs even if the actual costs exceed the standard amount.

6621Determining Which Households Mav Choose to Use the Utility Standard

Generally, a household is entitled to elect to use the standard if it incurs a cost for its primary source of heating or an air conditioning cost separate from its rent or mortgage payment. (See "Specific Costs" below for further explanation). The regularity of the heating and/or air conditioning costs is not a factor in determining whether the household may elect to use the standard as long as the household has costs during the season(s) that correspond to the billed periods. In both examples below the household is entitled to elect the utility standard.

Example 1 - A household does not have an air conditioner but incurs a cost for butane gas used for space heaters throughout the house. The space heaters are the household's primary source of heat.

Example 2 - A household rents an apartment where all utilities are furnished except electricity and that household uses an electric powered air conditioner.

Households billed only for phone, water, sewer, garbage, or any combination of these, are not entitled to elect to use the utility standard. Households not entitled to elect to use the utility standard may claim any actual utility costs incurred separately from rent or mortgage payments.

See FSC 6625 - 6626.2 when determining entitlement to the standard for a household which receives a utility assistance check.

CURRENT STANDARDS Current Standard Deductions

TvDe of Deduction	Amount	Effective Date
1. Earned Income	20%	5-01-86
2. Standard	$138	10-01-95
3. Utility Standard	$166	10-01-95
4. Homeless Household Shelter Estimate	$143	10-01-95
5. Maximum Shelter	$247	10-01-95 - 12-31-96
6. Maximum Dependent Care
Per Dependent - Under Age
Two	$200	9-01-94
Per Dependent - Age Two
and Older	$175	9-01-94

Current SSI Maximum Payments

TvDe of Payment	Amount	Effective Date
SSI Only - Individual	$458	1-01-95
SSI Only - Couple	$687	1-01-95
SSA/SSI - Individual	$478	1-01-95
SSA/SSI - Couple	$707	1-01-95
SSI Only - Individual - Reduced	$305.34	1-01-95
SSI Only - Couple - Reduced	$458	1-01-95
SSA/SSI - Individual - Reduced	$325.34	1-01-95
SSA/SSI - Couple - Reduced	$478	1-01-95

Current Medicare Premium - $46.10 (Part B only)

FSC APPENDIX J10/1/95

FSMO CERTIFIED MAIL LIST

The Food Stamp Online System selects allotments which will be sent certified mail. The County Office is unable to force cases into certified mail delivery. The criteria for certified mail issuance are based on statistics which identify high risk areas for mail loss as well as high dollar allotments. This appendix contains a listing of each county and the criteria in each used to select certified mail cases. (Refer to FSC 14230 for Issuance Via Certified Mail.)

COUNTY	CRITERIA FOR CERTIFIED MAIL ISSUANCE
01-1 Arkansas-1	Maximum allotments for 2 person households and allotments of $239 and above for zip code 72042. All allotments in county of $314 and up are also certified.
01-2 Arkansas-2	Maximum allotments for 2 person households and allotments of $239 and above for zip code 72160. All allotments in county of $314 and up are also certified.
02-1 Ashley	Maximum allotments for 2 person households as well as allotments of $313 and up.
03-1 Baxter	Allotments of $314 and up.
04-1 Benton	Maximum allotments for 2 person households as well as allotments of $313 and up.
05-1 Boone	Allotments of $314 and up.
06-1 Bradley	Maximum allotments for 2 person households as well as allotments of $313 and up.
07-1 Calhoun	Allotments of $314 and up.
08-1 Carroll	Allotments of $314 and up.
09-1 Chicot	Maximum allotments for 2 person households as well as allotments of $313 and up.
10-1 Clark	Maximum allotments for 2 person households as well as allotments of $313 and up.
11-1 Clay	Allotments of $314 and up.

12-1 Cleburne	Allotments of $314 and up.
13-1 Cleveland	Allotments of $314 and up.
14-1 Columbia	Maximum allotments for 2 person households and allotments or $239 and above for zip code 71753. All allotments in county of $314 and up are also certified.
15-1 Conway	Maximum allotments for 2 person households as well as allotments of $313 and up.
16-1 Craighead	Maximum allotments for 2 person households and allotments or $239 and above for zip code 72401. All allotments in county of $314 and up are also certified.
17-1 Crawford	Maximum allotments for 2 person households as well as allotments of $313 and up.
18-1 Crittenden	Allotments of $120 and above for households in zip code 72301. All allotments in county of $314 and up are also certified.
19-1 Cross	Maximum allotments for 2 person households as well as allotments of $313 and up.
20-1 Dallas	Maximum allotments for 2 person households as well as allotments of $313 and up.
21-1 Desha	Maximum allotments for 2 person households as well as allotments of $313 and up.
22-1 Drew	Allotments of $314 and up.
23-1 Faulkner	Maximum allotments for 2 person households as well as allotments of $313 and up.
24-1 Franklin	Allotments of $314 and up.
25-1 Fulton	Allotments of $314 and up.
26-1 Garland	Maximum allotments for 1 person households and allotments or $120 and above for zip codes 71901 and 71913. All allotments in county of $314 and up are also certified.
27-1 Grant	Allotments of $314 and up.

28-1 Greene	Maximum allotments for 2 person households as well as allotments of $313 and up.
29-1 Hempstead	Maximum allotments for 2 person households as well as allotments of $313 and up.
30-1 Hot Spring	Maximum allotments for 2 person households as well as allotments of $313 and up.
31-1 Howard	Allotments of $314 and up.
32-1 Independence	Allotments of $314 and up.
33-1 Izard	Allotments of $314 and up.
34-1 Jackson	Maximum allotments for 2 person households as well as allotments of $313 and up.
35-1 Jefferson	Allotments of $100 and above for households in zip code 71601, 71602, 71603, 71611. AIT allotments in county of $314 and up are also certified.
36-1 Johnson	Maximum allotments for 2 person households as well as allotments of $313 and up.
36-1 Lafayette	Maximum allotments for 2 person households as well as allotments of $313 and up.
38-1 Lawrence	Allotments of $314 and up.
39-1 Lee	Maximum allotments for 2 person households and allotments or $239 and above for zip code 72360. All allotments in county of $314 and up are also certified.
40-1 Lincoln	Allotments of $314 and up.
41-1 Little River	Allotments of $314 and up.
42-1 Logan-1	Allotments of $314 and up.
43-1 Logan-2	Allotments of $314 and up.
43-1 Lonoke	Maximum allotments for 2 person households as well as allotments of $313 and up.

44-1 Madison	Allotments of $314 and up.
45-1 Marion	Allotments of $314 and up.
46-1 Miller	Maximum allotments for 2 person households and allotments or $239 and above for zip code 75502. All allotments in county of $314 and up are also certified.
47-1 Mississippi-1	Allotments of $120 and above for zip codes 72315 and 72316. All allotments in county of $314 and up are also certified.
47-2 Mississippi-2	Maximum allotments for 2 person households and allotments or $239 and above for zip code 72370. All allotments in county of $314 and up are also certified.
48-1 Monroe-1	Maximum allotments for 2 person households as well as allotments of $313 and up.
48-2 Monroe-2	Maximum allotments for 2 person households as well as allotments of $313 and up.
49-1 Montgomery	Allotments of $314 and up.
50-1 Nevada	Maximum allotments for 2 person households as well as allotments of $313 and up.
51-1 Newton	Allotments of $314 and up.
52-1 Ouachita	Maximum allotments for 2 person households and allotments or $239 and above for zip code 71701. All allotments in county of $314 and up are also certified.
53-1 Perry	Allotments of $314 and up.
54-1 Phillips	Allotments of $120 and above for zip code 72390. Maximum allotments for 2 person households and allotments of $239 and above for zip code 72342. All allotments in county of $314 and up are also certified.
55-1 Pike	Allotments of $314 and up.
56-1 Poinsett	Maximum allotments for 2 person households as well as allotments of.$313 and up.

57-1 Polk	Allotments of $314 and up.
58-1 Pope	Maximum allotments for 2 person households as well as allotments of $313 and up.
59-1 Prairie	Allotments of $314 and up.
60-1 Pulaski-1	Allotments of $120 and above for zip codes 72202, 72204, 72206, and 72209. All allotments in county of $314 and up are also certified.
60-2 Pulaski-2	Allotments of $120 and above for zip codes 72114. Allotments for 2 person households and allotments of $239 and above for zip code 72117. All allotments in county of $314 and up are also certified.
61-1 Randolph	Allotments of $314 and up.
62-1 Saline	Maximum allotments for 2 person households and allotments or $239 and above for zip code 72015. All allotments in county of $314 and up are also certified.
63-1 Scott	Allotments of $314 and up.
64-1 Searcy	Allotments of $314 and up.
65-1 Sebastian	Maximum allotments for 2 person households as well as allotments of $313 and up.
66-1 Sevier	Allotments of $314 and up.
67-1 Sharp	Allotments of $314 and up.
68-1 St. Francis	Allotments of $100 and up.
69-1 Stone	Allotments of $314 and up.
70-1 Union	Maximum allotments for 2 person households as well as allotments of $313 and up.
71-1 Van Buren	Allotments of $314 and up.

72-1 Washington	Maximum allotments for 2 person households as well as allotments of $313 and up.
73-1 White	Maximum allotments for 2 person households as well as allotments of $313 and up.
74-1 Woodruff	Allotments of $314 and up.
75-1 Yell	Allotments of $314 and up.

In each county, cases are selected for certified mail issuance if the client has been authorized two mail losses in a six month period.

Non-Categorically Eligible

Exhibit A

DIVISION OF ECONOMIC AND MEDICAL SERVICES __Food Stamo Basis of Issuance

REGULAR HOUSEHOLDS					* * *	AGED - DISABLED HOUSEHOLDS
HOUSEHOLD SIZE	*PRETEST INCOME	MAXIMUM NET INCOME	MAXIMUM COUPONS	MINIMUM **COUPONS	165% INCOME LIMIT	HOUSEHOLD SIZE	MAXIMUM NET INCOME	MAXIMUM COUPONS	MINIMUM **COUPONS
1	810	623	119	10**	1028	1	623	119	10**
2	1087	836	218	10**	1380	2	836	218	10**
3	1364	1040	313	2	1732	3	1040	313	2
4	1642	1263	397	18	2084	4	1263	397	18
5	1919	1476	472	29	2436	5	1476	472	29
6	2196	1690	566	59	2788	6	1690	566	59
7	2474	1903	626	55	3140	7	1903	626	55
8	2751	2116	716	81	3492	8	2116	716	81
9	3028	2330	806	107	3844	9	2330	806	107
10	3307	2544	896	132	4196	10	2544	896	132
11	3585	2758	986	158	4548	11	2758	986	158
12	3863	2972	1076	184	4900	12	2972	1076	184
13	4141	3186	1166	210	5252	13	3186	1166	210
14	4419	3400	1256	236	5604	14	3400	1256	236
15	4697	3614	1346	261	5956	15	3614	1346	261
16	4975	3828	1436	287	6308	16	3828	1436	287
17	5253	4042	1526	313	6660	17	4042	1526	313
18	5531	4256	1616	339	7012	18	4256	1616	339
19	5809	4470	1706	365	7364	19	4470	1706	365
20	6087	4684	1796	390	7716	20	4684	1796	390
21	6365	4898	1886	416	8068	21	4898	1886	416
22	6643	5112	1976	442	8420	22	5112	1976	442
23	6921	5326	2066	468	8772	23	5326	2066	468
24	7199	5540	2156	494	9124	24	5540	2156	494
25	7477	5754	2246	519	9476	25	5754	2246	519
26	7755	5968	2336	545	9828	26	5968	2336	545
27	8033	6182	2426	571	10180	27	6182	2426	571
28	8311	6396	2516	597	10532	28	6396	2516	597
29	8589	6610	2606	623	10884	29	6610	2606	623
30	8867	6824	2696	648	11236	30	6824	2696	648

REGULAR HOUSEHOLD are subject to gross income pretest and the maximum net income. AGED/DISABLED households are subject only to the maximum net income limit for their household size. **MINIMUM COUPONS - For one and two-person households the minimum monthly allotment is $10. The minimum monthly coupon allotments for non-categorically eligible households are indicated by a D on the charts. ***INCAPACITATED/AGED - LIVING WITH OTHERS - See Policy FSC 1630 number 4. See reverse side for CATEGORICALLY ELIGIBLE households (Exhibit B).

CATEGORICAL
HOUSEHOLD SIZE	MAXIMUM 'coupons	.MINIMUM '** COUPONS J
1	1 !19	10**
2	218	10**
3	313	1****
4	397 '	1****
5	472	1****
6	566	1
7	626	1
8	716	1
9	806	1
10	896	1
11	986	1
12	1076	1
13	1166	1
14	1256	1
15	1346	1
16	1436	1
17	1526	1
18	1616	1
19	1706	1
20	1796	1
21	1886	1
22	1976	' 1
23	2066	1
24	2156	1
25	2246	1
26	2336	1
27	2426	1-
28	2516	1
29	2606	1
30	2696	1

**' 1 and 2 - person households that are categorically eligible are entitled to at least $10.

****CATEGORICALLY ELIGIBLE HOUSEHOLDS - These households do not have to meet regular households net income levels. Categorically eligible households with three or more . members will be entitled to benefits of at least $2 if the Thrifty Food Plan reduced by 30% of their net income is at least $1. ($1.00 allotments are automatically rounded to $2.00 before issuance.) See Categorically Eligible FSC Policy for details.

ARKANSAS DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES ______Food Stamp Basis of Coupon Issuance

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016.20.95 Ark. Code R. 012

10/9/1995