16 Del. Admin. Code § 2000-2014

Current through Register Vol. 28, No. 7, January 1, 2025

Section 2000-2014 - Budgeting Procedures for TANF, GA, RCA and Food Stamps

2014.1 Definitions

The following definitions are applicable to this section:

1. Prospective budgeting means to determine eligibility or to compute the benefit level for a payment/issuance month based on the Division's best estimate of income and circumstances which will exist in that month. The worker will base the estimate on the Division's reasonable expectation and knowledge of current, past, or future circumstances verified through the employer, recent pay stubs, award letters, the applicant or other income source.

2. Budget month means the calendar month for which the Division uses income or circumstances to compute the amount of the benefit.

NOTE: In prospective budgeting, the budget month and the payment/issuance month are the same.

3. Payment/issuance month means the calendar month for which benefits are paid.

4. Beginning/initial month means those months at initial application in which benefits may be calculated differently than on-going months.

A month in which an applicant household is determined eligible and would have received a benefit except for the $10 restriction will be a benefit considered as an initial month.

A month in which an applicant household is ineligible for the month of application, but eligible for the following month, will not be counted as an initial month for food stamps or TANF/GA.

9 DE Reg. 1370 (03/01/06)

2014.2 Eligibility Determination

Eligibility is always determined prospectively.

All cases are determined prospectively for the initial month of application and the subsequent months.

When adding new members to an on-going case, the new members and their income and resources are added prospectively.

2014.3 Method for Calculating Prospective Best Estimate

Obtain all available information from the client and possible income sources to estimate the income. Use all income received in the previous thirty (30) days to determine the future income. If the past income is not an indicator of future income, verify the amount of the expected income from the income source.

When income is received on a weekly, bi-weekly, or semi-monthly basis, convert the income to the monthly amount by multiplying by the appropriate income conversion factor as follows:

Weekly - 4.33

Bi-weekly - 2.16

Semi-monthly - 2

Example 1: Client is employed by TANF company and works 15 to 20 hours per week. He earns $5.00 an hour and is paid bi-weekly. His last four weeks average 17.5 hours per week.

The bi-weekly hours average of 35 hours is multiplied by $5.00 an hour to get the estimate of $175.00 per pay. Multiply the $175.00 bi-weekly pay by 2.16 to get the estimated monthly gross total income of $378.00.

Example 2: Client is employed 40 hours per week by XYZ Designs. The last four weeks indicated she made $6.00 an hour. The weekly gross income of $240.00 is multiplied by 4.33 to get an estimated monthly gross income of $1039.20.

Client reports that her hours were reduced in half effective the week she applied for benefits. After verifying the reduction with the employer, 20 hours weekly multiplied by $6.00 is $120.00. The monthly gross income of $519.60 is the weekly income of $120.00 multiplied by the weekly conversion factor of 4.33.

Changes in income are budgeted prospectively after verifying the information. Changes include, but are not limited to, changes in hourly rates, new jobs, changes from part to full time status (or vice versa), or loss of jobs. Do not budget prospectively changes in income due solely to things such as an extra pay cycle, bonus pay, and overtime or holiday pay.

2014.4 Grant Computation

[273.21(f)]

Once eligibility has been established, benefits are computed prospectively for the initial month and the following month.

1. Income received by individuals paid on a contractual basis (e.g., school teachers), farmers, and self-employed individuals is averaged. Income covered under a contract must be averaged over the number of months covered by the contract. Intermittent income received quarterly, semi-annually, or yearly such as farm income, will be averaged over the period covered by the income if it is reasonably expected to continue in the future. Income from educational grants, scholarships, or deferred educational loans are pro-rated over the period they are intended to cover. The averaged or pro-rated amount is recalculated when the base used to calculate the monthly amount changes. Recalculation could be occasioned by the signing of a new contract or the beginning of a new school term.

2. When an eligible individual is added to an existing TANF/GA unit, the eligible individual's needs will be reflected in the assistance at the time his/her eligibility is determined and a supplemental grant will be issued.

When a FS household reports that it has gained a new member (including newborns), the member is added effective the month the household reports the gain of the new member. A supplement will be issued for the entire month the new member is reported and added to the household. The additional benefits will not be prorated.

EXAMPLE: Household reports the birth of a baby on March 20. The baby is added to the case effective March 1 and a full supplement is issued.

Household reports the addition of two nephews on May 28. The two individuals are added to the household effective May 1 and a full supplement is issued.

The new member's income is budgeted prospectively. If the new member had been providing income to the household on an ongoing basis prior to becoming a member of the household, the previously provided income will be excluded in determining the household's benefits for the issuance month the new member is added.

EXAMPLE: Father moves back into the household on November 1. He had been sending child support payments to the household. Father is added to the household effective November 1. His income is budgeted prospectively for November on. No child support is budgeted.

Excluded household members whose income has been deemed as available to the household are added prospectively. Individuals previously disqualified for an intentional Program violation or failure to comply with work requirements must be added the month after their disqualification periods ends.

The following household members must be added using prospective budgeting procedures:

.	Individuals who were previously disqualified for an intentional Program violation,

.	Individuals who were previously disqualified under a work requirement sanction,

.	Individuals who were previously ineligible because of failure to comply with the social security number requirement, and

.	Individuals who were previously ineligible aliens.

Others (e.g. students) must be added using the budgeting procedures for adding new members who were not previously living with the household.

If an individual has moved out of one participating FS household within the State and moves into another with no break in participation, the individual's income, deductible expenses, and resources from the budget month are used in determining benefits to be provided in the issuance month. The individual, his income and resources, and his deductible expenses, are included in determining the issuance month eligibility and benefit level of either the household from which the individual has moved or the household into which the individual has moved, but not both.

If an individual moves out of a participating FS household and is no longer a Program participant, the individual and his income and resources are excluded when determining the household's FS allotment.

3. Deductions for eligible FS households are allowable as billed or averaged from the corresponding budget month. Included are those shelter costs billed less often than monthly which the household has chosen to average.

For households opting to average expenses, use the average amount determined unless a reported rate increase or first time expense necessitates are- calculation.

4. When a Food Stamp only recipient applies for cash assistance, the cash assistance benefit is determined prospectively.

16 Del. Admin. Code § 2000-2014