GENERAL RULE - Count all earned income from any source, excluding only those items listed under Exempt Income (FS 555-4).
EARNED INCOME INCLUDES:
1.Wages and Salaries - Include payments such as: gross earned income (before any payroll deductions), garnished wages, tips, commissions, etc. Workfare assistance payments are considered unearned income.2.Self-Employment - Income derived from any self-employment activity (FS 4442). Types of self-employment may include:
a. Independent contractors, franchise holders, owners/operators, farmers, people who produce and sell a product, and service-type businesses;b. seasonal self-employment such as fishing, clamming, worm digging, logging, etc.;c. income from boarders (FS444-3);d. income from roomers (FS 444-2);e. ownership of rental property if a household member is actively engaged in the management of the property on an average of at least twenty hours per week. See FS 555-3 for those households not actively engaged in property management.3. Training Allowances - That portion of training allowances which exceeds expenses, and represents a gain or benefit to the household.4. W.I.A. - On the job training WIA earnings of household members except for dependents less than 19 years old and, regardless of age, except for participants in the Summer Youth Employment and Training Program and comparable summer youth employment and training programs under Americorps. NOTE: Americorps does not provide OJT.
5. Attendant Care Payments - Attendant care payments provided by an outside source if the person providing the care is a household member. NOTE: see FS 555-3, #9 for treatment of similar income as unearned income and FS 555-4, #7 for treatment of similar income as excluded income.
VERIFYING EARNED INCOME:
ACCEPTABLE VERIFICATION (Not all Inclusive):
- Pay stubs (if complete)
- Pay envelopes (if complete)
- W-2 Form
- State or Federal Income Tax Return
- Self-employment bookkeeping records
- Sales and expenditure records
- Employer's statement (signed and dated by employer)
- Employer's wage record
- Employment Security Office records
HOUSEHOLDS HAVE THE PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITY TO PROVIDE VERIFICATION OF EARNED INCOME - If necessary, the agency will assist the household in securing the required verification.
10-144 C.M.R. ch. 301, § 500-FS 555-2