Category: 2021

FROM:  KIM EVANS, DIRECTOR

SUBJECT:  COVID-19 ECONOMIC IMPACT PAYMENTS RESULTING FROM THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT 2021 FOR ALL INCOME MAINTENANCE (IM) PROGRAMS

MANUAL REVISION #

0205.005.30.10

0210.015.35.40

0805.015.10

1025.015.01.02

1110.020.30

1115.015.90

1805.030.20.10

DISCUSSION:

Economic Impact Payments (EIP), also known as Stimulus Payments, were approved as part of the American Rescue Plan Act, 2021 (ARPA) which was signed into law on March 11, 2021.  The ARPA contains changes that affect the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Temporary Assistance (TA) Program, Child Care Subsidy (CC), and MO HealthNet (MHN) Programs.

Economic Impact Payments

U.S citizens and resident aliens will receive an EIP up to $1,400 for each individual and each qualifying child if:

• they are not a dependent of another taxpayer and
• have a work eligible Social Security number with Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) up to:
  • $75,000 for individuals
  • $112,500 for head of household filers and
  • $150,000 for married couples filing joint returns

Single filers with an AGI above $80,000, head of household filers with an AGI over $120,000, and joint filers with an AGI exceeding $160,000 will not receive a stimulus payment.

Eligible retirees and recipients of Social Security, Railroad Retirement, Disability or Veterans’ benefits as well as taxpayers who do not make enough money to normally file a tax return will receive a payment. This also includes those who have no income, as well as those whose income comes entirely from certain benefit programs, such as Supplemental Security Income benefits.

Retirees who receive either Social Security Retirement or Railroad Retirement benefits will also receive payments automatically.

MO HealthNet Non-MAGI Programs, SNAP, TA, and CC:

• Payments are excluded as income.
• Payments are excluded as a resource for the first 12 months from receipt.

NOTE: EIP payments reported in the month received will be entered as a resource. DO NOT enter as income in FAMIS. Any money left from an EIP 12 months after receipt will be counted as a resource.

Family MO HealthNet (MAGI) Programs:

• Payments are excluded as income.

NOTE: Make a note in the eligibility system regarding the amount received. The payment is not to be entered as income on the case. Example of note: Ms. Smith reported she received $1,400 EIP on 3/24/2021.

FAMIS Entries

If the EIP is reported as income in the month received, enter it as a resource on the SELFRES (FMWB) screen. DO NOT ENTER AS INCOME ON SELINC (FMX2). The excluded amount should always equal the total EIP when entering for the same month it was received along with any other excluded balances for that month. Use Code CV in the Excl Rsn field for the EIP or CB if multiple exclusion reasons exist. Please use the FAMIS Resource Guide (search “liquid resources”) for acceptable verification codes.

If the balance of the EIP is reported the month after receipt, exclude any remaining balance of the EIP in the accounts as CV following normal procedures for entering liquid resources.

Though the EIP amount authorized by the ARPA is different, please refer to IM-35 COVID-19 ECONOMIC IMPACT PAYMENTS RESULTING FROM THE CORONAVIRUS AID, RELIEF, AND ECONOMIC SECURITY (CARES) ACT FOR THE MO HEALTHNET, FOOD STAMP, TEMPORARY ASSISTANCE AND CHILD CARE SUBSIDY PROGRAMS for guidance to capture the EIP income as an excluded resource.

NECESSARY ACTION:

• Review this memorandum with appropriate staff.

KE/nw

FROM:  KIM EVANS, DIRECTOR

SUBJECT:  COVID-19: MIXED EARNER UNEMPLOYMENT COMPENSATION (MEUC) BENEFITS FOR ALL PROGRAMS

DISCUSSION:

On 12/27/2020, the Consolidated Appropriations Act (CAA) 2021 was signed.  The CAA contains provisions to address the public health emergency (PHE) and introduced MEUC, a new type of unemployment compensation. 

MEUC provides a $100 weekly benefit to individuals with combined earnings from regular employment and self-employment. MEUC can be received in combination with all other unemployment compensation types except for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA). 

The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 was signed into law on March 11, 2021.  This act extended several temporary unemployment compensation types, including MEUC, until September 6, 2021.

See IM-02 COVID-19 Unemployment Compensation Updates Resulting From The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 for information on other types of unemployment compensation.

All Programs

Include/count payments from MEUC for ALL Income Maintenance programs including MO HealthNet, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, Temporary Assistance, and Child Care.

Important

No new income type was created for MEUC funds.  Enter MEUC using existing income selections for regular unemployment compensation.  Entries for Source Name Field in FAMIS and Employer Name field in MEDES must be exact: 

• In FAMIS, enter the gross income as unearned income (UI) and select UC-Unemployment Compensation/Insurance. In the Source Name Field, type MEUC.
  • Continue to make appropriate entries on Court Ordered Expense (FMXL/SUPEXP) to indicate child support expenses.
• In MEDES, select Unemployment Compensation/Insurance and enter the gross income.  In the Employer Name field, type MEUC. 

Income Entry

If regular unemployment compensation or another type of unemployment compensation is received in conjunction with MEUC, add each type as a separate income entry.

In the example below, the participant receives a gross amount of $503 per week- 

• The regular weekly amount is $103, which should be entered as regular unemployment.
• After deducting $103 in regular unemployment, $400 remains. $300 should be entered as FPUC.
• The remaining $100 should be entered as regular unemployment, with MEUC as the income source name.

This case will have 3 income entries; 2 of them will look like a regular Unemployment Compensation selection:

• FAMIS

• MEDES

Prior Quarter 

Payments from MEUC were not made prior to the week ending March 6, 2021. Do not budget income from MEUC for months prior to March 2021.

NOTE:  For Family MO HealthNet cases, use IMES to support self-attested income in reasonable compatibility decisions for countable unemployment compensation types, as outlined in the MEDES COVID-19 Self Attestation Guide.

NECESSARY ACTION:

• Review this memorandum with appropriate staff.

KE/ers