MEMORANDUM

DISCUSSION:

As part of the ongoing efforts to reduce the Food Stamp Payment Error rate, the following Food Stamp Manual sections have been updated to clarify policy:

• 1115.010.00 Unearned Income – a sentence is added to severance payments clarifying a one-time payment is non-recurring.  Lump sum language is removed from recurring payments.
• 1115.015.00 Income Exclusions – Lump sum language is removed from recurring payments.
• 1115.015.90 Other Excluded Income – VISTA payments is added to excluded income.  The income is excluded for those individuals receiving Food Stamps or public assistance at the time they join the Title I program.
• 1115.020.00 Determining Income – This section is renamed. Information duplicated in other sections is removed.
• 1115.020.05 Projecting Income – anticipating changes at certification is removed from this section.  This section is renamed.  The following sections are moved to this section and are now obsolete:
  • 1115.020.03 Anticipating Income
  • 1115.020.05.10 Stable Income
  • 1115.020.05.15 Fluctuating Income
  • 1115.020.05.20 New Employment
• 1115.020.05.05 Actual Income – The chart and example are removed for two times a month budgeting.  Two times a month income is entered into FAMIS using frequency code SMT-Twice a Month and FAMIS averages the income.
• 1115.030.00 Converting to Monthly Income – This section is renamed and revised for clarification...
• 1115.035.10.20 Ineligible Student or Duplicate Participant Paying Dependent Care – wording is changed to clarify duplicate means having received benefits in another EU during the same month.
• 1115.075.00 Non-household Members – a note is added that the full SUA is allowed to the household when a non-household member shares the utility expense.
• 1115.095.15 Categorically Eligible EUs – this section is reworded for clarification of policy.

NECESSARY ACTION:

• Review the memorandum with appropriate staff.

AC/cb