600 Types of Income | CSBG
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Georgia Division of Family and Children Services |
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Policy Title: |
Types of Income |
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Chapter: |
600 |
Effective Date: |
October 2020 |
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Policy Number: |
600 |
Previous Policy Number(s): |
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Overview and Requirements
All income received from any source by the household is considered in determining eligibility. Income received is considered to be earned, unearned or disregarded.
Earned is income received from wages, salaries, commissions, or in exchange for services rendered.
Unearned is income received from any source other than those listed above.
Disregarded is income not counted in the eligibility determination process, as listed under Income Disregards in section 1005.
Income Determination
Eligibility based on income is determined by resolving the following series of questions:
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What is the income limit for the household?
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What is the gross monthly household income?
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What is the source of the income?
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Is the income available to the household to meet its needs?
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Is the income included or excluded?
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How often is the income received?
Income Limits
Basic Consideration
Section 673(2) of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (OBRA) of 1981 (42 U.S.C. 9902(2)) requires the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human
Services (HHS) to update the poverty guidelines at least annually, adjusting them on the basis of the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI–U). The poverty guidelines are used as an eligibility criterion by the Community Services Block Grant program and a number of other Federal programs. The Department of Health and Human Services issues an annual update of the HHS Poverty Guidelines during January of each year to account for last calendar year’s increase in prices as measured by the Consumer Price Index.
The State Department shall enforce all guidelines prescribed by HHS, as updated through the CSBG program year. Updates to the CSBG poverty guideline shall be issued annually in memorandum by the Project Administrator. The Agency shall follow the method of income determination outlined in the memorandum in determining client eligibility, and shall maintain documentation of such determination in appropriate client files. It is the responsibility of the eligible entity to ensure income limits are updated in EasyTrak annually.
1001.121 Re-certification of Income
All clients must be re-certified for program income eligibility at least once during the program year; however it is recommended that re-certification be done every ninety (90) days. For programs that re-certify every 90 days, there may be instances where a client’s current income will increase and exceed the income limit for the household while enrolled in the program. Clients who are enrolled in a short- or long-term program (non-emergency assistance) should not be excluded from continuing the program due to increased income during the program.