3235 Seasonal Farmworkers (Migrant or Non-Migrant)

Georgia State Seal

Georgia Division of Family and Children Services
SNAP Policy Manual

Policy Title:

Seasonal Farmworkers (Migrant or Non-Migrant)

Effective Date:

September 2019

Chapter:

3200

Policy Number:

3235

Previous Policy Number(s):

MT-10

Updated or Reviewed in MT:

MT-55

Requirements

A migrant or seasonal farm worker who is employed in agricultural work of a seasonal or temporary nature is subject to special treatment.

Basic Considerations

Migrant AND seasonal farm workers have both of the following characteristics:

  • are engaged in seasonal work such as planting, harvesting, packing, canning, freezing, etc. related to an agricultural crop, and

  • are hired on a temporary basis when a job requires more workers than the farm employs on a regular basis.

Migrant farm workers move from one home base region or locale to another to engage in or seek farm, land or crop cultivation activities which are seasonal. The move may be within a state or across state lines.

A seasonal farm worker is not required to be absent from his permanent place of residence.

If the season for the crop has not occurred at the time of application or review, the AU may still be treated as a seasonal farm worker AU if this work is the pattern from past years.

An AU is a migrant or seasonal farm worker AU if at least one adult AU member meets the above criteria. Only AUs with a migrant or seasonal farm worker(s) are defined as destitute.

A migrant or seasonal farm worker AU who meets destitute criteria is entitled to expedited processing. Refer to 3110 Expedited Application Processing.

Destitute AUs

If one of the following situations exists for the AU and the AU has liquid resources that do not exceed $100, consider the AU destitute.

Terminated Source of Income

The AU’s only income for the month of application was received from a terminated source prior to the date of application.

If one of the following situations exists, the income is considered to be from a terminated source:

  • The AU’s income is received on a monthly or more frequent basis and will not be received after the date of application or during the following month,

  • The AU’s income is received less often than monthly and will not be received in the month in which the next payment would normally be received.

New Income Source

The AU’s only income for the month of application is from a new source and income from the new source will not be received by the 10th calendar day after the date of application.

If one of the following situations exists, the income is considered to be from a new source:

  • The AU’s income is received on a monthly or more frequent basis but income of more than $25 will not be received within 30 days prior to the date of application.

  • The AU’s income is received less often than monthly and income of no more than $25 has been received since the last normal pay day and will not be received at the next normal pay day.

Income from Terminated and New Sources

The AU’s only income for the month is from both a terminated source prior to the date of application and a new source after the date of application.

  • If the AU receives no income from the terminated source after the date of application and income of more than $25 from the new source will not be received by the 10th day after the date of application, then the income is considered to be from a terminated or new source.

Same Source of Income

If one of the following situations exists, consider income as being received from the same source and is not a new or terminated source:

  • The AU member changes jobs but continues to work for the same employer.

  • A self-employed person secures contracts or other work from different customers.

  • The AU moves from one crew chief to another but the income is received from the same grower.

If income is received from a different grower, it is considered to be from a different source.

Procedures

Follow the procedures below to calculate the income of destitute AUs.

  • Exclude reimbursements for travel expenses.

  • Count as income a travel advance that is an advance on future wages and will be subtracted from future wages.

    Wage advances, whether excluded as reimbursements or included as income, are not considered when determining if the AU meets the definition of destitute.

  • For the month of application, consider only the income received between the first of the month and the date of application.

  • For the month of application, do not count the income from a new source anticipated to be received after the date of application.

The following program exemptions are applied to a migrant or seasonal farm worker AU:

  • Exempt from work registration any AU member who is under an agreement with an employer or crew chief to begin employment when the season begins.

  • Exempt the entire value of a licensed vehicle when the vehicle is necessary for long distance travel to follow the work stream.

    Budget prospectively using the conversion factor.

    Do not prorate initial month’s benefits of migrants in a job stream away from home who have not had a break in the period of eligibility when they apply in a new county.

  • At reviews, do not count a new source of income in the first month of the new period of eligibility if the following occurs:

  • the income is less than $25.00

    AND

  • the new income will not be received from the new source by the 10th calendar day after the date of the AU’s normal issuance cycle.

  • At application or review, prospectively budget income expected to be received over the remainder of the period of eligibility. Refer to 3605 Prospective Budgeting.

Process as an expedited services application, if destitute. Refer to 3110 Expedited Application Processing.