3610 Food Stamp Budgeting | SNAP

Georgia Division of Family and Children Services
SNAP Policy Manual

Policy Title:

Food Stamp Budgeting

Effective Date:

April 2021

Chapter:

3600

Policy Number:

3610

Previous Policy Number(s):

MT-58

Updated or Reviewed in MT:

MT-64

Requirements

Food Stamp budgets are computed to determine the assistance unit’s (AU) financial eligibility and benefit level.

Basic Considerations

The gross income ceiling (GIC) is 130% of the federal poverty level (FPL). The GIC test is used to determine financial eligibility based on the AU’s countable gross income.

AUs that contain at least one member who is elderly or disabled as defined by FS policy are not subject to the GIC test.

Countable gross income is compared to the Gross Income Ceiling (GIC) and is defined as the gross income minus any excluded income types.

The net income limit is 100% of the FPL.

The countable net income is the AU’s income after allowing all FSP deductions. Refer to 3611 Deductions Overview.

The benefit amount is based on the AU’s net countable monthly income.

All of the countable resources and income of each AU member are considered in determining the AU’s financial eligibility.

The countable resources and income of the following non-AU members may be considered in determining financial eligibility:

ineligible aliens
IPV disqualified individuals
work sanctioned individuals
lawbreakers
enumeration sanctioned individuals

The countable resources and income of an ineligible student are not considered in determining financial eligibility.

Categorically Eligible

The resources of TANF, SSI, and TCOS recipients are not considered in determining FS eligibility. Refer to 3210 Categorical Eligibility.

Procedures

Determining Financial Eligibility

Follow the steps below to establish the AU’s financial eligibility for food stamps:

Step 1	Determine the members of the AU. Refer to 3205 Assistance Units.
Step 2	Identify non-AU members whose resources and income must be considered in determining financial eligibility and the benefit level.
Step 3	Verify the countable resources, income and expenses of the AU members and those identified in Step 2 as required by policy.
Step 4	Determine if the AU has resources less than or equal to the appropriate resource limit. Refer to 3400 Financial Eligibility Criteria Overview for resource limits.
Step 5	Complete a FS budget to determine the AU’s financial eligibility and benefit amount.

Completing the Budget

Follow the steps below to complete a FS budget:

In Steps 1-10 leave amounts in dollars and cents. Drop fractions of cents.

Step 1

Complete the gross income ceiling (GIC) test as follows:

Subtract income exclusions from the total gross income to get the countable gross income for the AU.
If the countable gross income is less than or equal to the GIC, proceed to Step 2.
If the countable gross income is greater than the GIC, deny or terminate the FS application or case.

Step 2

Total the countable gross earned income for the AU.

Refer to 3625 Budget for an AU with IPV Disqualified or Work Sanctioned Individuals or Lawbreakers.

Step 3

Subtract the earned income deduction from the gross countable earned income to determine the countable net monthly earned income. Refer to 3612 Earned Income Deduction.

Step 4

Total the following:

the net monthly earned income from Step 3
the unearned income of the AU members
the unearned income of all sanctioned, disqualified or ineligible individuals

Refer to 3625 Budget for an AU with IPV Disqualified or Work Sanctioned Individuals or Lawbreakers.

Step 5

Subtract the standard deduction. Refer to 3613 Standard Deductions.

Step 6

Subtract the allowable excess medical deduction for AU members who are elderly or disabled. Refer to 3614 Excess Medical Deduction.

Step 7

Subtract allowable monthly dependent care expenses. Refer to 3615 Dependent Care Deduction.

Step 8

Subtract child support expenses. Refer to 3616 Child Support Deduction.

Step 9

Subtract the homeless shelter deduction from the net food stamp income. Refer to 3618 Homeless Shelter Deduction.

If the homeless shelter deduction is applied, proceed to Step 12
If the homeless shelter deduction is not applied, proceed to Step 10

Step 10

Determine the excess shelter cost as follows:

Total the allowable shelter expenses to determine the total shelter cost. Refer to 3617 Shelter and Utility Deductions.
Subtract 50% of the AU’s monthly income remaining after deductions from the total shelter cost. The remaining amount, if any, is the excess shelter cost.

Step 11

Subtract the excess shelter cost up to the maximum amount allowed.

Allow the full amount of the excess shelter cost as a deduction for AUs with at least one member who is elderly or disabled as defined in the glossary.

Step 12

Round any cents up or down to the nearest dollar. Round up if 50 cents or more. Round down if less than 50 cents. This figure is the AU’s net income. Compare the countable adjusted net monthly income of the AU to the net income limit for the AU size. Use the Maximum Net Monthly Income on the first page of the Basis of Issuance Tables. Refer to Appendix A, Financial Standards.

Step 13

If the countable adjusted net income is less than or equal to the net income limit, determine the AU’s benefit amount.

If the countable adjusted net income is greater than the net income limit, the AU is not eligible.

Determining the AU’s FS Benefit

Compare the countable adjusted net income and AU size to the Basis of Issuance (BOI) table to determine the AU’s benefit amount as follows:

Locate the AU’s countable adjusted net monthly income in the table.
Look under the appropriate AU size column to determine the benefit amount.

Determining the Benefit for a Categorially Eligible AU

If a categorically eligible AU contains one or two members and the net monthly income exceeds the net income limit, issue the minimum benefit amount.

Categorically eligible AUs containing three or more members and whose net monthly income exceeds the net income limit will have their cases denied or closed in the Gateway system.