1525 Income | TANF

Income limits are established by each state and are based on AU size.

The Gross Income Ceiling (GIC) is the maximum amount of countable income an AU can have and remain potentially eligible for the benefits.

The Standard of Need (SON) is the amount of income an AU must have to meet its basic needs, as established by the state.

The Family Maximum is the maximum amount of cash assistance an AU may receive based on the AU size.

The countable income of the AU is first applied to the GIC and then to the SON for the AU size. If the AU’s income is insufficient to meet its needs, the AU may be eligible for cash assistance, which cannot exceed the family maximum for the AU size.

Refer to Chapter 1600, Eligibility Budgeting.

Income of the following individuals is considered when determining eligibility:

Refer to Chapter 1600, Budgeting.

The source of income must be identified to determine how the income must be treated.

Refer to Types of Income, Chart 1530.1 in this section.

If an AU member receives income jointly with another person or a group of persons, the portion that belongs to the AU member is determined as follows:

Income is considered in determining eligibility or the benefit amount of an AU only if it is currently accessible to the AU for daily use and the AU has the legal ability to use it.

Bankruptcy is a condition in which a debtor, either voluntarily or invoked by a creditor, is judged legally insolvent, and the debtor’s remaining property is administered and distributed to his/her creditors by a bankruptcy court.

Income directed to pay creditors is considered managed income. For information on income managed by the bankruptcy court, refer to Managed Income, Chart 1530.1, in this chapter.

Income from some sources is excluded and is not considered in determining eligibility or the benefit amount. This income is not considered in the budgeting process and does not have to be verified.

Refer to Types of Income, Chart 1530.1, in this chapter.

The frequency of the AU’s receipt of income affects how the income is treated in the budgeting process and must be determined.

In determining eligibility, the case manager must establish whether the AU has income that is sufficient to meet its current living expenses. The AU’s expenses, particularly expenses that are being paid, must be compared to the AU’s declared income.

The agency may request verification of any questionable situation that may influence the AU’s eligibility and/or benefit level.

The AU has the primary responsibility for providing verification for reported income and supporting its statements of declared expenses.

The Work Number is an automated service that provides access to the employment and wage information contained in the database of the Income and Employment Verification System. This service is provided by TALX Corporation. It is a nationally accessible database that is available to verify accurate and current information of individuals who are employed by the companies or individuals participating in the database.

The Work Number enables DHS/DFCS staff to obtain employment information that is needed in order to determine an AU’s eligibility for certain public benefits, including TANF.

At this time the Work Number does not contain information of 100% employed population of the United States of America. Therefore, for those clients who are not found in The Work Number database, the case manager should utilize other existing procedures.

The Work Number provides current and accurate information that includes:

Terminated income from any source must be verified. The verification should include a statement that the income has terminated, the amount of final payment if received within the last 30 days, and the date on which the final payment was received.