WAG 12-02-03-a
Use Best Estimate policy and procedures in PM 12-02-01 to arrive at what the anticipated monthly earned and unearned income will be.
After using Best Estimate policy,
if income is received weekly or bi-weekly convert it to a monthly amount. This calculation determines the actual gross income (earned and unearned) used to determine if the case is prospectively eligible. If the case is eligible, that amount is then budgeted ongoing.
Converting income into a monthly amount takes into account the fact that a periodic extra check is received some months when a client receives income weekly or bi-weekly (i.e., every 2 weeks). This process determines an average amount the client is expected to receive per month so the same amount can be budgeted for each month.
Convert the income to a monthly amount as follows:
- If a client receives income weekly, add the weekly amounts together (after dropping cents from each paycheck), divide by 4, drop cents, and multiply by 4.3. If the month happens to include a periodic extra check (i.e., 5 checks received), divide by 5, drop cents, and multiply by 4.3.
- If a client receives income bi-weekly (i.e., every 2 weeks), add the bi-weekly amounts together (after dropping cents from each paycheck), divide by 2, drop cents, and multiply by 2.15. If the month happens to include a periodic extra check (i.e., 3 checks received), divide by 3, drop cents, and multiply by 2.15.
In AIS,
converting income to a monthly amount is done by the system. However, there are times when the worker must do it.
Staff must
convert income when:
- the worker provides to the system as the monthly amount and it is
- received by the client weekly or bi-weekly.
Converting to a monthly amount is only done centrally on gross income amounts actually computed by the system. This includes all gross earned and unearned income entered in AIS in which the monthly gross amount is then centrally computed by the system.
The system does not convert income to a monthly amount for any monthly gross income amounts that it does not determine.
This may include diverted income amounts.