PM 13-02-00: Budgeting

WAG 13-02-00

Budgeting is the method by which the SNAP unit's nonexempt income is used to determine financial eligibility, and benefit amount.  Determine eligibility and benefit amount prospectively.

Budgeting Definitions

Use the following definitions when determining eligibility and benefit amount for SNAP.

• Best Estimate is a method used for anticipating the amount of future income.
• Converting Income is a method used for converting income received less often than monthly to a monthly amount.
• EZ REDE Units are Category 08 cases, Category 94 and 96 cases with SNAP, and cash or AABD medical Units with SNAP that have at least one member with earned income (for AABD medical, a component member must have the earnings); see PM 19-07-01.
• A fiscal month is either a calendar month (i.e., first day of the month through the last day of the month) or the 16th day of the month through the 15th day of the next month. Every case is assigned to a group which is included in one of these 2 fiscal months. Eligibility and benefit amount are based on facts from a case's fiscal month. All references to "month" refer to fiscal month.

The following table shows which fiscal month a case is in, based on its group number.

• Income Receipt Date is the date that is used when determining the amount of income received during the month. The income receipt date varies depending on the type of income. See WAG 13-02-00 for specific types of income receipt dates.
• Prospective budgeting means reviewing eligibility factors, both financial and nonfinancial, as they are expected to exist in the payment month. It also means computing the monthly benefit amount based on income expected to be received during the payment month.
• The payment month is the fiscal month that the monthly SNAP benefit covers. A regular roll monthly benefit is provided on or near the beginning of the payment month.