Need to knows – Income Eligibility

1. Need to knows – Income Eligibility

2. WIC Eligibility (USDA) Applicants must meet all of the following eligibility requirements: • Categorical • Residential • Income • Nutrition Risk

3. Two Ways to Assess Income • The income must be equal to or less than 185% of the FPL • Based on Economic Unit (formerly referred to as household size) • Adjunctive Eligibility • Automatically income eligible for WIC, if client participates in AHCCCS, SNAP, TANF, Section 8 Housing, or FDPIR

4. What Counts as Economic Unit? • Group of related or non-related people living together, sharing resources • Examples: For more examples: P&P Chapter 2 Section E

5. Let’s Practice! • A pregnant mom works and lives with her parents. Should we count the parents’ income? • A WIC mom and her child live with a roommate. Should we count the roommate’s income? • Where would you look to find an answer? NEXT SLIDE: answers for 1-3 above

6. Let’s Practice Answers • Include parents or other family members in the household if they provide financial support. • If they do not provide financial support,do not include them in the economic unit • Roommate: if they provide financial support, include them in the economic unit. • If they do not provide financial support, do not include them in the economic unit • P&P Chapter 2 Section E • Left Margin Heading: “Determining Household Size/ Economic Unit”

7. What about Foster? Adopted? • A foster child is considered an economic unit of one • If a foster child is adopted, they are apart of the adoptive family’s economic unit

8. Let’s Practice! 1. What proof of income can be used for a foster child?2. What should be entered for income amount?3. How is income eligibility determined for a foster child who is adopted? NEXT SLIDE: answers for 1-3 above

9. Let’s Practice Answers • Acceptable foster income proof: • “Notice to Provider” or an official notification of placement –(Acceptable for adjunctive eligibility if the Comprehensive Medical and Dental Program (CMDP) medical insurance number is listed.) 2. The payments made by the welfare agency or received from other sources for the care of that child will be considered to be the only income. 3. When a child has been adopted by a family, the child is counted in the economic unit of the family, no longer a family of 1.

10. What about Military families? • Family serving out of state/overseas, should be considered members of the economic unit

11. Let’s Practice! • When asking about household size, mom mentions that dad is deployed overseas in the U.S. Navy. 2. Should dad be included in household size? 3. Is dad’s income needed? NEXT SLIDE: answers for 1-3 above

12. Let’s Practice Answers • Military personnel serving overseas or assigned to a military base, even though they are not living with their families, should be considered members of the economic unit. • Dad’s income is included as part of the household. • Yes, dad’s income is required. (Refer to Appendix M for items to include/exclude when documenting military pay.)

13. What is Adjunctively Eligible? • Applies when a person can prove they are currently enrolled on day of certification, in the following: • AHCCCS, SNAP*, TANF, Section 8 Housing, FDPIR • Family Eligibility • If family has PG or infant on AHCCCS, everyone is adjunctively eligible • If anyone in family is receiving TANF or SNAP, everyone is adjunctively eligible • *The amount the family receives from SNAP (food stamps) does not count as income

14. Let’s Practice! • Mom brings proof of her SNAP eligibility. Does this qualify her children also? • Mom is on AHCCCS during pregnancy. Does this qualify her children also? • Mom and children are waiting for AHCCCS approval. Dad lives in the household and receives TANF. Are mom and children adjunctively eligible? • Both children receive AHCCCS. Does mom qualify based on their AHCCCS participation? NEXT SLIDE: answers for 1-3 above

15. Let’s Practice Answers • Yes. Mom’s SNAP makes everyone adjunctively eligible • Yes. PG mom on AHCCCS makes everyone adjunctively eligible • Yes. Dad’s TANF participation makes everyone adjunctively eligible • No. Children receiving AHCCCS do not make other family members adjunctively eligible. Only PG and infants with AHCCCS can make everyone adjunctively eligible.

16. Let’s Practice!Mom reports she is on AHCCCS but did not bring documentation. She has no other proof of income today. What should you do? NEXT SLIDE: answer for above

17. Let’s Practice AnswersThis participant is NOT adjunctively eligible.Instead, have applicant self-declare their current income amount and corresponding intervalIf Income is within the WIC Guidelines, they will be certified for 30 days and be eligible for 1 month of food benefits.Instruct participant to return to the clinic within 30 days to avoid having to have an additional certification completed.

18. Adjunctive Eligibility in HANDS • Documenting income in HANDS looks different than AIM • Easier to accurately record for each family member, documents in the same screen for the whole family • Understanding income policy will make the HANDS transition easier

19. HANDS Income Screen Looks Different

20. What is In Kind Support? • Any benefit of a value which is not provided in an exchange for money/cash • In-kind benefits are not counted as income. • Example: providing housing, food, or clothing without any money exchanging hands • Example: Participant lives with a friend. The friend pays the full price of the rent. The value of the participant’s portion of the rent is not counted as income

21. Let’s Practice! • A WIC client receives support in the form of cash from her roommate because the client babysits the roommates children. What questions would you ask to determine income? NEXT SLIDE: answer for above

22. Let’s Practice Answers • How much does the roommate pay the WIC participant for babysitting? (The amount received in cash represents income.)

23. Self Employment Income • Farm and non-farm self employment • Acceptable proof: most recent IRS income tax return form • This is the only time we use net income (total dollars made in the business minus operating expenses) to evaluate eligibility Net Income = Gross pay minusexpenses

24. A WIC client reports being self-employed. How can income be determined? Let’s Practice!

25. Ask participant for their Net income from most recent IRS income tax return formUse this form as their proof of incomeUse “Statement of Documentation” form if the participant reports that they do not have a most recent year’s income tax form Let’s Practice Answers Net Income = Gross pay minusexpenses

26. Really Zero Income? A person without ANY financial resources can be reported to have zero income. (No cash support from others, not part of a larger economic unit.) Example1: Some refugees or disaster victims Example 2: Client recently lost job, living with sister until other arrangements can be made (no ongoing agreement to share household resources) • If a person IS part of an economic unit that receives income, they do not have “zero income”

27. 1. When can a WIC client declare “zero income”?2. On which form should you record a zero income declaration?3. What questions can you ask to determine if a client truly has zero income? Let’s Practice! NEXT SLIDE: answers for 1-3 above

28. 1. When no cash is received and clients are not part of a household receiving income, clients may report zero income.2. Use the bottom of the Statement of Documentation form if it is determined that the applicant is truly without resources.3. The applicant should be asked to describe, in detail*, their living circumstances to determine if they should be counted as part of a larger economic unit. Let’s Practice Answers *Keep the conversation friendly and open; this is not an interrogation. Begin your probing with: “I need your help in determining your situation so we can see how we can help…”

29. At certification, a WIC mom reports she babysits her nieces and nephews and is paid in cash. She can provide no income documentation. 1. What should you do? Let’s Practice! NEXT SLIDE: answer for above

30. In the case of no income documentation, the applicant must:- Declare a total gross household income amount and the appropriate interval (e.g., weekly, monthly, yearly)- Include the reason for no documentation (use Statement of Documentation form) Let’s Practice Answers

31. After reviewing income today, how do you feel about… • Determining Income • Understanding Adjunctive Eligibility • Using Statement of Documentation