CalFresh Special Notice 13-02 - HHSA Program Guides

ReasonablyAnticipatedIncome(continued)Fluctuates so much that they can’t anticipate any income, noincome will be counted in the benefit calculation. If the workerdisagrees that the income is too unpredictable to anticipate, itmust explore with the applicant or recipient what amount, if any,can be reasonably anticipated and used in the budget andthoroughly document the basis for the amount used in the casenarrative.Example: A household has fluctuating income, but agrees that sheusually makes at least a minimum of $200 per month. The minimumanticipated income can be anticipated and used in the benefitcalculation. If the household cannot anticipate an amount or it isuncertain she will get paid in the upcoming certification period, then noincome can be reasonably anticipated or used in the benefitscalculation.CONVERSION FACTORSAs with QR, whenever a full month’s income is anticipated but isreceived on a weekly or bi-weekly basis the income will be convertedto a monthly amount by multiplying weekly amounts by 4.33 and biweeklyamounts by 2.167.Each paycheck does not need to be the same amount; however, thehousehold must reasonably anticipate that their monthly income willcontinue in order to convert the income into a monthly average. Incontrast, if the household receives weekly or bi-weekly paychecks buttheir income fluctuates month to month and they cannot reasonablyanticipate what their income will be, the conversion factor will not beused.AVERAGING INCOMEIn cases where the receipt of income is reasonably certain but themonthly amount may fluctuate, the household may elect to averagethe income over the 12-month certification period.When averaging income, the worker will budget the household’santicipated income fluctuations over the certification period. Anaverage must be recalculated at recertification and during thecertification period when the household reports changes.Households, who by contract or self-employment derive their incomein a period of time shorter than one year MUST have that incomeaveraged over the 12-month certification period, provided the incomefrom the contract is not received on an hourly or piecework basis.Continued on next pageCalFresh Special Notice 13-02, Implementation of AR/CO Page 9