7 CFR § 273.10(c)(1)(ii)


Determine income for the month using the best estimate of income available to arrive at a representative amount.  Use the prior 30-days income if it represents the EDG’s anticipated income.  

Exception:  Use a longer period of time if the prior 30-days income is not representative. 


Income Conversion

7 CFR § 273.10(c)(2)(i)


Convert income paid more often than monthly to a monthly amount. Conversion factors are:

  • The average weekly amount multiplied by 4.3 
  • The average bi-weekly amount multiplied by 2.15
  • Received twice a month (semi-monthly) multiplied by 2


Stable Income

QC Handbook


Stable income is income received in a fixed amount from the same source on a regular schedule.  

Examples include, but are not limited to: 

  • Maximum UCB 
  • Retirement income  
  • Social Security benefits 
  • SSI 
  • State employee wages  


Convert stable income received more often than monthly to a monthly amount.


Income Averaging

7 CFR § 273.10(c)(3)(i)-(iii)


Average income when the income amounts or receipt dates are inconsistent. To determine an average amount:

  1. Add the gross income for the time period used; 
  2. Divide the total gross income (Step 1) by the number of pay dates used; 
  3. Multiply the average pay (Step 2) by the conversion factor, if applicable.

The result is the gross monthly average.


Use the prior 30 days or a longer period of time if necessary to accurately anticipate the EDG’s representative income.

Contractual Income 

7 CFR § 273.10(c)(3)(ii)


Average contractual income intended as annual income over a 12-month period, even if the income is paid in a shorter time frame. 


Average contractual income that is not the EDG’s annual income over the period the income is intended to cover.


Examples: See Contractual Income.


Fluctuating Income

7 CFR § 273.10(c)(1)(i)-(ii)


Average fluctuating income that is usually paid at a set time but in different amounts.  

Examples include, but are not limited to: 

  • Child support payments 
  • Wages with inconsistent hours  


Examples: See Fluctuating Income.


Income Covering More Than One Month

7 CFR § 273.10(c)(3)(ii)


Average income received less often than monthly over the time period the income is intended to cover.  


Intermittent Income

7 CFR § 273.10(c)(1)(ii) and (3)(i)


Average intermittent income that is not paid regularly, or starts and stops without a known schedule. 

Examples include, but are not limited to: 

  • On-call work 
  • Temporary jobs 


Intermittent income also includes unexpected income that cannot reasonably be expected to recur, such as a cash gift. 

  • Exclude up to $30 of income per federal fiscal quarter when the income is received too infrequently or intermittently to be reasonably anticipated. 
  • Average the income if over $30 per quarter and it can be reasonably anticipated to be received.


Examples: See Intermittent Income.


Self-Employment Income

7 CFR § 273.10(c)(3)(ii)


See Self-employment for budgeting procedures.