Recoupment - 7 CFR § 273.9(b)(5)(i) -Exclude money withheld from the EDG’s income to repay a prior overpayment from that source.  Also exclude money the EDG received, but voluntarily or involuntarily returned to repay a prior overpayment from that income source.  

Exception:  Include amounts withheld to repay an IPV or fraud overissuance in the following programs:


Refunds from Rent or Utility Deposits - 7 CFR § 273.9(c)(8) - Exclude all payments.


Reimbursements - 7 CFR § 273.9(c)(1)(5) & (10)(i) and (v) & (11)(i) -Exclude reimbursements for past or future expenses as long as the reimbursements meet all of the following criteria:

  • They are identified and used for expenses other than normal living expenses (such as rent, mortgage, personal clothing, or food eaten at home).  
  • They do not exceed actual expenses.  If the reimbursement exceeds actual expenses, count the excess as unearned income.  Do not consider a reimbursement to exceed actual expenses unless the provider or the EDG says it exceeds actual expenses.
  • They do not result in a gain or benefit to the EDG.


Count payments as income if they are not identified for a specific purpose or are not used for that purpose.


Reimbursements covering multiple expenses do not have to be separately identified, as long as none of the money covers normal living expenses.


Following are examples of excluded reimbursements:

  • Medical or dependent care reimbursements
  • Reimbursements for the out-of-pocket expenses volunteers incur in the course of their work
  • Reimbursements or flat allowances for job or training related expenses, such as per diem, uniforms, and transportation to or from the job or training site.  

Note:  Exclude reimbursements for these expenses over and above basic wages.


Relocation Assistance - 7 CFR § 273.9(c)(10)(i) - Exclude as reimbursements payments from the Uniform Relocation Assistance and Real Property Acquisition Policy Act of 1970 (Public Law 91-646, Section 216).


Rental Property Income - 7 CFR § 273.9(b)(1)(ii) - Count as earned self-employment income. 

Exception: Count as unearned income if: 

  • a 3rd party is employed to manage the property, or
  • a member of the EDG actively manages the property less than an average of 20 hours per week.  


Representative Payee Payment - 7 CFR § 273.9(b)(2) & (c)(1)(vii) and (6) -Count the payment as unearned income to the EDG when the representative payee and the beneficiary are in the same SNAP EDG. 


Count the payment as follows when the representative payee and the beneficiary are not in the same SNAP EDG:

  • Count as unearned income to the beneficiary any part of the payment the payee gives to, or uses for the needs of the beneficiary. 
  • Count as unearned income to the payee any amount not given to, or used for the needs of the beneficiary.  


When a payment made to a representative payee is intended for multiple beneficiaries, some of whom are members of the SNAP EDG and some of whom are not, treat the payment as follows:

  • Exclude the identified portion of a non-member’s portion when the payment is intended and used for the care and maintenance of the non-member.
  • When a non-member’s portion cannot be readily identified, divide the payment evenly among all beneficiaries.  Exclude the non-member’s pro-rata portion, or the amount actually used for the non-member, whichever is less.


Representative payment is income received by one individual, the representative payee, for the needs of another individual, the beneficiary.  


Retirement Payments - 7 CFR § 273.9(b)(2)(ii) - Count retirement payments as unearned income. This includes money withdrawn from a retirement account excluded as an asset. See Pension Plans/Retirement Accounts.


Reverse Mortgage - 7 CFR § 273.9(c)(4) - Exclude as income if there is a verified agreement to repay the loan.


Count as unearned income if there is no repayment agreement.  


A reverse mortgage provides income from a loan against the home with no repayment required until the borrower dies or the home is sold.


Royalty Payments - 7 CFR § 273.9(b)(2)(v) - Count royalty payments as unearned income.


A royalty payment is a payment made to an owner for the use of property, especially patents, copyrighted works, franchises or natural resources.