Self-Employment Income - 7 CFR § 273.9(b)(1)(ii) - Count the gross income from self-employment, including the total gain from the sale of any capital goods or equipment related to the business, excluding the allowable costs of doing business. See Self-Employment.


Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP) - Older Americans Act – Sec. 509 - Exclude wages received from the Title V Senior Community Service Employment Program of the Older American’s Act.  


Severance Pay - 7 CFR § 273.9(b)(2) & (c)(8) & 7 CFR § 273.10(c)(1) and (2) - Exclude as a lump sum (nonrecurring), if paid in a single payment. 


Count as unearned income if paid in more than one payment.


Severance pay is an amount paid to an employee upon dismissal or discharge from employment.


Shared Household Payments - 7 CFR § 273.9(c)(6) - Exclude shared household shelter cost payments when the payment is passed on to pay the expense.  

Example:  Amounts paid to the landlord, mortgage holder, utility companies, etc. 

Examples: Shared Households vs Roomers.


Shared household payments occur when 2 or more households live together and share the cost of shelter expenses.  


Sick Pay - 7 CFR § 273.9(b)(1)(i) and (2)(ii) & (c)(8) - Count as earned income when the individual receives it while employed.  


Count as unearned income when received after the individual is no longer an employee.  


Exclude the sick pay as a lump sum (nonrecurring) when paid in one payment and the individual is no longer an employee. 


Social Security Benefits - 7 CFR § 273.9(b)(2)(ii) and (b)(5)(i) & (c)(8) - Count as unearned income.  Count the gross amount even if Social Security tax or a Medicare premium is withheld. 


Exclude Social Security retroactive payments as lump sum (nonrecurring)


Exclude Social Security benefits withheld to repay a prior overpayment. See Recoupment.


Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) - 7 CFR § 273.9(c)(10) - Exclude WIC benefits.


Federal grants to States for supplemental foods, health care referrals and nutrition education to low-income women, infants, and children.


State Administered General Assistance (SAGA) - 7 CFR § 273.9(b)(2)(i) - Count as unearned income, including SAGA given in the form of a vendor payment.  

Exception:  Exclude Emergency Housing special benefits.


State Supplement Program (SSUP) - 7 CFR § 273.9(b)(2)(i) - Count as unearned income, including SSUP given in the form of a vendor payment.  


Strike Benefits and Picket Pay - 7 CFR § 273.9(b)(2)(ii) - Count strike benefits and picket pay as unearned income.  See Strikers.


Subsidized Guardianship Payments - 7 CFR § 273.9(b)(2)(ii) - Count subsidized guardianship payments for children as unearned income when the children are included in the SNAP EDG.


Exclude subsidized guardianship payments for children when the children are not included in the SNAP EDG. 


Supplemental Security Income (SSI) - 7 CFR § 273.9(b)(2)(ii) and (b)(5)(i) & (c)(8) - Count as unearned income.  


SSI benefits are sometimes paid to a representative payee for the SSI recipient.  See Representative Payee Payment.


Exclude retroactive SSI payments as a lump sum (nonrecurring)


Also, exclude retroactive or underpayment SSI payments deposited directly into a dedicated account when a SSI recipient is under the age of 18 and must have a representative payee.  An SSI child eligible for retroactive SSI payments must have a “dedicated” account in a financial institution set up by the representative payee.  This retroactive payment must be used for allowable expenses of the SSI child.  Do not count any disbursements from this account as income.


Exclude SSI benefits withheld to repay a prior overpayment, unless it was due to intentional program violation.  See Recoupment.