The income is considered irregular when the payments are not made on a regular schedule. An individual may receive income on an irregular or sporadic basis. Examples of irregular income include day labor, on-call work (such as substitute teaching), craft sales, and receipt of child or spousal support. It may also include payments like cash awards or prizes, gifts, and winnings from bingo. Irregular income is counted if the household has already received it in the month or can anticipate receiving it in the month based on the known timing of a payment, or the past history of payments such as child support or craft sales.
The caseworker should thoroughly explore irregular income situations. When the caseworker and the individual can arrive at a reasonable estimate of how much income can be anticipated for the month, that amount of income is included in the estimate. Irregular income that cannot be reasonably anticipated is not included in the estimate of income.
Example:
Countable Irregular Child Support Income
Terry received multiple child support payments during four of the last
six months; two $50 payments in February, two $100 payments in April,
one $50 payment in May, and two $100 payments and one $50 payment in July.
The caseworker must average the income by totaling all the payments
and dividing them over the six-month period the payments were received
($600/6 months). The household received an average payment of $100
a month. The caseworker discusses this with Terry and both agree
it would be reasonable to anticipate an average $100 per month.
Example:
Countable Irregular Craft Income
Aina creates craft items and sells them at a craft store that carries the
items on consignment. She receives this self-employment income only
after an item is sold. Sales are irregular most of the year; however,
sales pick up during the summer tourist season from June to September,
and again in November and December. After paying expenses, she normally
receives an average of $400 for her craft items during those months. If
the period for which the caseworker is determining eligibility includes
the months in which sales normally occur based on past sales history,
the caseworker would explore anticipated income from the sales and include
that amount in the estimate of monthly income to determine benefits. In
other months of the year, no income from craft sells would be anticipated.
Example:
Irregular Child Support Income That Cannot Be Anticipated
JoLynn applies for assistance in December. She received a child support
check in November. Prior to that, the last check she received was
in May. She tells the caseworker that she can never predict when
the checks will arrive. In this case, payments cannot be reasonably
anticipated so no child support income is counted.
Example:
Irregular Earned Income That Cannot Be Anticipated
Dave applies for assistance on November 5th. He works on-call for
the city shoveling snow during the winter, but has not worked nor received
any income in November. Since it cannot be reasonably anticipated
when snow will fall, when he will be called into work, or when income
from this source will be received, income from this source cannot be included
in his estimate of income.
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