602-4          DEDUCTIONS

Households are allowed certain deductions from gross income when calculating their net income to determine their SNAP eligibility and allotment amount.  An expense is allowed in the month it is billed or becomes due, regardless of when it is paid.

Exceptions:

• Fluctuating expenses may be averaged over the period the expense is intended to cover.

• Periodic expenses billed less often than monthly may be averaged forward over the interval between billings or over the period intended to cover.  For example, property taxes may be averaged over the period between scheduled billings even though taxes are often paid after the period incurred.

• One-time expenses (such as utility hook-up fees) may be averaged over the months remaining in the current certification period.

• Medical expenses may be averaged forward over the interval between billings or over the period intended to cover.  See MS 602-4D(4).

• Child support payments must be paid or reasonably anticipated to be paid in order to be allowed.  See MS 602-4F.  

Deductible expenses must be incurred by the household and not covered by an excluded reimbursement, excluded vendor payment or in-kind income.  

Exception:  

Expenses paid by federally funded heating assistance are allowed.

An expense must be verified when it results in a deduction.  If obtaining verification of expenses would delay the initial application, the household may choose to have its application processed without the deductions.  The caseworker will determine the household's eligibility and allotment without the deduction if the expense is not verified within 30 days of the initial application filing date.

When the allowable expense does not cause an increase in the SNAPSupplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefit, nor do we have verification of the expense, process the application without the expense.  See MS 601-4 A(2).

  Exception:  

An expense that results in a shelter deduction is only verified when questionable.  See MS 602- 4 E.

Use conversion factors to estimate a monthly amount for expenses billed more often than monthly.  See MS 603-1B.  

Example:  

A household member makes weekly child support payments.  Calculate the monthly child support deduction amount by multiplying the weekly amount by 4.3.