Reviewing the Food Assistance Budget Updated 08/24/2015 1

Checking the budget Doesn’t take a lot of timeWrite down all income to be countedWrite down all expenses to be counted Know how many people should be in the Food Assistance Standard Filing Unit If you don’t check, how will you know it is correct??? 2

Step 1 Know how many people should be in the Food Assistance Standard Filing Unit Should anyone be excluded due to Student Status? Should anyone be excluded due to Ineligible non citizen status? TANF-remember to always check the size of the SFU/AG. A child may be left out due to Family Cap or immunization sanction. If your TANF is not right, then your Food Assistance will not be right. 3

Step 2: Check Income 4 Earned Income Self Employment Unearned Income What is the difference? Is there too much in the budget? Is there too little there?

Step 3: Check Expenses Should we be counting the expense or not? Shelter Expenses(Uncapped for Elderly and Disabled) Utility Allowance Child Care Expense Paying Child Support to someone outside the home Medical expenses for Aged and Disabled 5

TIPS 6 Make sure all college students are coded appropriate ly on AISA and on AFEI if they are working. Remember if there is a student, and they are not disabled, AE the AIDP screen Make sure that AIDP is completed correctly for “FS Disability” for Elderly and Disabled. (Age 60) Check the SUA/BUA and record on CLRC Check the number of members in the SFU on the budget screen Make sure to look at each month of eligibility, especially the month of application Use the income calculator except when you need to use the actual income. (Month of application, Retro Months for Medicaid)

AGPY 7 Always check AGPY to make sure the date is correct. If you do not have the correct date of an Application this will cause a payment error for the first month’s Food Assistance Benefits. Make sure there is a Medicaid AG for each eligible member.

Let’s look at some budget screens 8 We start with AWES. Notice the months of Beginning Eligibility. We must look at each month.

First Budget screen 9 Always check the Assistance Group Size This is the Gross Income Test Budget Self employment, Earned Income Unearned Income Riverside/TCA Income It will break down the income Between:

2 nd Budget Screen, Net income Test 10 Excess Medical ExpensesShelter deductionSUA/BUA or Phone deductionDaycare ExpenseChild support paid deductionExcess Shelter DeductionChild support paid deductionExcess Shelter Deduction amount. You want to check for the following on this screen:

Last Budget screen 11 the monthly allotment This page shows the any recoupment A recurring monthly amount If there is and the prorated amount. and

Check for the Medicare Premium 12 Tips You must always check the Medicare Premium. Do not assume the case was correct when you received it. Remember if you are going to authorize Buy-In, then it should not be counting in the budget.

Elderly and Disabled Shelter Deduction Uncapped Shelter Expense. Marked YES to Food Stamp Disabled on AIDP. Capped Shelter Expense. No AIDP or marked NO to Food Stamp Disabled on AIDP. 13

Daycare Expense Daycare 250 monthly, Used RC for verification. Remember if we use RC the maximum deduction is 200 per child. 14 Remember to use the Income Calculator for Daycare.

Utility Expense Check to make sure the Correct Utility allowance is in the Budget from AFUT. 15

Child support Deduction Remember to check each month’s Budget screen. We are counting the child support paid out here. But the previous month, December we are not. We did not put the correct begin date on AFDP. 16 Note: This is especially important on Retro months of Medicaid.

Notes Always check to make sure your sanctions on AOIE are still correct. Example: Sanctioned mom and child, child turned age 18, sanction should be removed. 17

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