Clients do not have to take steps to get the income if they can show a good reason for not doing so. Set an alert in ACES for the date we expect the client to receive the income to check if the income is available. Count the income when you could reasonably expect the client to get it. Always count community income as available for cash assistance. It doesn't matter if one or both spouses are applying for or receiving benefits.
Separate income becomes community income when it is put in an account with community income.
For food assistance - do not deny or terminate assistance. If the client didn't know about the income source, determine the client's eligibility from the date the client first learned about the income and the income was available to them. If the client and the other person have an agreement, decide if the client uses more than this amount to meet their current needs. Count the excess as available unearned income and budget it for the assistance unit. Get a detailed record of the types and amounts of payments for the other party.