reglab/statecodes huggingface dataset:
Mississippi Administrative Code › Title 18 - HUMAN SERVICES › Part 14 - Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Policy Manual › Chapter 14 - E and T Work Requirements › Rule 18-14-14.4 - Employment and Training Programs

Current through June 25, 2024
A. Work registrants
				not otherwise exempted are subject to the E&T program participation
				requirements. Such individuals are referred to as E&T mandatory
				participants or mandatory E&T participants. Individuals are considered to
				be meeting the ABAWD work requirement if he or she is working 80 hours per
				month or an average of 20 hours per week. Individuals working less than the
				required number of hours must be referred to E&T and have their work hours
				coupled with another qualifying activity in order to meet the work requirement.
				Failure to comply without good cause with the requirements will result in
				disqualification. Mandatory E&T participants who receive an E&T
				provider determination shall
not
be subject to disqualification
				for refusal without good cause to participate in mandatory E&T.
B. An assessment must be completed to capture
				an individual's educational background, current/past employment history,
				employment skills, level of work readiness and intermediate goals needed to
				achieve long-term employment. The assessment may uncover circumstances that
				would make an individual exempt from a work requirement or provide good cause
				for non-compliance.
C. Case
				Management.
1. The E&T program must
				provide case management services such as:
a)
				Comprehensive intake assessments,
b) Individualized service plans,
c) Progress monitoring, and/or
d) Coordination with service providers which
				are provided to all E&T participants.
Mississippi Administrative Code › Title 18 - HUMAN SERVICES › Part 14 - Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Policy Manual › Chapter 14 - E and T Work Requirements › Rule 18-14-14.5 - Time Spent in an Employment and Training Program

Current through June 25, 2024
A. The
				time spent by the members of a household collectively each month in an E&T
				work program combined with any hours worked that month in a workfare program
				must not exceed the number of hours equal to the household's allotment for that
				month divided by the higher of the applicable Federal or State minimum wage.
				The total hours of participation in an E&T program for any household member
				individually in any month, together with any hours worked in a workfare program
				and any hours worked for compensation (in cash or in kind), must not exceed
				120.
7 CFR §
											273.7(e)(4)(ii)
Mississippi Administrative Code › Title 18 - HUMAN SERVICES › Part 14 - Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Policy Manual › Chapter 14 - E and T Work Requirements › Rule 18-14-14.6 - Voluntary Participation

Current through June 25, 2024
A. Individuals
				exempt from work requirements may elect to participate in an E&T program to
				access E&T services.
B. A
				volunteer participant must not be disqualified in an E&T program for
				failure to comply with E&T requirements.
7 CFR §
											273.7(e)(5)
Mississippi Administrative Code › Title 18 - HUMAN SERVICES › Part 14 - Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Policy Manual › Chapter 14 - E and T Work Requirements › Rule 18-14-14.7 - Failure to Comply

Current through June 25, 2024
A. A nonexempt
				individual who refuses or fails without good cause to comply with SNAP work
				requirements or E&T requirements is ineligible to participate in SNAP and
				will be considered an ineligible household member.
1. The agency must determine whether good
				cause for the noncompliance exists.
2. The notice of adverse action must contain
				the particular act of noncompliance committed and the proposed period of
				disqualification. The notice must also specify that the individual may, if
				appropriate, reapply at the end of the disqualification period. Information
				must be included on or with the notice describing the action that can be taken
				to avoid the disqualification before the disqualification period
				begins.
3. An E&T
				disqualification may be imposed after the end of a certification
				period.
Mississippi Administrative Code › Title 18 - HUMAN SERVICES › Part 14 - Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Policy Manual › Chapter 14 - E and T Work Requirements › Rule 18-14-14.8 - Disqualification Periods

Current through June 25, 2024
A. Disqualification
				periods will be imposed for failure to comply without good cause with the work
				registration/E&T requirements.
B. The following disqualification periods
				will be imposed:
1. For the first occurrence
				of noncompliance, the individual will be disqualified for:
a) Three months and compliance
Mississippi Administrative Code › Title 18 - HUMAN SERVICES › Part 14 - Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Policy Manual › Chapter 14 - E and T Work Requirements › Rule 18-14-14.9 - Household Ineligibility

Current through June 25, 2024
A. If the
				individual who becomes ineligible to participate is the head of a household,
				the agency will disqualify the head of household permanently and disqualify
				entire household from SNAP participation for six months.
B. The agency will disqualify the household
				for a period that does not exceed the lesser of:
1. The duration of the ineligibility of the
				noncompliant individual; or
2. 180
				days.
Mississippi Administrative Code › Title 18 - HUMAN SERVICES › Part 14 - Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Policy Manual › Chapter 14 - E and T Work Requirements › Rule 18-14-14.10 - Fair Hearings

Current through June 25, 2024
A. Each individual
				or household has the right to request a fair hearing to appeal a denial,
				reduction, or termination of benefits due to a determination of nonexempt
				status, or an agency determination of failure to comply with SNAP work
				requirements.
B. The agency
				operating the relevant component or service of the E&T program must receive
				sufficient advance notice to either permit the attendance of a representative
				or ensure that a representative will be available for questioning over the
				phone during the hearing. A representative of the appropriate agency must be
				available through one of these means.
C. A household must be allowed to examine its
				E&T program casefile at a reasonable time before the date of the fair
				hearing, except for confidential information (that may include test results)
				that the agency determines should be protected from release. Confidential
				information not released to a household may not be used by either party at the
				hearing.
D. The results of the fair
				hearing are binding on the agency.
E. If the participating individual's benefits
				are continued pending a fair hearing, the disqualification period must begin
				the first of the month after the hearing decision is rendered.
F. If the household elects not to receive
				benefits during pendency of the appeal and subsequently wins the hearing, the
				agency will restore any benefits the household would have been eligible to
				receive during the appeal period.
7 CFR §
											273.7(f)
Mississippi Administrative Code › Title 18 - HUMAN SERVICES › Part 14 - Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Policy Manual › Chapter 14 - E and T Work Requirements › Rule 18-14-14.11 - Failure to Comply with a Work Requirement Under Title IV of the Social Security Act, or an Unemployment Compensation Work Requirement

Current through June 25, 2024
A. An individual exempt from SNAP work
				requirements who fails to comply with the title IV-A or unemployment
				compensation work requirement will be treated as though he or she failed to
				comply with SNAP work requirements.
1. If the
				agency determination of noncompliance with a title IV-A or unemployment
				compensation work requirement leads to a denial or termination of the
				individual's or household's SNAP benefits, the individual or household has a
				right to appeal the decision.
2. In
				cases where the individual is disqualified from the title IV-A program for
				refusal or failure to comply with a title IV-A work requirement, but the
				individual meets one of the work registration exemptions, the agency may apply
				the identical title IV-A disqualification on the individual under SNAP. The
				agency must impose such optional disqualifications in accordance with the
				provisions of §
										273.11(1).
3. If the agency determination of
				noncompliance with a title IV-A or unemployment compensation work requirement
				leads to a denial or termination of the individual's or household's SNAP
				benefits, the individual or household has a right to appeal the
				decision.
4. In cases where the
				individual is disqualified from the title IV-A program for refusal or failure
				to comply with a title IV-A work requirement, but the individual meets one of
				the work registration exemptions, the agency may apply the identical title IV-A
				disqualification on the individual under SNAP.
Mississippi Administrative Code › Title 18 - HUMAN SERVICES › Part 14 - Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Policy Manual › Chapter 14 - E and T Work Requirements › Rule 18-14-14.12 - Ending Disqualification

Current through June 25, 2024
A. Except in cases
				of permanent disqualification, at the end of the applicable mandatory
				disqualification period for noncompliance with SNAP work requirements,
				participation may resume if the disqualified individual applies again and is
				determined by the agency to be in compliance with work requirements. A
				disqualified individual may be permitted to resume participation during the
				disqualification period (if otherwise eligible) by becoming exempt from work
				requirements.
B. ABAWDs
				disqualified as a result of failure to comply with E&T requirements must
				serve the minimum disqualification period and comply with E&T before being
				considered compliant with work registration requirements unless a work
				registration exemption is met during the minimum disqualification
				period.
7 CFR §
											273.7(g)
Mississippi Administrative Code › Title 18 - HUMAN SERVICES › Part 14 - Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Policy Manual › Chapter 14 - E and T Work Requirements › Rule 18-14-14.13 - Good Cause

Current through June 25, 2024
A. The agency is
				responsible for determining good cause when a SNAP recipient fails or refuses
				to comply with SNAP work requirements. The agency must consider the facts and
				circumstances, including information submitted by the employer, by the
				household member involved and by the provider in determining whether good cause
				exists. Good cause includes circumstances beyond the member's control, such as,
				but not limited to:
1. Illness,
2. Illness of another household member
				requiring the presence of the member,
3. A household emergency,
4. The unavailability of transportation,
				or
5. The lack of adequate
				childcare for children who have reached age six but are under age 12.
Mississippi Administrative Code › Title 18 - HUMAN SERVICES › Part 14 - Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Policy Manual › Chapter 14 - E and T Work Requirements › Rule 18-14-14.14 - Provider Determination

Current through June 25, 2024
A. The agency must
				ensure E&T providers are informed of their authority and responsibility to
				determine if an individual is not a good fit for a particular E&T
				component. Such determinations shall be referred to as provider determinations.
				An E&T provider is the provider of an E&T component.
B. The E&T provider may also provide
				input on the most appropriate next step for the individual with a provider
				determination. If an E&T provider finds an individual is not a good fit for
				one component but determines the individual may be suitable for another
				component offered by the E&T provider, the E&T provider may switch the
				individual to the other component and inform the agency by updating the
				appropriate form of the new component without the need for the agency to act
				further on the provider determination. The E&T provider has the authority
				to determine if an individual is not a good fit for the E&T component from
				the time an individual is referred to an E&T component until completion of
				the component. In the case of either a mandatory or voluntary E&T
				participant with a provider determination, the agency shall notify the
				individual that they are not being sanctioned as a result of the provider
				determination.
1. From the time an E&T
				provider determines an individual is not a good fit for an E&T component
				the individual shall not be found to have refused without good cause to
				participate in mandatory E&T. In the case of an ABAWD who has received a
				provider determination, the ABAWD will accrue countable months toward their
				three-month participation time limit the next full benefit month after the
				month during which the agency notifies the ABAWD of the provider determination,
				unless the ABAWD fulfills the work requirements, or the ABAWD has good cause,
				or is otherwise exempt.
Mississippi Administrative Code › Title 18 - HUMAN SERVICES › Part 14 - Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Policy Manual › Chapter 14 - E and T Work Requirements › Rule 18-14-14.15 - Participant Reimbursements

Current through June 25, 2024
A. The agency must
				provide transportation stipends to mandatory participants in its E&T
				program, for expenses that are reasonably necessary and directly related to
				participation in the E&T program. These payments are made in advance as
				payment for anticipated expenses in the coming month.
1. A monthly stipend will be posted to the
				individual's SNAP card for transportation assistance;
2. Stipends are considered supportive
				services and are not counted as unearned income in the SNAP budget;
3. Individuals engaged in Comparable Workfare
				are not eligible for the stipend;
4. Overpayments will not be processed for
				E&T transportation stipends.
Mississippi Administrative Code › Title 18 - HUMAN SERVICES › Part 14 - Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Policy Manual › Chapter 14 - E and T Work Requirements › Rule 18-14-14.16 - State Exemption

Current through June 25, 2024
A. The agency must
				inform all mandatory E&T participants that they may be exempted from
				E&T participation if their monthly expenses that are reasonably necessary
				and directly related to participation in the E&T program exceed the
				allowable reimbursement amount. Persons for whom allowable monthly expenses in
				an E&T component exceed the allowable amount are not required to
				participate in that component. These individuals will be placed, if possible,
				in another suitable component in which the individual's monthly E&T
				expenses would not exceed the allowable reimbursable amount paid. If a suitable
				component is not available, these individuals will be exempt from E&T
				participation until a suitable component is available or the individual's
				circumstances change, and his/her monthly expenses do not exceed the allowable
				reimbursable amount paid.
B. The
				use of a state exemption does not stop the increment of the three (3) months in
				a 36-month period (3/36) counter.
C. The exemption will allow the client to
				avoid the disqualifications associated with the E&T requirement as mandated
				by the agency; however, the client must meet the ABAWD work requirement unless
				otherwise determined exempt from the general work registration
				requirement.
7 CFR §
											273.7(d)(4)(v)
Mississippi Administrative Code › Title 18 - HUMAN SERVICES › Part 14 - Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Policy Manual › Chapter 15 - Categorically Eligible Households › Rule 18-14-15.1 - General

Current through June 25, 2024
A. Households are automatically eligible for
				SNAP based on receiving benefits from another low-income assistance
				program.
B. The following
				households are categorically eligible for SNAP:
1. Households where all members receive or
				are eligible to receive TANF.
2.
				Households where all members receive or are eligible to receive SSI
				benefits.
3. Households where all
				members receive or are eligible to receive TANF and/or SSI benefits.
Mississippi Administrative Code › Title 18 - HUMAN SERVICES › Part 14 - Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Policy Manual › Chapter 15 - Categorically Eligible Households › Rule 18-14-15.2 - Income and Resource Exceptions

Current through June 25, 2024
A. Categorically
				eligible households are not subject to:
1.
				Monthly gross income maximums;
2.
				Monthly net income maximums;
3.
				Resource maximums.
Mississippi Administrative Code › Title 18 - HUMAN SERVICES › Part 14 - Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Policy Manual › Chapter 15 - Categorically Eligible Households › Rule 18-14-15.3 - Verification Exceptions

Current through June 25, 2024
Categorically eligible households are exempt from the
				  following verifications since these factors were considered in their needs
				  based entitlement to TANF and/or SSI:
A. Residency;
B. Resources;
C. Social Security number information other
				than providing it;
D. Sponsored
				non-citizen information; and
E.
				Gross and net income limits (although income will have to be verified for
				benefit determination).
7 CFR §
											273.2(j)(2)(v)
Mississippi Administrative Code › Title 18 - HUMAN SERVICES › Part 14 - Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Policy Manual › Chapter 15 - Categorically Eligible Households › Rule 18-14-15.4 - Residents of Institution

Current through June 25, 2024
A. Residents of
				public institutions who apply jointly for SSI and SNAP benefits prior to their
				release will not be considered categorically eligible.
B. MDHS will only determine such residents as
				categorically eligible when SSA makes a final SSI eligibility determination and
				after the individual has been released from the institution.
7 CFR §
											273.2(j)(2)(D)
Mississippi Administrative Code › Title 18 - HUMAN SERVICES › Part 14 - Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Policy Manual › Chapter 15 - Categorically Eligible Households › Rule 18-14-15.5 - Benefit Determination

Current through June 25, 2024
A. MDHS will base
				the benefit levels of all households solely using SNAP criteria.
B. Benefits will be paid from the time TANF
				or SSI benefits are paid or the original SNAP application date, whichever is
				later.
7 CFR §
											273.2(j);
				  7 CFR §
										273.2(j)(1)(iv)
Mississippi Administrative Code › Title 18 - HUMAN SERVICES › Part 14 - Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Policy Manual › Chapter 16 - Resources › Rule 18-14-16.1 - General

Current through June 25, 2024
A. MDHS will apply uniform national resource
				standards of eligibility that are published every October
				1st by USDA to all applicants.
B.
Exception
: Households defined
				as categorically eligible are not subject to resource limits.
C. Households with at least one member 60
				years of age or older or disabled have a higher maximum resource limit than all
				other households.
D. Resources are
				either included or excluded in determining SNAP eligibility.
E. MDHS exempts most vehicles to align with
				MS TANF policy.
F. MDHS will
				determine the value of nonexempt resources, except for licensed vehicles, at
				equity value, which is the fair market value less encumbrances.
G. Resources of all household members will be
				counted, including ineligible non-citizens and household members disqualified
				due to failure to comply with a work requirement, failure to provide a SSN or
				because of an intentional program violation.
H.
Exception
: Resources of
				non-household members such as students or boarders will not be counted as well
				as those who receive SSI.
7 CFR §
											273.8(a)-(b);
				  7 CFR §
										273.11(c)-(d)
Mississippi Administrative Code › Title 18 - HUMAN SERVICES › Part 14 - Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Policy Manual › Chapter 16 - Resources › Rule 18-14-16.2 - Included Resources

Current through June 25, 2024
The following resources must be included and verified:
A. Liquid resources such as:
1. Cash on hand (including gross lottery or
				gambling winnings);
2. Money in
				checking and savings accounts;
3.
				Saving certificates;
4. Stocks or
				bonds;
5. Vacation pay;
6. Loans;
7. Accumulated earnings of a student under
				18;
8. Retirement plans not listed
				in
Rule 16.4 Excluded
				Resources
; and
9.
				Nonrecurring lump sum payments.
Mississippi Administrative Code › Title 18 - HUMAN SERVICES › Part 14 - Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Policy Manual › Chapter 16 - Resources › Rule 18-14-16.3 - Jointly Owned Resources

Current through June 25, 2024
A. Resources that
				are jointly owned by separate households will be considered available in their
				entirety to each household, unless it can be shown by the applicant household
				that such resources are inaccessible.
B. If the household can provide proof that it
				can only access a portion of such resource, the value of that portion will be
				counted toward the household's resource level.
C. The resource will be considered totally
				inaccessible to the household if the resource cannot be subdivided on practical
				terms and the household's access to the value of the resource is dependent on
				an agreement of a joint owner who refuses to comply.
D. For purposes of this rule, ineligible
				non-citizens and disqualified members residing with the household will be
				considered household members.
E.
				Resources are considered inaccessible for residents of shelters for battered
				persons if:
1. Resources are jointly owned by
				such residents and by members of their former household; and
2. Such resident's access to the value of the
				resource is dependent on an agreement with a joint owner who still resides in
				the former household.
Mississippi Administrative Code › Title 18 - HUMAN SERVICES › Part 14 - Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Policy Manual › Chapter 16 - Resources › Rule 18-14-16.4 - Excluded Resources

Current through June 25, 2024
Exclude the following list of resources when determining
				  eligibility for SNAP:
A. Home and
				surrounding property (including barns, garages, sheds, workshops and other
				outbuildings) that is not separated by intervening property owned by others;
1. Public rights of ways will not affect the
				exemption status of the property.
2. Exemption status will remain when the home
				and surrounding property is temporarily unoccupied for reasons of employment,
				training for future employment, illness or uninhabitable due to a natural
				disaster or other casualty, if the household intends to return.
3. Property owners or those purchasing a lot
				to build or who are building a permanent home will receive an exemption for the
				value of the lot and, if it is partially completed, for the home.
Mississippi Administrative Code › Title 18 - HUMAN SERVICES › Part 14 - Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Policy Manual › Chapter 16 - Resources › Rule 18-14-16.5 - Value of Non-excluded Recreational Vehicles

Current through June 25, 2024
A.
				Fair market value is the current value of the recreational vehicle.
B. Equity value is the fair market value
				minus encumbrances.
C. A
				recreational vehicle may be:
1. Counted
				according to its excess fair market value over $4,650;
2. Counted according to its excess fair
				market value over $4,650 or its equity value, which is higher.
Mississippi Administrative Code › Title 18 - HUMAN SERVICES › Part 14 - Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Policy Manual › Chapter 16 - Resources › Rule 18-14-16.6 - Commingling Excluded Resources

Current through June 25, 2024
A. Excluded
				resources kept in separate accounts will have a resource exclusion for an
				unlimited period of time.
B. The
				excluded resources of students and self-employment households that are
				commingled with non-excluded resources will keep their exclusion status for the
				time which they were prorated as income.
C. All other excluded resources commingled
				with non-excluded resources will retain their exemption for six months from the
				date of commingling. After six months, then all funds in the commingled account
				will be counted as a resource.
7 CFR §
											273.8(g)
Mississippi Administrative Code › Title 18 - HUMAN SERVICES › Part 14 - Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Policy Manual › Chapter 16 - Resources › Rule 18-14-16.7 - Transfer of Resources

Current through June 25, 2024
A. Households will
				be asked to provide information regarding whether any resources have been
				transferred within a 3-month period immediately prior to the date of
				application.
B. Households that
				knowingly transfer resources for the purpose of qualifying or attempting to
				qualify for SNAP benefits will be disqualified from participation for up to one
				(1) year from the date of the discovery of the transfer.
C. This disqualification period will be
				applicable if the resources are transferred knowingly in the 3-month period
				prior to the application or if they were knowingly transferred after the
				household has been determined eligible for SNAP benefits.
D.
Allowable
				Transfers
: The following are allowable transfer of resources
				which will not affect SNAP eligibility:
1.
				Resources of excluded personal property such or furniture or money that is less
				than the allowable resource limit;
2. Resources sold or traded at or near fair
				market value;
3. Resources which
				are transferred between members of the same household; and
4. Resources that are transferred for reasons
				other than qualifying or attempt to qualify for SNAP benefits such as placing
				funds into an educational trust fund.
Mississippi Administrative Code › Title 18 - HUMAN SERVICES › Part 14 - Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Policy Manual › Chapter 17 - Income › Rule 18-14-17.1 - General

Current through June 25, 2024
Participation in SNAP shall be limited to those households
				  whose incomes are determined to be a substantial limiting factor in permitting
				  individuals to obtain a more nutritious diet.
A. Households with an elderly or disabled
				member must meet the net income eligibility standards.
B. Households without an elderly or disabled
				member must meet both the gross and net income eligibility standards.
C. Categorically eligible households do not
				need to meet either income standards.
7 CFR §
											273.9(a)
Mississippi Administrative Code › Title 18 - HUMAN SERVICES › Part 14 - Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Policy Manual › Chapter 17 - Income › Rule 18-14-17.2 - Eligibility Standards

Current through June 25, 2024
A. The gross income
				eligibility standard is 130 percent of the annual Federal income poverty
				level.
B. The net income
				eligibility standard is 100 percent of the annual Federal income poverty
				level.
C. The income eligibility
				limits are adjusted each October 1st to reflect the
				current Federal income poverty level and are posted on the FNS web
				site.
7 CFR §
											273.9(a)(1)-(4)
Mississippi Administrative Code › Title 18 - HUMAN SERVICES › Part 14 - Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Policy Manual › Chapter 17 - Income › Rule 18-14-17.3 - Income Defined

Current through June 25, 2024
Income means all income from whatever source excluding only
				  those items listed in
Rule
				  17.8 Excluded
				  Income
.
7 CFR §
											273.9(b)
Mississippi Administrative Code › Title 18 - HUMAN SERVICES › Part 14 - Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Policy Manual › Chapter 17 - Income › Rule 18-14-17.4 - Earned Income

Current through June 25, 2024
Earned income includes the following:
A. All salaries and wages from an
				employee;
B. Gross income from a
				self-employment enterprise, including the total gain from the sale of any
				capital goods or equipment related to the business;
1.
Exception
: The costs of doing
				business are excluded.
2. Ownership
				of rental property is considered a self-employment enterprise. Income from a
				rental property is only considered earned income if a household member is
				actively engaged in the management of such property for an average of at least
				20 hours per week.
3. Payments from
				a roomer or boarder (except foster care boarders) are considered a
				self-employment enterprise regardless of the number of hours spent weekly in
				providing the service.
Mississippi Administrative Code › Title 18 - HUMAN SERVICES › Part 14 - Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Policy Manual › Chapter 17 - Income › Rule 18-14-17.5 - Unearned Income

Current through June 25, 2024
Unearned income includes the following, but not limited to,
				  :
A. Federal or federally aided public
				assistance program payments such as SSI or TANF;
B. Social security benefits;
C. Payments received through the Mississippi
				Band of Choctaw Indians (MBCI) Distribution Plan;
D. Severance pay;
E. Annuities;
F. Pensions;
G. Retirement;
H. Strike benefits;
I. Veteran's benefits;
J. Disability benefits;
K. Worker's compensation;
L. Unemployment compensation;
M. Monies deposited into a joint bank
				account.
Exception
: When one of the joint account owners is the
				protective payee of the funds deposited into the account and the funds are used
				for the needs of the protective payee, then such funds would be excluded as
				income to others;
N. Foster care
				payments for children or adults who are considered members of the
				household;
O. Gross income less the
				cost of doing business from rental property where the household member is not
				actively engaged in the management of the property at least 20 hours a week; P.
				Support or alimony payments made directly to the household by non-household
				members;
Q. Scholarships,
				educational grants, deferred payment loans for education (other than
				educational assistance with a work requirement) in excess of amounts excluded
				in
Rule 17.8 Excluded
				Income
;
R. Payments from
				government sponsored programs, dividends, interest, royalties, and all other
				direct money payments construed to be a gain or benefit;
S. Monies that are legally obligated and
				otherwise payable to the household, but which are diverted by the provider of
				the payment to a third party for a household expense (such as vendor payments
				described in
Rule
				17.8 Excluded
				Income
);
T. Income deemed
				to sponsored non-citizen as detailed in
Rule
				9.6 Deeming of Sponsor's Income and
				Resources
;
U. Monies which
				are withdrawn or dividends which are or could be received by a household from
				trust funds are considered to be excludable resources;
1. Such trust withdrawals will be considered
				income in the month received unless otherwise exempt.
2. Dividends which the household can select
				to receive as income or reinvest in the trust will be considered income in the
				month they become available to the household unless otherwise exempt.
Mississippi Administrative Code › Title 18 - HUMAN SERVICES › Part 14 - Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Policy Manual › Chapter 17 - Income › Rule 18-14-17.6 - Income from Non-Household Members

Current through June 25, 2024
A. The earned and
				unearned income from a non-household member disqualified for either an IPV or
				failing to comply with work requirements is attributed to the remaining
				household members.
B. The earned
				and unearned income from a non-household member disqualified for failing to
				provide an SSN or being an ineligible non-citizen is counted as income, less a
				pro rata share for the individual.
C. For households containing a sponsored
				non-citizen, the income of the sponsor and the sponsor's spouse must be
				deemed.
7 CFR §
											273.9(b)(3)-(4)
Mississippi Administrative Code › Title 18 - HUMAN SERVICES › Part 14 - Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Policy Manual › Chapter 17 - Income › Rule 18-14-17.7 - Child Support Payments received by TANF recipients

Current through June 25, 2024
A.
				Child support payments received by TANF recipients that must be transferred to
				the Division of Child Support Enforcement to maintain TANF eligibility are not
				counted as income.
B.
Exception
: Any current payment including the entire child support
				pass-through payment that is disbursed to the household must be counted as
				unearned income when calculating SNAP benefits.
7 CFR §
											273.9(b)(5)(ii)
Mississippi Administrative Code › Title 18 - HUMAN SERVICES › Part 14 - Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Policy Manual › Chapter 17 - Income › Rule 18-14-17.8 - Excluded Income

Current through June 25, 2024
Types of excluded income include:
A. Any gain or benefit that is not in the
				form of money payable directly to the household;
1. In-kind benefits: includes meals, clothes,
				housing or produce from a garden.
2. Vendor payments: money payment made on
				behalf of a household by an individual or organization outside of the household
				either directly to the household's creditors or to an individual or
				organization providing a service to the household.
a) Public Assistance vendor payments are
				counted as income unless they are made for:
i.
				Medical assistance;
ii. Child care
				assistance;
iii. Energy assistance;
iv. Emergency assistance for
				migrant or seasonal farmer households while in the job stream;
v. Housing assistance payments made through a
				State or local housing authority;
vi. Emergency or special assistance (the
				assistance must be over and above the normal grant).
b) Department of Housing and Urban
				Development (HUD) vendor payments. Rent or mortgage payments made to landlords
				or mortgagees by HUD are excluded as income.
c) Vendor payments that are reimbursements
				are excluded.
d) Other third-party
				payments will be treated as follows:
i. Money
				legally owed and payable to the household that is diverted by the provider of
				the payment to a third party for a household expense will be counted as income.
ii. If an individual or
				organization makes a payment to a third party on behalf of a household using
				funds that are not owed to the household, the payment will be
				excluded.
Mississippi Administrative Code › Title 18 - HUMAN SERVICES › Part 14 - Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Policy Manual › Chapter 18 - Expenses and Deductions › Rule 18-14-18.1 - General

Current through June 25, 2024
Deductions will only be allowed for the following household
				  expenses:
A. Standard
				deduction;
B. Earned income
				deduction;
C. Excess medical
				deduction;
D. Dependent
				care;
E. Optional child support
				deduction; and
F. Shelter
				costs.
7 CFR §
											273.9(d)
Mississippi Administrative Code › Title 18 - HUMAN SERVICES › Part 14 - Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Policy Manual › Chapter 18 - Expenses and Deductions › Rule 18-14-18.2 - Standard Deduction

Current through June 25, 2024
A. The standard
				deduction for household sizes one to six is equal to 8.31 percent of the
				monthly net income eligibility standard rounded up to the nearest whole
				dollar.
B. For households greater
				than six, the standard deduction is equal to the standard deduction for a
				six-person household.
C. This is
				the calculation used to determine the minimum standard deduction for the 48
				States and D.C., Alaska, Hawaii, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
D. The standard deduction for all household
				sizes is posted annually on FNS' website.
7 CFR §
											273.9(d)(1)(i)
Mississippi Administrative Code › Title 18 - HUMAN SERVICES › Part 14 - Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Policy Manual › Chapter 18 - Expenses and Deductions › Rule 18-14-18.3 - Earned Income Deduction

Current through June 25, 2024
A. The earned
				income deduction is twenty (20) percent of gross earned income.
B. Excluded income is not subject to this
				deduction.
7 CFR §
											273.9(d)(2)
Mississippi Administrative Code › Title 18 - HUMAN SERVICES › Part 14 - Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Policy Manual › Chapter 18 - Expenses and Deductions › Rule 18-14-18.4 - Excess Medical Deduction

Current through June 25, 2024
A. A deduction will
				be allowed for a portion of medical expenses over $35.00 per month, excluding
				special diets, incurred by any household member who is elderly or
				disabled.
B. Spouses and others who
				receive benefits as a dependent of the SSI, disabled or blind recipient are not
				eligible for this deduction.
C.
				Allowable medical costs include the following:
1. Medical and dental care, including
				psychotherapy and rehabilitation services provided by a Mississippi licensed
				practitioner or other qualified health professional.
2. Hospitalization or outpatient
				treatment.
3. Nursing care and
				nursing home care, including payments by the household for a person who was a
				household member immediately prior to entering a hospital or nursing
				home.
4. Prescription drugs (except
				any Schedule I controlled substance) prescribed by a Mississippi licensed
				practitioner, other over-the-counter medication (including insulin), medical
				supplies and equipment when approved by a Mississippi licensed practitioner or
				other qualified health professional.
5. Dentures, hearing aids and
				prosthetics.
6. Reasonable cost of
				transportation and lodging incurred to obtain medical treatment or
				services.
7. Health and
				hospitalization insurance policy premiums.
8. Medicare premiums related to coverage
				under Title XVIII of the Social Security Act and any cost-sharing or spend down
				expenses incurred by Medicaid recipients.
9. Securing and maintaining a service dog,
				including the cost of food and veterinary bills.
10. Eyeglasses prescribed by a skilled
				physician or by an optometrist.
11.
				Maintaining a homemaker, housekeeper, home health aide, or childcare services
				that are necessary due to age, infirmity, or illness.
a) An amount equal to the one-person benefit
				will be considered a medical expense if the household furnishes the majority of
				the attendant's meals.
b) If a
				household member incurs attendant care costs that could qualify under both the
				medical deduction and dependent care deduction, the costs may be deducted as
				one or the other, but not both.
Mississippi Administrative Code › Title 18 - HUMAN SERVICES › Part 14 - Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Policy Manual › Chapter 18 - Expenses and Deductions › Rule 18-14-18.5 - Dependent Care Deduction

Current through June 25, 2024
A. A deduction will
				be allowed for dependent care when payments are necessary for a member of the
				household to:
1. Search, accept or continue
				employment;
2. Comply with
				Employment and Training (E&T) requirements; or
3. Pursue education or participate in
				training that is essential in preparing for employment. (except for educational
				income that has been excluded per
Rule
				17.8 Excluded
				Income
).
Mississippi Administrative Code › Title 18 - HUMAN SERVICES › Part 14 - Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Policy Manual › Chapter 18 - Expenses and Deductions › Rule 18-14-18.6 - Optional Child Support Deduction

Current through June 25, 2024
A. Mississippi has
				taken the state option to provide a deduction rather than an income exclusion
				for legally obligated child support payments (including payments towards child
				support arrearages) paid by a household member to a non-household
				member.
B. Alimony payments are not
				included in the child support deduction.
7 CFR §
											273.9(d)(5)
Mississippi Administrative Code › Title 18 - HUMAN SERVICES › Part 14 - Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Policy Manual › Chapter 18 - Expenses and Deductions › Rule 18-14-18.7 - Homeless Shelter Deduction

Current through June 25, 2024
A. MDHS must offer
				a standard homeless deduction to households where all members are homeless and
				not receiving free shelter throughout the month.
B.
Note
: Homeless households may
				claim actual costs instead of the standard homeless shelter deduction if they
				are verified and higher.
7 CFR §
											273.9(d)(6)(i)
Mississippi Administrative Code › Title 18 - HUMAN SERVICES › Part 14 - Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Policy Manual › Chapter 18 - Expenses and Deductions › Rule 18-14-18.8 - Excess Shelter Deduction

Current through June 25, 2024
A. A deduction will
				be allowed for monthly shelter expenses in excess of 50 percent of the
				household's income after all other above referenced deductions have been
				applied.
B.
Note
: The
				deduction cannot exceed the maximum shelter deduction provided by FNS unless
				the household contains a disabled or elderly individual.
C. Shelter expenses only include the
				following:
1. Reoccurring charges for the
				shelter occupied by the household such as rent, mortgage or continuing charges
				leading to the ownership of the shelter (i.e., loan payments for the purchase
				of a mobile home);
2. Property
				taxes and insurance on the dwelling itself;
3. Cost of fuel for heating and
				cooling;
4. Electricity and fuel
				used for costs other than heating and cooling;
5. Water and sewage costs (including well or
				septic tank installation and maintenance);
6. Garbage and trash collection;
7. All services and costs to provide one
				telephone;
8. Shelter costs for the
				home if unoccupied due to being temporarily away for employment or training,
				illness or abandonment caused by a natural disaster;
9. Repair charges for a home that was
				substantially destroyed by a natural disaster such as a fire or a
				flood;
10.
Note
:
				Shelter costs do not include repair charges that will be reimbursed by a public
				or private relief agency or an insurance company.
Mississippi Administrative Code › Title 18 - HUMAN SERVICES › Part 14 - Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Policy Manual › Chapter 18 - Expenses and Deductions › Rule 18-14-18.9 - Standard Utility Allowances

Current through June 25, 2024
A. Households will
				receive the appropriate utility allowances in place of actual costs at initial
				certification, recertification and when a household moves:
1. A standard utility allowance (SUA) that
				includes heating or cooling;
a) This is
				available to households that incur heating or cooling expenses separately from
				their rent or mortgage; and
b) To
				households that receive direct or indirect assistance from the Low Income Home
				Energy Assistance Act Program (LIHEAP).
Mississippi Administrative Code › Title 18 - HUMAN SERVICES › Part 14 - Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Policy Manual › Chapter 19 - Choctaw Food Distribution Program › Rule 18-14-19.1 - General

Current through June 25, 2024
A. The Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians
				received approval from FNS to operate a Food and Distribution Program
				(FDP).
B. The Choctaw FDP will
				operate concurrently with the MS SNAP.
C. FNS has the power to determine the amount
				of any claim and to settle and adjust any claim.
7 CFR §
											253.3(b) and
				  7 CFR §
										253.4
Mississippi Administrative Code › Title 18 - HUMAN SERVICES › Part 14 - Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Policy Manual › Chapter 19 - Choctaw Food Distribution Program › Rule 18-14-19.2 - Eligible Households

Current through June 25, 2024
A. The Choctaw FDP
				will serve all eligible reservation residents, Indian and non-Indian.
B.
Exception
: Off-reservation
				commodity assistance is limited to Choctaw Indian households.
C. A Choctaw Indian household is defined as a
				household containing at least one (1) person age 18 or over, who is a
				recognized member of the Choctaw tribe.
D. An individual must be a legal resident of
				the United States to participate in the FDP.
E. Households where all members receive TANF
				or SSI will, if otherwise eligible, be determined eligible for the FDP
				regardless of the income of household members.
F. The income limits for the FDP will be
				adjusted every October to reflect the changes in the SNAP eligibility limits
				and standard deductions.
7 CFR §
											253.6 and
				  7 CFR §
										253.7
Mississippi Administrative Code › Title 18 - HUMAN SERVICES › Part 14 - Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Policy Manual › Chapter 19 - Choctaw Food Distribution Program › Rule 18-14-19.3 - Program Benefits

Current through June 25, 2024
A. Households
				choosing the FDP will receive a monthly commodity food package based on their
				household size.
B. The food package
				is an acceptable alternative to the SNAP benefits.
C. The food package will consist of a variety
				of food from each of the food groups.
7 CFR §
											253.3(d)
Mississippi Administrative Code › Title 18 - HUMAN SERVICES › Part 14 - Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Policy Manual › Chapter 19 - Choctaw Food Distribution Program › Rule 18-14-19.4 - Choice of Programs

Current through June 25, 2024
A. Eligible
				households living on or near the Mississippi Choctaw reservation can choose to
				receive SNAP benefits or a commodity food package from the FDP.
B. Households may switch between receiving
				SNAP and FDP benefits within a certification period only by terminating their
				participation and notifying the appropriate office in writing of their
				intention to switch programs, or at the end of the certification
				period.
C. The household must apply
				for FDP with the Choctaw Agency.
D.
				The household must complete an application when switching from receiving FDP
				benefits to SNAP benefits.
E. SNAP
				benefits may be issued beginning the month following the month the FDP ended,
				if the household meets all SNAP eligibility elements.
7 CFR §
											253.1;
				  7 CFR §
										253.3(b)(2);
				  7 CFR §
											253.7(e)(2)
Mississippi Administrative Code › Title 18 - HUMAN SERVICES › Part 14 - Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Policy Manual › Chapter 19 - Choctaw Food Distribution Program › Rule 18-14-19.5 - Dual Participation

Current through June 25, 2024
A. Households
				cannot receive SNAP and FDP benefits during the same month.
B. MDHS and the Choctaw FDP will develop a
				method to detect dual participation.
C. At a minimum, lists of currently certified
				households will be exchanged between the two programs on a monthly basis. The
				State agency may also employ computer checks, address checks and telephone
				calls to prevent dual participation.
7 CFR §
											253.7(e)(1)
Mississippi Administrative Code › Title 18 - HUMAN SERVICES › Part 14 - Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Policy Manual › Chapter 19 - Choctaw Food Distribution Program › Rule 18-14-19.6 - Expedited Service

Current through June 25, 2024
A. Expedited
				service is available to those households in immediate need.
B. Commodities may be distributed within one
				(1) calendar day after the application date (excluding weekends and holidays)
				to eligible households who report no income in the current month and for those
				households that would likely be eligible and would otherwise suffer a
				hardship.
C. The household's
				identity and address must be verified.
D. The other required verifications must be
				completed prior to distribution of commodities the following month.
7 CFR §
											253.7(a)(9)