Benefits Eligibility & Amounts Impacted

Per 2SSB 5793 (2)(e):

"As allowable by federal and state law, state agencies will minimize, to the greatest extent possible, the impact of stipends and reimbursements on public assistance eligibility and benefit amounts."

Federal and state income-based programs such as those that provide assistance with housing, health care, and money for food and other living expenses typically require reporting of any earnings by the recipient of said assistance. Many people are enrolled in more than one of these programs. State agencies which plan to compensate people must consider how this may affect each of the assistance programs from which workgroup members receive assistance. Stipends and gift cards may also be considered income and could impact these benefits programs.

Washington state agencies are currently reviewing public assistance programs to eliminate benefit impact to the greatest extent possible. Until analysis is complete for a public assistance program, agencies should inform workgroup members about possible benefit impacts and recommend they contact the respective agency for benefits counseling.

Below is the chart that demonstrates which public assistance eligibility and benefit amounts are impacted by stipends and reimbursements, and which will require statutory changes in order to avoid negatively impacting a workgroup members’ benefits.

Program Agency Benefit Eligibility & Amount Impact Analysis
Public Housing Dept. of Commerce (COM) Payments excluded from income determination if temporary and sporadic (received/earned no more than 3 times per year) or nonrecurring
Consolidated Homeless Grant COM Payments excluded from income determination
Housing Choice Voucher COM Payments excluded from income determination if temporary and sporadic (received/earned no more than 3 times per year) or nonrecurring
Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program COM Payments excluded from eligibility determination
Project-Based Voucher/Public Housing COM Payments excluded from income determination if temporary and sporadic (received/earned no more than 3 times per year) or nonrecurring
Housing Trust Fund COM Payments excluded from income determination if temporary and sporadic (received/earned no more than 3 times per year) or nonrecurring
National Housing Trust Fund COM Payments excluded from income determination if temporary and sporadic (received/earned no more than 3 times per year) or nonrecurring
HOME- Home Investment Partnerships COM Payments excluded from income determination if temporary and sporadic (received/earned no more than 3 times per year) or nonrecurring
Affordable Connectivity Program COM

Gross income: ACP verifies income through looking at tax returns or pay stubs. If tax return used as verification- would only impact if more than $600 received and 1099 generated. If pay stub used to verify, would be no issue. 

Categorical eligibility: automatically eligible if participate in any of the following programs: SNAP, Medicaid, WIC, SSI, Housing assistance, Veterans Pension and Survivors Benefit, Free and Reduced-Price School Lunch, Federal Pell Grant, Tribal Assistance. Visit the Do I Qualify page for more information.

Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) COM Payments excluded from eligibility determination
Head Start Dept. of Children, Youth & Families (DCYF) Payments excluded from eligibility determination
Early Childhood Education & Assistance Program (ECEAP) DCYF Payments excluded from eligibility determination
Working Connections Child Care (WCCC) DCYF Payments excluded from eligibility determination
Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Department of Health (DOH)

Income from participation is reportable for WIC and could impact eligibility. DOH provided the following options to minimize or eliminate benefit impact.

WIC confers adjunctive eligibility for participants participating in programs that might exempt this income, including:

  • Medicaid Title 19
  • State or Federal non-Title 19 medical assistance programs with income guidelines the same or less than WIC’s  
  • TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families)
  • SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program)  
  • FDPIR (Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations)

WIC can also annualize income (over 12 months) received for a short- term engagement (e.g. time-limited and less than six months), which would reduce the risk of the participant exceeding program income eligibility guidelines.

WIC does not consider gift cards income and is allowable if not equivalent to a cash payment, like a visa card.

WIC is also requesting a waiver from USDA that would exempt this income from WIC income eligibility.

SNAP/FAP (Food Assistance Program)

Dept. of Social & Health Services (DSHS)/Community Services Division (CSD)

Payments included - Federal waiver requested
TANF DSHS/CSD Payments excluded from income determination
Aged, Blind, or Disabled (ABD) cash assistance DSHS/CSD Payments excluded from income determination
Tribal TANF DSHS/CSD Currently under analysis
Child Support DSHS/Division of Child Support (DCS) Payments excluded from income withholding
Refugee Cash DSHS/CSD Payments excluded from income determination
Medical Assistance DSHS/CSD Payments excluded from income determination
Veterans’ nonservice-connect pension or survivors’ pension Dept. of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA) Income included - DVA to request change with federal VA.
Unemployment Employment Security Department (ESD) Payments excluded from income determination
Paid Family Medical Leave ESD Payments excluded from income determination
MAGI-Medical Health Care Authority (HCA) Payments excluded from eligibility determination
Non-MAGI Medical HCA Payments excluded from eligibility determination
Free/Rediced Lunch Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) Payments excluded from eligibility determination
Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Social Security Administration (SSA) SSA provided a decision that these payments must be reported but is excluded from income for SSI purposes
Social Security or Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) SSA No impact - assistance not based on need