Determine if countable income is available or unavailable. Income is available when:

●	Received by the applicant/participant.
●	Received by someone for the applicant/participant and available to the applicant/participant. However, for some programs, when a person who does not live with the applicant/participant receives the applicant/participant’s RSDI checks, special provisions apply. See 0017.15.45 (Income From RSDI and SSI).
●	Wages are withheld as a result of a garnishment, deemed income to the unit, or court ordered child/spousal support. See 0016 (Income From People Not in the Unit), 0018.33 (Child and Spousal Support Deductions).
●	Withheld by the employer at the applicant/participant's request.

Income is unavailable when the applicant/participant cannot gain access to the income. For example, wages are unavailable when an employer owes wages to but refuses to pay.

For some programs, student financial aid is considered available when the applicant/participant signs or receives the award letter, not when money is actually disbursed. See 0017.15.36.03 (When to Budget Student Financial Aid).

Do not count unavailable income.


MFIP, GA:
Applicants and participants must try to gain access to unavailable income as a condition of eligibility.

Deduct the costs of securing unearned income, such as legal fees, medical fees, withdrawal penalties, and mandatory deductions (such as federal and state income taxes). Apply disregards to earned income.

Deny or terminate assistance when applicants or participants fail to cooperate in gaining access to the income.

Disregard income received before the month of application, regardless of the period it was intended to cover.

Periodic income received by a participant is considered available and must be converted to monthly amounts. See 0017.09 (Converting Income to Monthly Amounts).

For self-employment income received before the month of application, see 0017.15.33 (Self-Employment Income), 0017.15.33.03 (Self-Employment, Convert Inc. to Monthly Amt), 0017.15.33.24 (Self-Employment Income From Farming).

Do not allow a deduction from income when part of the income is being withheld to repay a debt or obligation, unless the income is being reduced to recover a prior overpayment from the same income source. (For example, a VA payment of $400 is reduced by $150 due to a prior VA overpayment; in this case, count only $250.)

If the applicant/participant has a representative payee, presume the gross SSI and/or RSDI payment is available unless they can demonstrate it is not. If the applicant/participant demonstrates that part of the payment is unavailable, count only that portion available in cash or spent on behalf of the applicant/participant or the unit.

EXCEPTION: If the representative payee of a minor child is the minor child’s non-unit member parent, presume the minor child does not have legal access to the RSDI unless the representative payee demonstrates that part of the payment is available. Count only that portion available to the minor child in cash or spent on behalf of the minor child while in the unit.

If an applicant or participant reports that income is unavailable because it is being diverted or misused by someone else, including a representative payee, report this immediately to the Minnesota Adult Abuse Reporting Center (MAARC) at 1-844-880-1574 or online. To report concerns about financial exploitation of a child, contact the county agency or Tribal Nation where the child lives during business hours.


SNAP:
Follow general provisions. In addition, count the following as available income:

●	Transitional housing payments for the homeless which are designated for a specific household. See TRANSITIONAL HOUSING in 0002.67 (Glossary: Thrifty...).
●	The amount that is being recouped from UC or WC, due to adjudicated fraud. Do not count amounts being recouped when there is no fraud.
●	The amount of an assistance payment that is being recouped from GA or MSA due to adjudicated fraud. Do not count amounts being recouped when there is no fraud.

Do not count fees paid from SSI/RSDI to organizational representative payees as income.


MSA:
For SSI recipients, count the full amount of the SSI Federal Benefit Rate as gross unearned income, even if their actual SSI check is less. See 0017 (Determining Gross Income).

For non-SSI recipients, follow GA EXCEPT consider income withheld to repay a debt or obligation, such as a prior overpayment, to be available.


HSP:
Follow GA, EXCEPT allow an income deduction to pay a fee, recoupment, court-ordered support, or similar obligation. See 0018.39 (Prior and Other Income Reductions).