SELF-EMPLOYMENT INCOME FROM ROOMER/BOARDER
ISSUE DATE: 08/2019
If a client receives payments for lodging, meals, or related services from people living in the client's home, the income is roomer/boarder income. Units with roomer/boarder income are self-employed. Count the income as earned income.
● | A roomer lives with the unit and pays for lodging only. |
● | A boarder eats with the unit and pays for meals only. |
● | A roomer and boarder lives AND eats with the unit and pays for lodging AND meals. |
Roomer/boarder income is different from rental property or from shared living expense income. For information on rental property income, see 0017.15.33.30 (Self-Employment Income From Rental Property). For information on shared living expense income, see 0017.06 (Excluded Income).
For information on budgeting Self-Employment Income, see 0017.15.33.03 (Self-Employment, Convert Inc. To Monthly Amt - Cash), 0017.15.33.05 (Self-Employment, Determine Countable Monthly Income – SNAP).
MFIP, DWP, GA, GRH:
Follow general provisions.
SNAP:
Allow the following expenses for a roomer/boarder:
● | Roomer: The verified expense of providing the room. See the general provisions in 0017.15.33.30 (Self-Employment Income From Rental Property) for instructions on how to determine the expense. |
● | Boarder: The verified expense of providing the food or the Thrifty Food Plan, whichever is greater. For Thrifty Food Plan amounts or for treatment of boarders who pay less than the Thrifty Food Plan amount for food, see 0022.12.01 (How to Calculate Benefit Level - SNAP/MSA/GRH). |
● | Roomer and boarder: The verified expense of providing the room and the Thrifty Food Plan amount or the verified expense of providing the food, whichever is greater. For the Thrifty Food Plan Amounts, see 0022.12.01 (How to Calculate Benefit Level - SNAP/MSA/GRH). For instructions on how to determine the roomer expense, see the general provisions in 0017.15.33.30 (Self-Employment Income From Rental Property). |
If there is more than 1 boarder, use the total number of boarders as the unit size in determining the Thrifty Food Plan amount, see 0014.03.06 (Determining the SNAP Unit).
Deduct the allowable expenses from the gross income and the remainder is the countable self-employment income.
For expenses not allowed, see 0017.15.33.15 (Self-Employment Expenses Not Allowed – SNAP).
For Roomer/Boarder system guidance, see TEMP Manual TE02.10.49 (Room and Board Income (RBIC)).
MSA:
For non-SSI recipients, follow general provisions.
For SSI recipients, SSA determines income. No county action is required.
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PREVIOUS REVISIONS
| Date | Notes |
|---|---|
| 03/2016 | delete previous SNAP provisions because SNAP follows general provisions. |
| 01/2016 | deletes previous Self-Employment policy and adds Simplified Self-Employment policy throughout. This change was EFFECTIVE 02/01/15. |
| 12/2015 | in MFIP/DWP updates the boarder and roomer/boarder rates. |
| 06/2015 | in general provisions adds 2 new paragraphs about the Simplified Self-Employment Policy Guide (Effective 02/01/15) and prior Self-Employment policy. |
| 12/2014 | Removed WB. This program was suspended 12/1/14. |
| 06/2013 | update cross-references to 0014.03.06 (Determining the SNAP Unit), 0022.12.01 (How to Calculate Benefit Level - SNAP/MSA/GRH). No policy was changed. |
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