ASSETS - PAYMENTS UNDER FEDERAL LAW
ISSUE DATE: 03/2026
Do not count the following payments as assets for all programs:
● | Initial Refugee Resettlement Funds. See INITIAL REFUGEE RESETTLEMENT FUNDS in 0002.33 (Glossary: Independent…). Also see 0030.01 (Local Resettlement Agencies). |
● | Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) payments. |
● | Payments for tribal land claim settlements listed in 0017.15.09 (Income From Tribal Payments). |
● | Benefits from the Women, Infant, and Children (WIC) nutrition program. |
● | Reimbursements from the Uniform Relocation Assistance and Real Property Acquisition Policy Act of 1970. |
● | Payments received from youth incentive entitlement projects, youth community conservation and improvement projects. |
● | Reparation payments to Aleut people and people of Japanese ancestry under Public Law 100-383. |
● | Agent Orange payments to veterans and their dependents. |
● | Payments made under the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (Public Law 101-426). |
● | Payments made by federal agencies under a presidential declaration of disaster including, but not limited to, individual and family grants from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). |
● | Funds, including accrued interest, deposited in Individual Development Accounts (IDAs) through The Family Assets for Independence in Minnesota (FAIM) Program. |
● | Federal or state income tax refunds, tax rebates or tax credits |
● | Payments made to people because of their status as victims of Nazi persecution. |
EXCEPTION: | Payments made to American Indians under Cobell v Salazar (Public Law 111-291) are not counted for 1 year from the date of receipt. Count payments as an asset after this 1 year period expires. See 0017.15.09 (Income From Tribal Payments). |
MFIP:
Do not count:
● | The funds listed in the general provisions as long as the client holds them in a separate account from any counted funds |
● | All benefits and payment received by participants in all AmeriCorps programs. For more information on AmeriCorps programs see 0017.15.78 (National and Community Service Programs). |
● | Title VII, Nutrition Program for the Elderly funds. |
● | VA benefits awarded to children of Vietnam veterans, regardless of their age or marital status, for a covered birth defect identified by the VA as associated with the service of these veterans who served in the Republic of Vietnam from 2-28-61 through 5-7-75 and performed active military service. |
See 0017.15.78 (National and Community Service Programs) for information on how to treat the income of civil service employees.
SNAP:
Only non-categorically eligible SNAP units ARE subject to an asset test. Categorically eligible SNAP units are NOT subject to an asset test. See 0013.06 (SNAP Categorical Eligibility/Ineligibility) to determine categorical eligibility or ineligibility.
For non-categorically eligible SNAP units, see 0015.84 (Excluded Assets – SNAP) for excluded SNAP assets.
MSA, GA, HSP:
Do not count all benefits and payment received by participants in all AmeriCorps programs. For more information on AmeriCorps programs see 0017.15.78 (National and Community Service Programs).
PREVIOUS REVISIONS
| Date | Notes |
|---|---|
| 09/2025 | removes cross-reference 0015.27 (Assets – Income) due to the removal of this section. |
| 05/2025 | in SNAP, adds that non-categorically eligible SNAP cases are subject to an asset test. Combines MSA, GA, GRH policies together. |
| 07/2024 | Effective July 1, 2024, nonrecurring unearned income is not counted when determining or redetermining eligibility or benefits unless the income meets the definition of earned income or is identified as an unearned income source. This change applies to MFIP, DWP, RCA, GA, MSA, Housing Support, and CCAP. |
| 10/2022 | clarifies policy that income taxes are not counted as income or assets for the cash programs. |
| 01/2017 | in general provisions adds to not count Initial Refugee Resettlement Funds. |
| 10/2016 | update reference to 0017.15.09 (Income From Tribal Payments), 0017.15.78 (National and Community Service Programs) due to name change. Delete reference to 0017.15.87 (AmeriCorps Payments), 0017.15.100 (Learn and Serve America) due to section deletion. |
| 05/2016 | updates section due to Legislative changes for Program Uniformity/Assets. |
| 12/2014 | Removed WB. This program was suspended 12/1/14. |
| 03/2013 | in general provisions adds a new last paragraph EXCEPTION for payments from the Cobell v. Salazar ((Public Law 111-291). |
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