This Policy Bulletin Obsoletes PB #01-45-ELI)
This bulletin explains how tax stimulus checks will be budgeted, It explains that:
Categorically eligible FS households are not subject to resource limits. Therefore, tax rebates should never be counted as a resource for categorically eligible applicants/participants.
Resource Rules for Budgeting Federal Economic Stimulus Rebates for CA and Non-Categorically Eligible FS Households:
When determining initial and recurring eligibility, stimulus rebates are to be excluded as a countable resource for the month of receipt and the subsequent 2 months. Individuals who deposit these funds into a bank account will have them excluded as a resource until the end of he 3-month period.
For example, if a household receives the tax rebate on May 20,2008, it should be excluded during the months of June and July, and ounted as a resource starting on August 1, 2008. This resource xclusion will also apply to stimulus checks held as cash.
Note: At the end of this period, the receipt of the tax refund may ause the household’s total assets to exceed current resource limits. However, FS households subject to six-month reporting rules are not required to report changes except during recertification or periodic reporting.
The above rules also apply when determining an applicant’s eligibility for all other assistance programs including: the Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP), Safety Net Assistance (SNA) and Family Assistance (FA).
The receipt of an economic stimulus rebate should not in any way effect an applicant’s eligibility for Expedited Food Stamp (EFS)service, Emergency Assistance, and/or Immediate Needs grants during the 3-month period. " (emphasis added)
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