Migrant Farm Laborers
Seasonal migrant farm laborers are individuals who move from one region or locale to another to engage in or seek farm, land, or crop cultivation activities that are seasonal. Migrant farm laborers may travel completely within a state or may move across many states, traveling in a seasonal pattern.
For migrant households, the income already received during the month of application must be considered when determining eligibility, benefit level, and expedited benefit eligibility. Income anticipated to be received after the application has been made, must be disregarded. If a travel advance has been received during the month of application, it must be disregarded if it is considered a reimbursement. If it is considered by written contract as an advance on wages to be earned later, the travel advance shall be considered income.
Certification Procedures
Resident farm laborers may work for one employer or for a number of employers during the year. The certification procedures for these households may differ depending on how the household receives income. In any migrant household case, income cannot be averaged.
Stable Income
Some farm laborers are employed for the entire year and receive a regular monthly salary. These households can be certified for up to one year if its circumstances are not likely to change.
Irregular Income
One Employer
In some instances a farm laborer household resides year round on one farm, but is paid only during the work season. During the non-work season, the household may receive advance or deferred payments. The worker may have some difficulty in assigning an income figure to the farm worker whose income is high during the work season and correspondingly low during the non-work season when income is only from advance or deferred payments.
Even if income is prorated unevenly over the certification period to account for such variations, the income figure assigned during the low period might not be truly representative of the actual cash available to the household.
Multiple Employers
Farm laborer households which reside on one farm year round, but do not receive advance or deferred payments may have income from another source during the non-work season.
Expedited Benefits
Migrant households that received expedited SNAP benefits and have only out-of-state verifications outstanding must be issued a second month's benefits. The second month's benefits must be provided within seven working days from receipt of the last in-state verification or on the first day of the cyclical period, whichever is later.
Migrant households must provide verification from sources outside of the state before they are issued a third month's benefits. The third month's benefits shall be provided within seven working days from receipt of the last verification or on the first day of the cyclical period, whichever is later.
Work Requirements
Resident farm laborers must comply with work requirements during the non-work season unless Exempt. See The General Work Rules
Assets
You must determine if there are out-of-state assets or income from real estate property in the home-base area for migrant farm laborers who are not categorically eligible.
Note: Shelter costs for the home of a migrant worker when not occupied by the household because of employment may be allowed under certain circumstances. To be included in the household's shelter costs, the household must intend to return; the home must not be leased or rented; and the current occupants of the home, if any, must not be claiming the shelter costs.
Additionally, you should explore the possibility that out-of-state real estate property is being rented or is producing income in some way. If such property is producing income, such income must be added to all other household income in determining eligibility and basis of issuance.