Terminated Income

Terminated income is income received from a source that has ended or is ending. It can be either from an earned (i.e. wages) or unearned (i.e. unemployment) source. It is very important that terminated income and other income sources are explored, especially during the application or recertification interview.

Furthermore, if the terminated income is related to a job that has ended there are additional considerations that must be explored. For more information see Job Ended.

Terminated Income at Application

At application, a household’s eligibility is established based on the household’s circumstances for that initial month of application and then also for the remainder of the certification period. When a client states an income source has ended, you must explore with the client if there is any income from the terminated source received within that initial month of application. The month of application is based on the application date, the last digit of the grantee’s social security number (SSN) and the cyclical period.

The chart below is used to determine each household’s cyclical period. For the month of application, identify the:

grantee’s last digit of their SSN or Systems Generated SSN,
cyclical period based on the last digit of the SSN, and
application date.

The month of application is the first cyclical period that includes the application date. The household will receive a prorated SNAP amount for the month of application as the month of application typically is not a full 30-day period.

Last Digit of SSN	Cyclical Month Begins on This Date	Cyclical Month Ends on This Date in the Following Month
0	1	*
1	2	1
2	4	3
3	5	4
4	7	6
5	8	7
6	10	9
7	11	10
8	13	12
9	14	13

* Cyclical month for 0 is the calendar month

Example 1: Grantee applies on 4/1. Their Social Security Number ends in an 8. The cyclical period would be 3/13 – 4/12.

Example 2: Grantee applies on 6/13. Their Social Security Number ends in a 5. The cyclical period would be 6/8 – 7/7.

Example 3: Grantee applies on 1/4. Their Social Security Number ends in a 0. The cyclical period would be 1/1 – 1/31.

Example 4: Grantee applies on 10/31. Their Social Security Number ends in a 3. The cyclical period would be 10/5 – 11/4.

Terminated income must be counted for the month of application if the date of payment falls within the client’s cyclical month of application.

Important: Terminated income is always entered as monthly. You must add all terminated income received within the grantee’s cyclical month of application and enter the sum as monthly in BEACON.
If terminated income is due to the loss of a job, you must consider all SNAP eligibility rules related to that job ending. For more information see Job Ended.

You must follow up once the first month’s benefits are released (typically, this is the day after you authorize the case and BEACON releases changes overnight, also known as “Day-2,” to remove the terminated income from being counted for the remainder of the certification period.

Proof of terminated income can be verified through available databases (such as the Work Number or EMT for unemployment), by paystubs, a letter from the employer, other documentation, or through collateral contact.

Important: For expedited processing, if the client has terminated income and is determined eligible for expedited SNAP benefits, the grantee may verbally self-declare the income amount for the calculation of expedited benefits, however verification that the income did end must be obtained to approve the case for ongoing benefits.
If the household is not eligible for expedited processing, documentary evidence is required for both the terminated income amount and proof that the income has ended.
In both instances, if the income is available in a database (i.e. the Work Number or EMT for unemployment), the income from the database must be used in calculating terminated income. In some instances, the database may also verify that the income has ended.

Inquiring about Additional Income at Application

When an income source has ended, especially when a job ends, there may additional income such as, but not limited to, Paid Family and Medical Leave (PMFL), Unemployment Compensation (UC), or through another job. During the interview, you must ask follow-up questions to determine if there are other sources of income. If the client indicates they have income, you must obtain proof of this income through existing data sources or send a mandatory VC-1 for the appropriate income type. All income is required to be reported and verified at application.

If there is no other income, you must apply SLAM procedures accordingly.

Terminated Income at Recertification

During Recertification, if a client reports an income source has ended, it must be ended and verified prior to approving the Recertification.

If a client indicates that a job has ended, they must provide proof that the job ended. DTA can often use available databases (i.e. EMT for proof of unemployment or the Work Number) to verify a job has ended. If DTA cannot verify this through a database and the client did not provide proof at the time of submitting the Recertification, then a mandatory VC-1 must be sent for documentary evidence. For more information see Job Ended.

At Recertification, terminated income is not applicable. Once a client has verified that an income source has ended, that record must then be ended in BEACON.

Inquiring about Additional Income at Recertification

When an income source has ended, especially when a job ends, there may additional income such as, such as, but not limited to, Paid Family and Medical Leave (PMFL), Unemployment Compensation (UC), or through another job. During the interview, you must ask follow-up questions to determine if there are other sources of income. If the client indicates they have income, you must obtain proof of this income through existing data sources or send a mandatory VC-1 for the appropriate income type, as this income is required to be reported at Recertification.

If there is no other income, you must apply SLAM procedures accordingly. Additionally, if the household’s net income reduces to $0 due to no additional income, you must determine if a related benefit is owed by following procedures outlined in Department Responsibility to Take Timely Action.

Terminated Income at Interim Report (IR)

At IR if a client reports an income source has ended, it must be ended and verified prior to approving the IR.

If a client indicates that a job has ended, they must provide proof that the job ended. DTA can often use available databases (i.e. EMT for proof of unemployment or the Work Number) to verify a job has ended. If DTA cannot verify this through a database and the client did not provide proof at the time of submitting the Recertification or Interim Report, then a mandatory VC-1 must be sent for documentary evidence. For more information see Job Ended.

At IR, terminated income is not applicable. Once a client has verified that an income source has ended, that record must then be ended in BEACON.

Inquiring about Additional Income at Interim Report

The IR form asks about existing income known to DTA and if there is any income not known to DTA. Therefore you only need to follow up with the household if the IR is incomplete, questionable or contradictory. For more information, see Establishing Contact at IR When Information is Incomplete, Questionable, or Contradictory.

If you are speaking with the client and they report an income source has ended, especially when a job ends, there may additional income such as, but not limited to, Paid Family and Medical Leave (PMFL), Unemployment Compensation (UC), or through another job. You must ask follow-up questions to determine if there are other sources of income. If the client indicates they have income, you must obtain proof of this income through existing data sources or send a mandatory VC-1 for the appropriate income type as required to be reported at Interim Report.

Terminated Income at Case Maintenance

During case maintenance, clients must verify that the income has ended before their SNAP benefits are recalculated. Once verified, SNAP benefits must be recalculated, excluding that income. If the client fails to verify the terminated income source, the income must remain in the case until the client’s next reporting period, when they will be required to provide documentary evidence of the terminated income source.

To verify the terminated income source at case maintenance, you must:

Create an additional User-Entered verification as optional under the applicable client and write Proof of Terminated Income Source in the Details field.
Annotate the Document(s) of Evidence section with,
1. If the terminated income source is due to a job that ended, you must enter, “You told us that your income source has ended. Provide a letter from [EMPLOYER NAME] stating the employer’s name, their contact information, your last day worked, your last day paid, and the reason your job ended. If you are having a hard time getting this letter, call the DTA Assistance Line so we can help you with getting this information.”
2. If the terminated income source is not a due to a job ended, you must enter, “You told us that [INCOME SOURCE] has ended. Provide a termination letter from the agency or organization indicating the income source has ended and the date it ended. If you are having a hard time getting this letter, call the DTA Assistance Line so we can help you with getting this information.”

Inquiring about Additional Income at Case Maintenance

If a client voluntarily reports that an income source has ended at case maintenance, you must cold call the grantee, if not already on the phone or in-person, to inquire if there is any additional income such as, but not limited to, Paid Family and Medical Leave (PMFL), Unemployment Compensation (UC), or through another job.

If the client indicates they have income, you must obtain proof of this income only if the income will put the household over the gross income limit due to Simplified Reporting rules.

If the client confirms there is no other income, you must narrate that the SLAM circumstance must be addressed at the client’s next reporting period, if applicable. Additionally, if the household’s net income reduces to $0 due to no additional income, you must determine if a related benefit is owed by following procedures outlined in Department Responsibility to Take Timely Action.

However, if the cold calls are not successful, you must send an optional VC-1 by following procedures outlined in Department Responsibility to Take Timely Action and narrate that cold calls were not successful. In addition, since DTA cannot determine if the household’s net income reduced to $0, a related benefit must not be issued at this time.

Severance Pay

There are times when a client may be terminated from their employer and receive a severance package for a limited amount of time. There are a couple of different ways the employer can pay the severance out:

You are separated from the job, and the employer provides a one-time lump sum payment as severance that is not tied to your salary.
If the severance pay is paid out to the employee in one non-recurring lump sum payment, it is considered noncountable income for SNAP.
You are separated from the job, and the employer continues to pay you for a specific period of time on payroll (example: 3 months’ severance) at the normal pay frequency.
Although this is income coming from a terminated employer, the income itself is not considered terminated income for the purposes of SNAP, as the client will continue to receive payment in the future.
This severance pay is considered countable, ongoing income, and must be entered into BEACON based on pay frequency, like any other wages.
You must self-assign this case and remove the income at the end of the severance period as outlined by the verification the client provided.
You are separated from the job, and the employer provides a one-time payment of the client’s wages covering a specific time period (example: 3 months’ severance).
Although this is income coming from a terminated employer, the income is not considered a lump sum payment as the income is the salary amount attributed to a specific timeframe. Therefore, the client is considered still on payroll until the end of that period, and the income must be counted as ongoing. You must enter the income based on the previous payroll frequency (weekly, biweekly, etc.).
In this scenario, you must self-assign this case and remove the income once the severance period has passed as outlined by the verification the client provided.

Furloughed Employees

A furloughed employee is someone placed on temporary, unpaid leave or given reduced hours due to non-disciplinary reasons like budget cuts or lack of work, while still retaining their job, benefits, and seniority. Unlike layoffs, furloughs are intended to be temporary, allowing workers to return to their positions and apply for unemployment.

Furloughed employees must have their terminated income counted (if any) in the month of application.

Please see SNAP Voluntary Quit and Reduction of Work Hours for how to enter a furloughed employees’ work hours to ensure these clients are not erroneously subject to the SNAP Work Rules.

Anticipating Job Termination

Additionally, there are times during an interview where clients will state that they will be getting laid off or will need to terminate their employment in the near future. However, for the purposes of terminated income, anticipating job termination does not follow terminated income procedures. The income the client is currently receiving is considered countable, ongoing income and must be entered into BEACON based on the current pay frequency, like any other wages. Staff must advise the client that they can notify the Department once their job has been terminated and advise the client of the necessary verifications needed to recalculate their case.

Requesting Proof of Terminated Income

When Household is Eligible for Expedited

If an applicant for SNAP has separated from a job in the last 30 days or ended an income source such as unemployment compensation within the last 30 days, the household may be eligible for expedited benefits. Staff can accept a verbal self-declaration of the terminated income amount for the month of application. However, documentary evidence that the income did end must be obtained to approve the case for ongoing benefits. In instances when terminated income is available in a database (i.e. the Work Number or EMT for unemployment), the income from the database must be used when calculating the terminated income amount. In some instances, the database may also verify that the income has ended.

When Household is Not Eligible for Expedited Benefits

If the household is not eligible for expedited, you must follow the procedures below when dispositioning and requesting verification of terminated income, as documentary evidence is required for terminated income.

Currently, when an earned or unearned income record that is known to BEACON is ended, staff must enter a date in the “Actual End” date field. If the “Actual End” date is dated within 60 days, the Earnings from a Job that Ended or Unearned Income that has Ended (terminated income) verification appears in the Verification tab. However, these verifications do not accurately capture the specific income that the client needs to provide based on their cyclical month and application date. You must disposition these pre-populated verifications and follow the procedures below when requesting proof of terminated income.

Important: Please see Job Ended for more information regarding how to request proof of job termination.

If the income record is currently in BEACON and the Actual End Date is Entered within 60 days:

Disposition either the pre-filled Earnings from a Job that Ended or Unearned Income that has Ended verification as “Other” and write, “Mandatory Verification of Terminated income Requested.”

To verify Terminated Income, you must:

Create an additional User-Entered verification as mandatory under the applicable client and write Proof of Terminated Income in the Details field.
Annotate the Document(s) of Evidence section with,

“You told us you have terminated income. Please provide all income from [EMPLOYER NAME/UNEARNED INCOME TYPE] with pay dates between [mm/dd/yyyy to mm/dd/yyyy].”

For [EMPLOYER NAME/UNEARNED INCOME TYPE] you enter either the name of the employer or the source of the income.

For [mm/dd/yyyy to mm/dd/yyyy] you enter the cyclical month of application. To determine the cyclical month of application, see Terminated Income at Application above.

Important: Please note that some earned/unearned income sources can be verified using databases available to the Department, such as Work Number, EMT, SSA, and DUA. You must obtain proof of terminated income using these databases without requesting verification from the client if the income is available, unless questionable.

How to Follow Up on Day-2 to Remove Terminated Income

In order to make sure terminated income is removed timely and does not get erroneously calculated in the case for ongoing benefits, staff must self-assign this case for the following business day once the first month’s benefits are released to remove the income. Please see Entering, Changing, and Ending Earned Income in BEACON and Entering, Changing, and Ending Other (Unearned) Income Data for steps on how to remove earned and unearned income in BEACON.

Table Summarizing Verification Procedures

	Questions to ask during the interview to determine if a client ended their job or if an income source has ended	When to Request Proof Job Ended and the Verification Needed	When to Request Proof of Terminated Income	When to Request Proof of Reason Job Ended
Application	Has anyone in your household left a job in the last 30 days or ended an income source such as unemployment compensation? If yes, when was the last day of pay? What was the reason the job ended? Is the household receiving any other income?	Verification of job termination at application is mandatory if client ended their job 30 days or less from application date. Verification: Check all external databases to determine if you can obtain this information by using databases such as EMT or the Work Number If external databases do not show proof of job ended, a letter from the employer stating the employer’s name, their contact information, the client’s last day worked, and their last day paid, or; Collateral contact with written permission from the client (such as a DORL-1 form) or with the client on a three-way call or in person. Note: If all attempts to obtain proof of job termination (including collateral contact) have been exhausted, a written self-declaration of the employer’s name, the client’s last day worked and last day paid will be accepted as a last resort.	When terminated income (both earned and unearned) falls within the client’s cyclical month of application. If the household is eligible for expedited benefits, terminated income can be verbally self-declared, unless the income is available on external databases, such as the Work Number or EMT. If the household is not eligible for expedited benefits, the household must provide documentary evidence of terminated income, such as wages or a letter from the employer. Work Number can only be used for proof of terminated income if wages are displayed AND the Work Number match shows an Inactive status.	If client is subject to the General Work Rules. For more information, see SNAP Voluntary Quit and Reduction of Work Hours for requesting proof of Reason Job Ended. Clients can provide a telephonic or written self-declaration of the reason their job ended, unless questionable.
Interim Report	No interview is required at Interim Report.	Verification of job termination at Interim Report is mandatory if client indicates they ended a job. Verification: Check all external databases to determine if you can obtain this information by using databases such as EMT or the Work Number If external databases do not show proof of job ended, a letter from the employer stating the employer’s name, their contact information, the client’s last day worked, and their last day paid, or; Collateral contact with written permission from the client (such as a DORL-1 form) or with the client on a three-way call or in person. Note: If all attempts to obtain proof of job termination (including collateral contact) have been exhausted, a written self-declaration of the employer’s name, the client’s last day worked and last day paid will be accepted as a last resort.	Although terminated income is not required at Interim Report, clients must provide documentary evidence to prove that an income source has ended.	If client is subject to the General Work Rules. For more information, see SNAP Voluntary Quit and Reduction of Work Hours for requesting proof of Reason Job Ended. Clients can provide a telephonic or written self-declaration of the reason their job ended, unless questionable.
Recertification	Has anyone in your household left a job? If yes, when was the last day of pay? What was the reason the job ended? Is the household receiving any other income?	Verification of job termination at Recertification is mandatory if client indicates they ended a job. Check all external databases to determine if you can obtain this information by using databases such as EMT or the Work Number If external databases do not show proof of job ended, a letter from the employer stating the employer’s name, their contact information, the client’s last day worked, and their last day paid, or; Collateral contact with written permission from the client (such as a DORL-1 form) or with the client on a three-way call or in person. Note: If all attempts to obtain proof of job termination (including collateral contact) have been exhausted, a written self-declaration of the employer’s name, the client’s last day worked and last day paid will be accepted as a last resort.	Although terminated income is not required at Recertification, clients must provide documentary evidence to prove that an income source has ended.	If client is subject to the General Work Rules. For more information, see SNAP Voluntary Quit and Reduction of Work Hours for requesting proof of Reason Job Ended. Clients can provide a telephonic or written self-declaration of the reason their job ended, unless questionable.
Case Maintenance	No interview is required at Case Maintenance.	Verification of job termination at case maintenance is optional if client indicates they ended a job. Client can provide a letter from the employer stating the employer’s name, their contact information, the client’s last day worked, and their last day paid, or; Collateral contact with written permission from the client (such as a DORL-1 form) or with the client on a three-way call or in person. Note: If all attempts to obtain proof of job termination (including collateral contact) have been exhausted, a written self-declaration of the employer’s name, the client’s last day worked and last day paid will be accepted as a last resort.	Although terminated income is not required at case maintenance, clients must provide documentary evidence to prove that an income source has ended in order to have the income removed. At case maintenance, documentary evidence of an ended income source is optional.	If client is subject to the General Work Rules. For more information, see SNAP Voluntary Quit and Reduction of Work Hours for requesting proof of Reason Job Ended. Clients can provide a telephonic or written self-declaration of the reason their job ended, unless questionable.