Gifts and Contributions
  |
This section has information regarding cash and noncash contributions and gifts.
Policy
Cash Gifts
Cash gifts are budgeted as unearned income and all of the following apply:
●Nonrecurring cash gifts, when the total of the cash gifts received in a calendar quarter(g) exceeds $30, are countable as income in the month received.
●Nonrecurring cash gifts are not countable as income in the month received when the total of the cash gifts does not exceed $30 in a calendar quarter.
●Recurring cash gifts are countable in the month received and in ongoing months.
NOTE Funds made available on gift cards are not countable as unearned income or as a liquid asset.
Cash Contributions
Cash contributions or cash gifts received from an organization or agency, intended to cover items within the standard of need(g) are countable.
Cash contributions received from relatives or nonparticipants are countable. (When monies are paid directly to a vendor, see Vendor Payments.)
NOTE Reception and placement (R&P) grants provided to refugees during the refugee's initial 30-day period in the U.S. are not countable. See R&P grants (link to FAA4.H01B.06) for more information about policy and procedures.
For NA, a cash contribution received from a charitable nonprofit organization, relatives, or nonparticipants that does not exceed $300 in a calendar quarter is not countable.
A cash contribution received from a charitable nonprofit organization, relatives, or nonparticipants that exceeds $300 in a calendar quarter is countable.
NOTE Cash gifts exchanged between participants within the budgetary unit are not countable.
For CA, an SSI recipient who is receiving SSI income may voluntarily contribute to a budgetary unit. The contribution is countable when all of the following apply:
●The SSI recipient would not otherwise be required to be included in the budgetary unit
●The SSI recipient's income cannot otherwise be considered available to the budgetary unit
●The contribution needs to be for other than the SSI recipient's share of the expenses.
Noncash Gifts and Contributions
A noncash contribution or gift, intended for day-to-day living, is not countable and does not affect eligibility or benefit level. Verification of noncash contributions is not required. Noncash Contributions or Gifts include, and are not limited to, all of the following:
●Clothing
●Diapers
●Food box
●Food voucher supplied by community a food bank or soup kitchen
●Toiletries
Countable income is used to determine an income budget. (See Income Budgeting to see how FAA determines the income budget.) FAA needs to know about income that is both countable and not countable to determine whether a budgetary unit’s income is exceeding their expenses. (See Income Eligibility for more information about how FAA uses countable and not countable income.)
Procedures
A cash gift may be made to the entire budgetary unit and not designated to a specific participant. When this occurs, divide the cash gift among the participants in a manner that is to the best advantage of the budgetary unit.
When the participant is present, have them sign the Authority to Release (FAA‑1765A) form to contact any companies or businesses involved. The FAA-1765A can be faxed or emailed to the participant's employer when it is not possible to use the Application for Benefits (FAA-0001A) or the HEAplus Authority to Release signed statement.
Verification
System interface and the case file(g) must be reviewed before verification is requested. No additional verification is needed when AZTECS interface or HEAplus hubs have verified the information.
The participant has the primary responsibility for providing verification. (See Participant Responsibilities – Providing Verification for additional policy.)
For NA, all of the following income is required to be verified before eligibility is determined:
●Reported on a new application, during the interview of a new application, or changes reported before the eligibility determination of a new application.
●Changes after an eligibility determination of a new application (e.g., a renewal application, mid approval contact, etc.) and any of the following apply:
The source of the income has changed.
The income is questionable(g) or unclear(g).
The reported income amount has changed by $51 or more.
The previous verification in the case file is more than 59 calendar days old.
For CA, all income is required to be verified before determining eligibility.
Examples of verification that can be used for Gifts and Contributions include, and are not limited to, any of the following:
●Assistance payments records
●Absent Parent
●Bank records
●Court records or court orders
●DCSS documents or print outs
●Federal or state tax forms
●Mortgages and Sales Contracts
●Statement from the agency or payer providing the income
●Participant statement verification when one of the following occur:
Obtaining documented or collateral contact verification may cause harm or undue hardship(g) for the participant.
When all of the following occur:
●Other attempts to obtain the verification have failed. This includes documented and collateral contact verification.
●The participant has requested assistance from FAA.
●The worker has evaluated the request for assistance and cannot obtain the verification from another acceptable source.
●The participant statement is not questionable(g).
AZTECS Keying Procedures
Cash Gifts
For nonrecurring cash gifts, when the total of the cash gifts received in a calendar quarter exceeds $30, key the GI NS Unearned Income Code in the INC TYP field on UNIC.
For nonrecurring cash gifts that do not exceed $30 in a calendar quarter, key the GI SP Unearned Income Code in the INC TYP field on UNIC in the month received.
For recurring cash gifts, key the GI NS Unearned Income Code in the INC TYP field on UNIC for the recurring cash gifts in the month received and in ongoing months.
Cash Contributions
For cash contributions received from an organization, agency, relative or nonparticipant, key the OT Unearned Income Code in the INC TYPE field on UNIC.
For cash contributions that do not exceed the $30.00 per calendar quarter amount or when from a charitable nonprofit organization do not exceed the $300 per calendar quarter amount (not countable for NA), key the OA Unearned Income Code in the INC TYPE field on UNIC.
Gift Cards
Key the value of a gift card using the OX Unearned Income Code in the TY field on UNIN and OX Liquid Assets Code in the TY field on LIAS.
Document the case file(g) thoroughly to support keyed codes, amounts, and frequencies. See the AZTECS Data Entry Guide for instructions on keying the AZTECS income screens.
NOTE Documentation must support determinations of eligibility and benefit level. Document in sufficient detail to ensure that any reviewer can assess whether the determination is reasonable and accurate. Include specific information regarding the reason the income is determined to be normal. (See Budgeting Income Documentation Requirements for additional information.)
Legal Authorities
AAC R6-12-501 – 503
A.R.S 46-292-P01
7 CFR 273.9(b)(2)
7 CFR 273.9(b)(2)(i)
7 CFR 273.9(c)(2)
7 CFR 273.9(b)(2)
last revised 10/02/2023