Income Eligibility
Household:
A person or group of people, related or not, who usually (though not necessarily) live together, and whose income and consumption of goods and services are related and who are not residents of an institution. The key consideration in determining when individuals or groups are a household (or economic unit) is whether they generate the income which sustains them, ie., room, board and medical care. When determining a household size of a pregnant person applying for WIC, first determine income eligibility by counting the pregnant person as one. If they do not meet eligibility requirements, local program staff may count both the pregnant person and the unborn baby as members of the household. When the person is pregnant with multiple fetuses, count each fetus as an additional member of the household. The pregnant person may waive this increase in household size.
Income:
Gross income, including overtime, before deductions for income taxes, employee's social security taxes, insurance premiums, bonds, etc. The determination of the amount of a household's gross income shall not be considered reduced for financial hardships, medical bills, or child support.
Income includes
- Cash from salary (including overtime), wages, fees.
- Net income from farm and non-farm self-employment.
- Social security (including SSI for disabled individuals).
- Dividends or interest on savings or bonds, estates, trusts, or net rental income.
- Public assistance or welfare payments.
- Unemployment compensation.
- Government civilian employee or military retirement payments, or veteran's payments.
- Private pensions or annuities.
- Alimony or child support payment.
- Regular contributions from persons not living in the household.
- Net royalties.
- Student loan amounts in excess of attendance costs. Attendance costs are regular tuition and fees for students carrying at least a half-time workload as determined by the institution, and an allowance for books, supplies, and transportation required by the course of study.
- Other cash income or allowances from any resources that are readily available to the household.