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TANF Income Disregards - Oklahoma

In Oklahoma's program of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Income Disregards are not counted when determining TANF Financial Eligibility or the TANF Benefit Payment amount. (The Disregards therefore differ from the TANF Earned Income Exemptions in that the Exemptions are counted when determining eligibility, but are not counted when determining the amount of assistance.)

Income that is disregarded in determining eligibility for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) is:

· the Food Stamp allotment under the Food Stamp Act of 1977;

· any payment received under Title II of the Uniform Relocation Assistance and Real Property Acquisition Policies Act of 1970;

· education grants, including work study, and scholarships that are contingent upon the student regularly attending school. The student's classification as a graduate or undergraduate is not a factor;

· loans, regardless of use, if a bona fide debt or obligation to pay can be established.

· Indian payments, which include judgment funds or funds held in trust, distributed per capita by the Secretary of the Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) or distributed by the tribe subject to approval by the Secretary of the Interior. Also, disregard any interest or investment income accrued on such funds while held in trust or any purchases made with judgment funds, trust funds, interest, or investment income accrued on such funds. Any income from mineral leases or from tribal business investments is disregarded as long as the payments are paid per capita. For purposes of this paragraph, per capita is defined as each tribal member receiving an equal amount. Any interest or income derived from the principal or produced by purchases made with the funds after distribution is considered as any other income;

· special allowance for school expenses made available upon petition in writing from trust funds of the student;

· income from trusts of a child included in a TANF benefit if it is determined by the social services specialist that funds are to be used for educational purposes for the child.

· income from accounts, stocks, and bonds held under the control of a third party if the funds are designated for educational purposes for a TANF child even if the child's name is on the account and the third party holder is required to access the funds;

· benefits from State and Community Programs on Aging from Title III and Title V. Title III and Title V are under the Older Americans Act of 1965 amended by Public Law (P.L.) 100-175 to become the Older American Act amendments of 1987. Each state and eight organizations receive some Title V funds. These organizations include:

o Green Thumb;

o National Council on Aging;

o National Council of Senior Citizens;

o American Association of Retired Persons;

o U. S. Forest Service;

o National Association for Spanish Speaking Elderly;

o National Urban League; and

o National Council on Black Aging;

· unearned income received by a TANF child, such as a needs based payment, cash assistance, compensation in lieu of wages, or allowance, from a program funded by the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) including Job Corps income. Also, WIA earned income received as wages, not to exceed six months in any calendar year;

· payments for supportive services or reimbursement for out-of-pocket expenses made to individual volunteers serving as foster grandparents, senior health aids, or senior companions, and to persons serving in the Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE) and Active Corps of Executives (ACE);

· payments to volunteers under the National and Community Service Trust Act of 1993 (NCSTA), unless the gross amount of AmeriCorps* VISTA payments equals or exceeds the state or federal minimum wage, whichever is greater;

· the value of supplemental food assistance received under the Child Nutrition Act or the special food service program for children under the National School Lunch Act;

· any portion of payments, made under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act to an Alaska Native, which are exempt from taxation under the Settlement Act;

· if an adult or child from the family group is living in the home and is receiving Supplemental Security Income (SSI), his or her individual income is considered by the Social Security Administration in determining eligibility for SSI. Therefore, that income cannot be considered by the Agency as available to the TANF assistance unit. Likewise, consideration is not given to the SSI payment in determining the TANF benefit;

· Experimental Housing Allowance Program (EHAP) payments made under Annual Contributions Contracts entered into prior to January 1, 1975, under Section 23 of the U.S. Housing Act of 1937, as amended;

· earnings of a TANF child who is a full-time student are disregarded;

· government rental or housing subsidies by governmental agencies, for example, Housing and Urban Development (HUD) which is received in-kind or in cash for rent, mortgage payments, or utilities;

· reimbursements from an employer for out-of-pocket expenditures and allowances for travel or training to the extent the funds are used for expenses directly related to such travel or training, and uniform allowances if the uniform is uniquely identified with company name or logo;

· Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) payments for energy assistance and payments for emergency situations under Emergency Assistance to Needy Families with Children;

· advance payments of Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) or refunds of EITC as a result of filing a federal income tax return;

· payments made from the Agent Orange Settlement Fund or any other fund established pursuant to the settlement in the In Re Agent Orange product liability litigation, M.D.L. No. 381 (E.D.N.Y.);

· payments made from the Radiation Exposure Compensation Trust Fund as compensation for injuries or deaths resulting from the exposure to radiation from nuclear testing and uranium mining;

· federal major disaster and emergency assistance provided under the Disaster Relief Act of 1974 and comparable disaster assistance provided by states, local governments, and disaster assistance organizations;

· interests of individual Indians in trust or restricted lands;

· income up to $2,000 per calendar year received by individual Indians, which is derived from leases or other uses of individually-owned trust or restricted lands. Any remaining disbursements from the trust or the restricted lands are considered as unearned income;

· payments received under the Civil Liberties Act of 1988. These payments are made to individuals of Japanese ancestry who were detained in internment camps during World War II;

· payments made to individuals because of their status as victims of Nazi persecution;

· interest accrued from the deposits made by an individual into an Individual Development Account (IDA) up to $2,000; and

· stipends paid to students participating in the Indian Vocational Education Program (IVEP) through the Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Applied Technology Education Act.

TANF Income Disregards - Oklahoma

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