COMBINED MANUAL ISSUE DATE 12/2014
HOW AND WHEN TO USE RETROSPECTIVE BUDGETING 0022.06
Retrospective budgeting is determining the benefit amount using actual income received 2 months before the payment month. For example, base the March benefit on income and expenses in January.
MFIP:
Some units are always prospectively budgeted. See 0022.03.01 (Prospective Budgeting - Program Provisions). For all other units, use retrospective budgeting after the 1st 2 months of initial eligibility.
When an assistance unit applies for MFIP in the same month MFIP was terminated, and the month prior to application was retrospectively budgeted, continue the retrospective budgeting cycle for the month of application and the following month.
For each person who was an MFIP participant the month before the application month, continue the budgeting cycle the person was in. Special budgeting provisions apply to income from self-employment. See 0017.15.33.03 (Self-Employment, Convert Inc. to Monthly Amt).
Always budget COLA increases in federal benefits retrospectively, EXCEPT for units that get a COLA increase in 1 of their 2 initial months. Retrospective budgeting of COLA increases applies even to units that continue prospective budgeting.
Also see 0022.03 (How and When to Use Prospective Budgeting), 0022.06.03 (When Not to Budget Income in Retro. Cases).
DWP, GRH:
No provisions.
SNAP:
Uncle Harry Food Support (UHFS) units are the ONLY SNAP units which may be subject to retrospective budgeting. The following provisions ONLY apply to UHFS units.
Budget all cash assistance grant income prospectively, even though you budget a unit's other income retrospectively.
Do not increase SNAP benefits in response to a decrease in RCA, MSA, GA, or SSI because a participant unit or unit memberdoes not provide mandatory verifications for the cash program or if a participant unit or unit member is disqualified from GA for not cooperating with tort liability requirements. Compute benefits using the cash grant the unit would have received had a reduction in the cash grant for failure to provide mandatory verifications not occurred. This applies for the duration of the reduction in the cash program.
There are special budgeting provisions for contract income of less than a year and student financial aid. Unlike other income, do not budget these incomes prospectively for the 2 beginning months, if you expect to budget the unit retrospectively after the 1st 2 months. Budget contract income of less than a year and student financial aid retrospectively over the months they are intended to cover. Budget any other income and expenses the unit may have prospectively for the 1st 2 months, and retrospectively thereafter. See 0017.09 (Converting Income to Monthly Amounts), 0017.15.36.03 (When to Budget Student Financial Aid).
Budget yearly contracts over a 12-month period, even if the client receives the income in a shorter period of time. Do not follow the special budgeting procedures above for yearly contracts.
With the EXCEPTION of those received in the initial 2 months, budget all COLA increases for federal benefits 2 months after the month of receipt, even if the unit is otherwise subject to prospective budgeting. For COLA increases received during the initial 2 months, see 0022.03.01 (Prospective Budgeting - Program Provisions).
See 0022.03 (How and When to Use Prospective Budgeting), 0022.06.03 (When Not to Budget Income in Retro. Cases), 0022.09.03 (When to Switch Budget Cycles - SNAP).
MSA:
For non-SSI recipients, use retrospective budgeting after the 1st 2 months of eligibility. See 0022.09 (When to Switch Budget Cycles - Cash).
EXCEPTION:Budget RSDI COLA increases prospectively. (For example, budget January RSDI COLA in January).
GA:
Use retrospective budgeting after the 1st 2 months of initial eligibility. For each person who was a GA participant the month before the month of application, continue the same budgeting cycle the person was in unless there was a change that would alter the budgeting cycle. See 0022.09 (When to Switch Budget Cycles - Cash).