Field Ops Memo 2010-25: Update on the ARRA $25 Weekly Unemployment Compensation Payment

Overview
In January, Field Operations Memo 2010-2 informed TAOs that the ARRA $25 weekly unemployment compensation (UC) payment would be excluded from the calculation of income and resources for SNAP. At that time, the Division of Unemployment Assistance (DUA) indicated that the ARRA $25 weekly UC payment would end on February 21, 2010. The Department has learned that the ARRA $25 weekly UC payment has been extended.

BEACON was programmed to end the disregard of the ARRA $25 UC payment on February, 21, 2010. Consequently, households with at least one member receiving UC benefits have had an underissuance of SNAP benefits.

The ARRA $25 UC payment continues to be paid by DUA, and it is still noncountable for SNAP.

Purpose of Memo
This memo:

• advises staff about the restoration of the ARRA $25 UC payment disregard in the SNAP benefit calculation and issues instructions for entering unemployment income going forward; and
• advises staff about the recalculation of impacted SNAP cases:
  • active cases;
  • categorically eligible cases, formerly active at zero benefits; and
  • closed cases.