The following types of unearned income are counted as income:
55 Pa. Code § 601.82(4); LIHEAP State Plan § 601.82(4)
Public assistance grants.
NOTE: The CAO must not use a grant amount that is reduced because of noncooperation. It must use the full grant amount when deciding whether a household qualifies for LIHEAP.
Example: Ms. Dunn receives cash assistance in Dauphin County for herself and three children. She did not follow support requirements by getting a court order for support. Her monthly cash assistance grant of $497 is reduced by 25 percent. For LIHEAP, Ms. Dunn’s income is $497 — the cash assistance grant for four persons.
Social Security benefits.
NOTE: Do not use grant amounts that are reduced because of recoupment. Use the full grant amount when determining if a household qualifies for LIHEAP.
Workers' compensation.
Supplemental Security Income.
Unemployment compensation.
NOTE: Do not use grant amounts that are reduced due to child support recoupment, taxes, etc. Use the full grant amount, after the 1.7% benefit reduction, when determining if a household qualifies for LIHEAP.
Support payments.
Adoption subsidy money.
NOTE: Once children are adopted, they are considered to be part of the LIHEAP household.
Cash gifts and contributions.
NOTE: Contributions made by temporary household residents such as students toward heating expenses must be counted as unearned income of the household’s permanent resident.
Pensions.
Interest and dividends from investments or bank accounts of more than $25 per month.
Examples:
Mrs. Enoch’s bank statement for her savings account shows that she earns $50 monthly interest. The CAO counts $25 as unearned income.
Mr. Fleck purchased a certificate of deposit in July for $500 and redeemed it in December for $530. The CAO counts $5 as unearned income.
Veterans’ benefits.
Income from nonresident rental property managed by a rental agency or another person.
NOTE: The applicant must have no specific responsibility for management of the property or the capital investment.
Example: Mr. and Mrs. Bell apply for LIHEAP for themselves and two children. They own a two-unit apartment building that gives them a yearly rental income of $19,200. They verify their annual income from the rental as well as payments to Jones Property Management Company, which are $5,000 per year. Mr. and Mrs. Bell’s gross annual income after allowable deductions is $14,200.
Funds withdrawn from Individual Retirement Accounts (IRA), Certificate of Deposit, and proceeds from the sale of stock certificates.
Utility Allowances paid directly to the household from the landlord or public housing agency to cover utility bills.
Foster care or kinship care subsidies paid to the household for a child who is being counted in the LIHEAP household
Exception: Money paid by an approved child-placement agency to the client for providing foster care or kinship care for a child if the money is received through Title IV-E of the Adoption Assistance and Child Welfare Act of 1980 (P.L. 96-272). Money received through Article VII of the Public Welfare code (62 P.S. Sections 701 - 774).
NOTE: Withdrawn funds used as monthly income must be reviewed to ensure the yearly amount does not exceed the amount actually available to the household.
Example: A household reports withdrawing $500 a month from an IRA, the IRA account has a balance of $4000 at the time of the application. Only $4000 should be projected in the yearly income as that is all that is available, not $500 times 12 or $6000.
Reissued August 24, 2016, replacing July 22,2016