WAC 388-450-0055 How does needs-based assistance from other agencies or organizations count against my benefits?

1. For cash assistance and medical programs for children, pregnant women, and families: 

   1. We do not count needs-based assistance given to you by other agencies or organizations if the assistance is given to you for reasons other than ongoing living expenses which do not duplicate the purpose of cash assistance programs. Ongoing living expenses include the following items:

      1. Clothing;

      2. Food;

      3. Household supplies;

      4. Medical supplies (nonprescription);

      5. Personal care Items;

      6. Shelter;

      7. Transportation; and

      8. Utilities (e.g., lights, cooking fuel, the cost of heating or heating fuel).

   2. If the needs-based assistance given to you is supposed to be used for ongoing living expenses, then it duplicates the purpose of cash assistance programs.  We count the amount remaining after we subtract the difference between the need standard and the payment standard for your family size as described in chapter 388-478 WAC.

   3. “Needs-based” means eligibility is based on an asset test of income and resources relative to the Federal Poverty Level (FPL). This definition excludes such incomes as retirement benefits or unemployment compensation which are not needs-based.

2. For food assistance:

   1. We do not count money given to you if:

      1. It is given to you by a private, nonprofit, charitable agency or organization; and

      2. The amount of money you get is no more than three hundred dollars in any one of the following calendar quarters:

         1. January - February - March,

         2. April - May - June,

         3. July - August- September,

         4. October - November - December.

   2. We count the entire amount if the requirements in (a) of this subsection are not met.

3. For cash assistance, food assistance, and medical programs for children, pregnant women, and families, if we do count the needs-based assistance you get, we treat it as unearned income under 388-450-0025.