SCSEP wages excluded from housing and SNAP income tests

Accessible letter PDF: https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/ETA/advisories/TEGL/2014/TEGL_17-13_acc.pdf

CLASSIFICATION

   EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING ADMINISTRATION                SCSEP
               ADVISORY SYSTEM                           CORRESPONDENCE SYMBOL
          U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR                       DNPTTA
             Washington, D.C. 20210                      DATE
                                                          March 28, 2014

ADVISORY:       TRAINING AND EMPLOYMENT GUIDANCE LETTER NO: 17-13

TO:             SENIOR COMMUNITY SERVICE EMPLOYMENT
                PROGRAM GRANTEES

FROM:           ERIC M. SELEZNOW /s/
                Acting Assistant Secretary

SUBJECT:        Exemption of Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP)
                Wages from Income Eligibility Determinations for Federal Housing Programs
                and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)

1. Purpose. To provide SCSEP grantees with information about the statutory exemption of
   SCSEP wages for purposes of determining income eligibility for Federal housing programs
   and/or SNAP.

2. References. 42 U.S.C. 3056g; Older Americans Act (OAA) Amendments of 2006, Public
   Law 109-365; Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2011 et seq.).

3. Background. Congress has exempted SCSEP wages from income eligibility determinations
   for Federal housing programs and food stamps through the OAA Amendments of 2000 and
   2006 (42 U.S.C. 3056g). Local officials may be unaware of this exemption and treat SCSEP
   wages as regular earned income determining eligibility for these federally funded programs.
   Grantees and participants can use this TEGL as documentation to local officials for housing
   and SNAP eligibility determination.

4. Advisory. Title V of the OAA, authorizes the SCSEP. OAA Section 509, which is codified
   at 42 U.S.C. Sec. 3056g, specifies that the wages individuals receive as SCSEP participants
   are not to be included in income eligibility determinations for federally funded subsidized
   housing and /or SNAP. The full statutory provision is as follows:

       Employment Assistance and Federal Housing and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance
       Programs


 RESCISSIONS                                             EXPIRATION DATE
 TEGL No. 11-06                                          Continuing

       Funds received by eligible individuals from projects carried out under the program
       established under this subchapter shall not be considered to be income of such individuals
       for purposes of determining the eligibility of such individuals, or of any other individuals,
       to participate in any housing program for which Federal funds may be available or for
       any income determination under the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2011 et
       seq.).

5. Action Required. Please distribute this TEGL, as needed, to SCSEP participants for their
   use in applying for and continuing to receive Federal housing and/or SNAP.

6. Inquiries. Please direct questions to the appropriate regional Federal Project Officer.