Further guidance on SNAP - Census 2010 Demonstration Project Income Exclusion

This is a follow up to our memo of Aug. 24,2009, entitled, "Census 2010 Demonstration Project - Exclusion of Earned Income of Temporary Census Employees." The August 24 letter offered state agencies the opportunity to participate in a waiver to exclude the earned income from temporary Census employment when calculating SNAP benefits.

The purpose of this demonstration project is to support the Census Bureau in recruitment and to assist SNAP clients in obtaining valuable work experience that may help lead to greater self-sufficiency. In the August 24 letter we require any state participating in this waiver to provide information to FNS on the following:

1. The number of SNAP households that had temporary earnings excluded;
2. The number of months the income was excluded; and
3. The total amount of benefits issued.

FNS cannot dismiss these reporting requirements. However we are sympathetic to the additional administrative burden placed on states. Therefore, FNS has worked with the Census Bureau to facilitate the sharing of Census income data. The Census Bureau will send state agencies participating in this demonstration project a list of Social Security Numbers (SSN) of temporary Census workers in the state. The state agency can then match the SSNs against SNAP roles. The state agency can confirm matches with the Census Bureau and can receive weekly census income reports for identified SNAP clients.

FNS has extended the deadline for waiver requests to Dec. 31, 2009. States that would like to participate in the demonstration project must submit a letter to their regional office by this date.

Please advise your state agencies of this collaboration and the new deadline for waivers

Arthur T. Foley
Director
Program Development Division