All households except those households classified as categorically eligible or aged/disabled households must meet gross income limits. See the Glossary, definition of "Categorically Eligible." An aged/disabled household is one which contains at least one member who meets the criteria for a totally disabled individual as specified in the Glossary, definition of Aged/Disabled.

A household's gross income is the household's total countable income before any deductions.

Example - A household applying for food stamps declares self-employment income of $60,000 from the previous year as their only income. The cost of producing this income, $45,000 is excluded. The caseworker determines if this household meets the gross income pretest by completing calculations as follows:

$60,000 Gross self-employment income

45.000Cost of producing the income

$15,000 - 12 months = $1,250 per month gross income

The household contains six members. The gross income allowed for six members is $1,544. The household meets the gross income pretest.

Income which is excluded and income which is included when determining a household's gross income is listed in the following section. Use these lists for general reference. For specific information, policy references are given.