.10 Income.

A. Availability of Income.

(1) Except as otherwise provided by this regulation, all income actually at the disposal of the individual is considered available to the individual.

(2) The individual, with the help of the local department as needed, shall:

(a) Take all possible steps to make the income available; and

(b) Submit verification of efforts being made to obtain the income.

(3) Earned income from the application month or from a period preceding the application month but received in that month shall be considered lump sum income subject to treatment as described in Regulation .09 of this chapter.

(4) Income of a Spouse.

(a) Except as described in §B(6) of this regulation, the earned income and all unearned income of the spouse with whom the individual is living is considered to be income to the individual in the month received by the spouse.

(b) An amount equal to the allowable amount, as described in Regulation .07C of this chapter, to meet the needs of the nonapplicant or nonrecipient spouse is disregarded.

(5) In-kind income, including vendor payments, third-party payments, and contributions of goods to the individual, is not counted as income.

B. Excluded Income. Income from any of the following sources is not considered:

(1) Food Supplement Program allotments;

(2) Payment received under:

(a) The Uniform Relocation Assistance and Real Property Acquisition Policies Act of 1970; or

(b) The Maryland Relocation and Assistance Act, Real Property Article, Title 12, Subtitle 2, Annotated Code of Maryland;

(3) A grant or loan to an undergraduate student for educational purposes;

(4) All training allowances offered by a public or private organization enabling a TDAP recipient to participate in a training program intended to help the recipient to acquire job skills;

(5) Loans or portions of loans from any source that shall be repaid; and

(6) All income of a spouse in receipt of SSI benefits.

C. The treatment of income of the sponsor of a legal immigrant is the same as for an applicant or recipient of assistance under COMAR 07.03.17.09-1.