PART IV: VERIFYING MANDATORY DEDUCTIONS 7-IV.A. DEPENDENT AND ELDERLY/DISABLED HOUSEHOLD DEDUCTIONS The dependent and elderly/disabled family deductions require only that the GFHA verify that the family members identified as dependents or elderly/disabled persons meet the statutory definitions.No further verifications are required.
Dependent Deduction See Chapter 6 (6-II.B.) for a full discussion of this deduction. The PHA must verify that:
Any person under the age of 18 for whom the dependent deduction is claimed is not the head, spouse, or cohead of the family and is not a foster child
Any person age 18 or older for whom the dependent deduction is claimed is not a foster adult or live-in aide, and is a person with a disability or a full time student
Elderly/Disabled Family Deduction See Eligibility chapter for a definition of elderly and disabled families and Chapter 6 (6-II.C.) for a discussion of the deduction. The PHA must verify that the head, spouse, or cohead is 62 years of age or older or a person with disabilities.
7-IV.B. MEDICAL EXPENSE DEDUCTION Policies related to medical expenses are found in 6-II.D. The amount of the deduction will be verified following the standard verification procedures described in Part I.
Amount of Expense GFHA Policy Medical expenses will be verified through:
Written third-party documents provided by the family, such as pharmacy printouts or receipts.
The GFHA will make a best effort to determine what expenses from the past are likely to continue to occur in the future. The GFHA will also accept evidence of monthly payments or total payments that will be due for medical expenses during the upcoming 12 months.
Written third-party verification forms, if the family is unable to provide acceptable documentation.
If third-party or document review is not possible, written family certification as to costs anticipated to be incurred during the upcoming 12 months.
In addition, the PHA must verify that:
The household is eligible for the deduction.
The costs to be deducted are qualified medical expenses.
The expenses are not paid for or reimbursed by any other source.
Costs incurred in past years are counted only once.
Eligible Household The medical expense deduction is permitted only for households in which the head, spouse, or cohead is at least 62, or a person with disabilities. The PHA must verify that the family meets the definition of an elderly or disabled family provided in the Eligibility chapter and as described in Chapter 7 (7-IV.A.) of this plan.
Qualified Expenses To be eligible for the medical expenses deduction, the costs must qualify as medical expenses. See Chapter 6 (6-II.D.) for the PHA’s policy on what counts as a medical expense.
Unreimbursed Expenses To be eligible for the medical expenses deduction, the costs must not be reimbursed by another source.
GFHA Policy The family will be required to certify that the medical expenses are not paid or reimbursed to the family from any source. If expenses are verified through a third party, the third party must certify that the expenses are not paid or reimbursed from any other source.
Expenses Incurred in Past Years GFHA Policy When anticipated costs are related to on-going payment of medical bills incurred in past years, the GFHA will verify:
The anticipated repayment schedule
The amounts paid in the past, and
Whether the amounts to be repaid have been deducted from the family’s annual income in past years
7-IV.C. DISABILITY ASSISTANCE EXPENSES Policies related to disability assistance expenses are found in 6-II.E. The amount of the deduction will be verified following the standard verification procedures described in Part I.
Amount of Expense Attendant Care GFHA Policy The GFHA will accept written third-party documents provided by the family. If family-provided documents are not available, the GFHA will provide a third-party verification form directly to the care provider requesting the needed information.
Expenses for attendant care will be verified through:
Written third-party documents provided by the family, such as receipts or canceled checks.
Third-party verification form signed by the provider, if family-provided documents are not available.
If third-party verification is not possible, written family certification as to costs anticipated to be incurred for the upcoming 12 months.
Auxiliary Apparatus GFHA Policy Expenses for auxiliary apparatus will be verified through:
Written third-party documents provided by the family, such as billing statements for purchase of auxiliary apparatus, or other evidence of monthly payments or total payments that will be due for the apparatus during the upcoming 12 months.
Third-party verification form signed by the provider, if family-provided documents are not available.
If third-party verification is not possible, written family certification of estimated apparatus costs for the upcoming 12 months.
In addition, the GFHA must verify that:
The family member for whom the expense is incurred is a person with disabilities (as described in 7-II.F above).
The expense permits a family member, or members, to work (as described in 6-II.E.).
The expense is not reimbursed from another source (as described in 6-II.E.).
Family Member is a Person with Disabilities To be eligible for the disability assistance expense deduction, the costs must be incurred for attendant care or auxiliary apparatus expense associated with a person with disabilities.The PHA will verify that the expense is incurred for a person with disabilities (See 7-II.F.).
Family Member(s) Permitted to Work The PHA must verify that the expenses claimed actually enable a family member, or members, (including the person with disabilities) to work.
GFHA Policy The GFHA will request third-party verification from a rehabilitation agency or knowledgeable medical professional indicating that the person with disabilities requires attendant care or an auxiliary apparatus to be employed, or that the attendant care or auxiliary apparatus enables another family member, or members, to work (See 6-II.E.). This documentation may be provided by the family.
If third-party verification has been attempted and is either unavailable or proves unsuccessful, the family must certify that the disability assistance expense frees a family member, or members (possibly including the family member receiving the assistance), to work.
Unreimbursed Expenses To be eligible for the disability expenses deduction, the costs must not be reimbursed by another source.
GFHA Policy The family will be required to certify that attendant care or auxiliary apparatus expenses are not paid by or reimbursed to the family from any source.
7-IV.D. CHILD CARE EXPENSES Policies related to child care expenses are found in Chapter 6 (6-II.F). The amount of the deduction will be verified following the standard verification procedures described in Part I of this chapter. In addition, the PHA must verify that:
The child is eligible for care (12 or younger).
The costs claimed are not reimbursed.
The costs enable a family member to work, actively seek work, or further their education.
The costs are for an allowable type of child care.
The costs are reasonable.
Eligible Child To be eligible for the child care deduction, the costs must be incurred for the care of a child under the age of 13. The PHA will verify that the child being cared for (including foster children) is under the age of 13(See 7-II.C.).
Unreimbursed Expense To be eligible for the child care deduction, the costs must not be reimbursed by another source.
GFHA Policy The family (and the care provider) will be required to certify that the child care expenses are not paid or reimbursed to the family from any source.
Pursuing an Eligible Activity The PHA must verify that the family member(s) that the family has identified as being enabled to seek work, pursue education, or be gainfully employed, are actually pursuing those activities.
GFHA Policy Information to be Gathered The GFHA will verify information about how the schedule for the claimed activity relates to the hours of care provided, the time required for transportation, the time required for study (for students), the relationship of the family member(s) to the child, and any special needs of the child that might help determine which family member is enabled to pursue an eligible activity.
Seeking Work Whenever possible the GFHA will use documentation from a state or local agency that monitors work-related requirements (e.g., welfare or unemployment). In such cases the GFHA will request family-provided verification from the agency of the member’s job seeking efforts to date, and require the family to submit to the GFHA any reports provided to the other agency.
In the event third-party verification is not available, the GFHA will provide the family with a form on which the family member must record job search efforts. The GFHA will review this information at each subsequent reexamination for which this deduction is claimed.
Furthering Education The GFHA will request third-party documentation to verify that the person permitted to further his or her education by the child care is enrolledand provide information about the timing of classes for which the person is registered. The documentation may be provided by the family.
Gainful Employment The GFHA will seek third-party verification of the work schedule of the person who is permitted to work by the child care. In cases in which two or more family members could be permitted to work, the work schedules for all relevant family members may be verified. The documentation may be provided by the family.
Allowable Type of Child Care The type of care to be provided is determined by the family, but must fall within certain guidelines, as discussed in Chapter 6.
GFHA Policy The GFHA will verify that the type of child care selected by the family is allowable, as described in Chapter 6 (6-II.F).
The GFHA will verify that the fees paid to the child care provider cover only child care costs (e.g., no housekeeping services or personal services) and are paid only for the care of an eligible child (e.g., prorate costs if some of the care is provided for ineligible family members).
The GFHA will verify that the child care provider is not an assisted family member. Verification will be made through the head of household’s declaration of family members who are expected to reside in the unit.
Reasonableness of Expenses Only reasonable child care costs can be deducted.
GFHA Policy The actual costs the family incurs will be compared with the GFHA’s established standards of reasonableness for the type of care in the locality to ensure that the costs are reasonable.
If the family presents a justification for costs that exceed typical costs in the area, the GFHA will request additional documentation, as required, to support a determination that the higher cost is appropriate.
