HCV SPECIALIST FINAL EXAM 2026 QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS GRADED A+
✔✔Alimony & Child Support - ✔✔- PHAs may state in policy that they will include
amounts awarded as part of a divorce or separation
agreement unless the PHA has verified that the
income is not provided.
- The PHA may also include amounts awarded unless
applicant certifies that income is not provided and
has made effort to collect amounts, including filing
with courts or appropriate agencies responsible for
enforcing such payments.
- Again, this is up to PHA policy.
✔✔Capital Improvements - ✔✔Do not include in expenses when calculating income
from a business. Only interest payments on loans and depreciation.
✔✔Public Assistance Payments - ✔✔Count as income:
TANF
SSI
General Assistance
✔✔TANF - ✔✔Temporary Assistance of Needy Families
✔✔Imputed Welfare - ✔✔If a family has had their welfare reduced for fraud or non-
compliance with the welfare department's economic self-sufficiency program, the PHA
must include IW income in the family's welfare calculation.
The family may request an informal hearing from the PHA to review the determination of
the amount of IW income.
The requirement to IW income is not applicable if the welfare benefit reduction is due to:
Expiration of a time limit on receiving benefits.
Family has complied with requirements but can't find a job.
Noncompliance with other welfare agency requirements.
✔✔Lump-Sum Payments Assets - ✔✔Unemployment is included in income
• Lump-sum additions to family assets, such as
inheritances, insurance payments (including payments
under health and accident insurance and worker's
compensation), capital gains and settlement for
personal or property losses are not included in income.
, • Lump-sum payments caused by delays in processing periodic payments from the
following sources are not
included as income:
- Social Security and SSI
- Veterans disability
✔✔Lump-Sum Payment Income - ✔✔• Lump-sum payments caused by delays in
processing
periodic payments (such as unemployment or welfare
assistance benefits) are included as income.
✔✔Lump-Sum Payments Attorney Fees - ✔✔• Attorney fees (PHA policy) may be
deducted from
lump-sum payments when computing annual income
when:
- The attorney's efforts have recovered a lump-sum
compensation for the wrongful reduction or denial of
a periodic payment
- The recovery does not include an additional amount
in full satisfaction of the attorney fees.
• In these situations, the tenant does not actually recover
the entire amount of the past due periodic payment
because s/he must pay the attorney fees.
• This situation does not include those in which an
amount is withheld from funds otherwise due the tenant
to satisfy legitimate financial obligations unrelated to
obtaining the income such as:
- Withholding from wages to pay child support,
alimony or a judgment creditor
- Garnishment for failure to pay child support, alimony
or a judgment creditor.
• The situation does not include those where a tenant
incurs attorney fees unrelated to asserting a right to a
source of income or where no income results from the
attorney's actions. These are the financial responsibility
of the tenant and are not deducted in determining
annual income.
✔✔Annual Income Exclusions - ✔✔Live-in Aid
Food stamps
Sporadic gifts
Heating assistance
Children income under 18
• Benefits under Section 1780 of the School Lunch Act
and Child Nutrition Act of 1966, Includes WIC
• Domestic Volunteer Services Act
ANSWERS GRADED A+
✔✔Alimony & Child Support - ✔✔- PHAs may state in policy that they will include
amounts awarded as part of a divorce or separation
agreement unless the PHA has verified that the
income is not provided.
- The PHA may also include amounts awarded unless
applicant certifies that income is not provided and
has made effort to collect amounts, including filing
with courts or appropriate agencies responsible for
enforcing such payments.
- Again, this is up to PHA policy.
✔✔Capital Improvements - ✔✔Do not include in expenses when calculating income
from a business. Only interest payments on loans and depreciation.
✔✔Public Assistance Payments - ✔✔Count as income:
TANF
SSI
General Assistance
✔✔TANF - ✔✔Temporary Assistance of Needy Families
✔✔Imputed Welfare - ✔✔If a family has had their welfare reduced for fraud or non-
compliance with the welfare department's economic self-sufficiency program, the PHA
must include IW income in the family's welfare calculation.
The family may request an informal hearing from the PHA to review the determination of
the amount of IW income.
The requirement to IW income is not applicable if the welfare benefit reduction is due to:
Expiration of a time limit on receiving benefits.
Family has complied with requirements but can't find a job.
Noncompliance with other welfare agency requirements.
✔✔Lump-Sum Payments Assets - ✔✔Unemployment is included in income
• Lump-sum additions to family assets, such as
inheritances, insurance payments (including payments
under health and accident insurance and worker's
compensation), capital gains and settlement for
personal or property losses are not included in income.
, • Lump-sum payments caused by delays in processing periodic payments from the
following sources are not
included as income:
- Social Security and SSI
- Veterans disability
✔✔Lump-Sum Payment Income - ✔✔• Lump-sum payments caused by delays in
processing
periodic payments (such as unemployment or welfare
assistance benefits) are included as income.
✔✔Lump-Sum Payments Attorney Fees - ✔✔• Attorney fees (PHA policy) may be
deducted from
lump-sum payments when computing annual income
when:
- The attorney's efforts have recovered a lump-sum
compensation for the wrongful reduction or denial of
a periodic payment
- The recovery does not include an additional amount
in full satisfaction of the attorney fees.
• In these situations, the tenant does not actually recover
the entire amount of the past due periodic payment
because s/he must pay the attorney fees.
• This situation does not include those in which an
amount is withheld from funds otherwise due the tenant
to satisfy legitimate financial obligations unrelated to
obtaining the income such as:
- Withholding from wages to pay child support,
alimony or a judgment creditor
- Garnishment for failure to pay child support, alimony
or a judgment creditor.
• The situation does not include those where a tenant
incurs attorney fees unrelated to asserting a right to a
source of income or where no income results from the
attorney's actions. These are the financial responsibility
of the tenant and are not deducted in determining
annual income.
✔✔Annual Income Exclusions - ✔✔Live-in Aid
Food stamps
Sporadic gifts
Heating assistance
Children income under 18
• Benefits under Section 1780 of the School Lunch Act
and Child Nutrition Act of 1966, Includes WIC
• Domestic Volunteer Services Act
