Does the income of an immigrant’s sponsor count?

If you receive financial support directly from the sponsor to pay for living expenses, that money treated as countable unearned income in calculating your benefits.  106 C.M.R. § 363.220(B)(7).

Example: Johann is an LPR from Germany. Every month his sponsor sends him a $500 payment. DTA will calculate Johann’s SNAP benefits counting $500 of unearned income.

There is no counting or “deeming” of a sponsor’s income if you are “indigent” (very low-income) and you do not receive payments from the sponsor. “Deeming” is a legal term that means counting income from a third party – such as a sponsor – that you do not actually receive but is assumed to be available.