In Re the Appeal & Hearing for Clark

In December of 1980, Clark, who farms and ranches near Gettysburg, applied to the Department for LIEAP payments for himself, his wife, and his four children. The Department examined Clark’s 1979 tax return and determined that Clark was ineligible for assistance because his gross profits from farming, $23,904.91, exceeded the maximum income for eligibility for a family of six, which was $16,890.00. Clark contends that the Department’s refusal to permit him to deduct his 1979 farm expenses of $39,219.41 in calculating his household income violated federal regulations governing the LIEAP program…