How to Count Absent Members When Calculating Household Size and Income

A household can consist of one or more persons. A household may report to you that one of its members will be absent from the unit. For instance, an applicant may report that she has a daughter who’s away at school. Or an applicant may report that his wife recently had a stroke and will be confined to a nursing home. When certifying these households, you need to know whether to count these absent household members for purposes of determining unit size and household income.