Most people scanning a denial notice look first for the income numbers, because income is what everyone expects to be the problem. But a fair number of denials and terminations, especially for Medicaid and SNAP, turn on resources or assets instead — the value of what a household owns, not what it earns. This section of the notice is usually shorter than the income section, which makes it easy to skim past, but the rules behind it are dense and the agency’s math is not always right. Here’s how to find it, read it, and check it.
Where the resource/asset limit language typically appears on a denial notice
On most notices, the resource or asset determination sits in its own block, separate from the income calculation. Look for headings or phrases like “resources,” “countable resources,” “assets,” “resource limit,” or “asset test.” It’s often placed after the income section, sometimes on a second page, and sometimes buried in a table that lists categories of property with dollar values next to each one.
The notice should show three things, though not always clearly labeled: the total value of resources the agency counted, the resource limit for your household size or category, and the comparison between the two — usually a line stating that your countable resources exceeded the limit by some amount. If you can’t find a total or a limit anywhere on the page, that’s worth flagging. You’re entitled to see the actual number the agency used and the specific items that made it up, and if the notice doesn’t show that, you can request it.
Some notices list resources item by item — a checking account, a car, a life insurance policy — with a value assigned to each. Others just give a lump sum. If you only get a lump sum, ask the agency (in writing, if possible) for an itemized breakdown. You need the itemized version to check their work, and you’re allowed to ask for it.
The difference between countable and excluded resources
Not everything a household owns counts against the resource limit. Every program that uses a resource test also maintains a list of excluded resources — things that are legally set aside and not counted, no matter their value or how they’re documented elsewhere. The notice should distinguish between resources that were counted and resources that were considered but excluded. If it doesn’t make that distinction clearly, that’s a sign to ask questions.
Countable resources generally include things like checking and savings account balances, cash on hand, stocks and bonds, and additional real estate beyond a primary home. Excluded resources commonly include the home you live in, one vehicle (though the rules on vehicles vary and are covered below), certain retirement accounts, burial plots and some burial funds, and household goods and personal effects. The exact exclusion list depends on the specific program — SNAP, Medicaid, TANF, and disability income programs each maintain their own rules, and they don’t always match each other.
This is one of the most common sources of error on a denial notice: an item that should have been excluded gets listed as countable, either because the worker didn’t have documentation showing its excluded status or because the wrong program’s rules were applied. When you review your notice, go through each listed item and ask whether it falls into a category your program typically excludes. If it does, and it was still counted, that’s a specific, correctable error you can raise.
Common items that get miscounted: vehicles, retirement accounts, burial funds, joint bank accounts
A handful of resource types account for a disproportionate share of the confusion on notices. It’s worth checking each of these carefully if they appear on yours.
Vehicles. Many programs exclude at least one vehicle per household, or exclude a vehicle used for work, medical transportation, or transporting a household member with a disability, regardless of its value. Problems arise when a second vehicle is counted without checking whether it qualifies for a different exclusion, or when the full purchase value of a vehicle is used instead of its current market value or equity value, which is often what programs actually require.
Retirement accounts. Retirement accounts such as employer-sponsored plans or individual retirement accounts are excluded from resource counting under many programs, but not universally, and the treatment can depend on whether the account is in payout status. If a retirement account appears as a countable resource on your notice, it’s worth checking whether your specific program excludes that account type entirely.
Burial funds and burial spaces. Many programs exclude a set-aside amount designated for burial expenses, as well as burial plots or spaces, separate from other savings. If a burial account or prepaid funeral arrangement was folded into a general savings total instead of being evaluated separately, that’s worth raising.
Joint bank accounts. This is one of the more error-prone areas. Some agencies count the full balance of a joint account against the applicant, even when the account is shared with someone who is not part of the household or not part of the case, such as an adult child, roommate, or extended family member. Depending on the program, you may be able to show that funds in a joint account belong to, or were contributed by, the other account holder, which can change how much of the balance counts. If a joint account was counted at its full balance, check whether the notice reflects any adjustment for the other holder’s ownership share.
How to check whether the agency used the correct resource limit for your household type
Resource limits are not a single fixed number. They vary by program, and within a program they often vary by household size, household composition, or category — for example, a household that includes someone elderly or someone with a disability may be evaluated under a different, and sometimes higher, resource limit than a general household. Some programs have no resource test at all for certain groups, which means if a resource denial was issued under one of those programs, the limit itself may not have applied to your situation in the first place.
To check this, find the specific limit the notice used and compare it to the limit listed in your program’s current published rules for your household size and category. This information is usually available through the agency’s website, a program manual, or a caseworker upon request — you can ask specifically for “the resource limit that applies to my household size and category” and expect a direct answer, since this is a factual question with a specific numeric answer, not a judgment call.
When you make this comparison, pay attention to whether the notice used your correct household size. If a household member was left off the count, or if someone was included who shouldn’t have been (because they don’t share resources with the household, for instance), the limit applied may not match what your actual household size warrants. Household composition errors are common and can affect both the resource limit and the countable resource total at the same time.
What to do if you believe your resources were counted incorrectly
If you’ve gone through the notice and found an item that appears misclassified, miscounted, or valued incorrectly, start by writing down exactly what you found: the item, the value the agency assigned to it, and the reason you believe that value or classification is wrong. Gather any documents that support your position — an account statement showing a joint owner’s contributions, a retirement plan statement showing its account type, a title or registration showing a vehicle’s use, or a burial contract showing a designated fund. Specific, documented corrections are much easier for an agency to act on than a general objection to the outcome.
Next, check the deadline on your notice for requesting an appeal or fair hearing. This deadline is usually stated in days from the date of the notice, not the date you received it, so don’t wait to confirm it. If you’re inside the deadline, you generally have the option to request a hearing while also asking the agency, informally, to review the specific item you’re disputing — the two steps aren’t mutually exclusive, and pursuing an informal correction doesn’t use up your appeal rights unless the notice specifically says otherwise.
When you contact the agency or file the appeal, be as specific as possible: name the exact line item, the value assigned to it, the exclusion or rule you believe applies, and the documentation you’re providing to support that. A request like “please recheck the value of the joint checking account listed as $4,200, since $3,000 of that belongs to my adult son who is not part of this household” gives a caseworker something concrete to act on. A general statement that the resource total “seems too high” does not, and is more likely to result in the same outcome being upheld.
Finally, keep copies of everything — the original notice, any documents you submit, and a record of who you spoke with and when. Resource disputes often involve back-and-forth over documentation, and a clear paper trail makes it much easier to follow up if the case takes more than one round to resolve.
