420-4 BENEFITS FOR WHICH

420-4 BENEFITS FOR WHICH AN APA APPLICANT OR RECIPIENT IS NOT REQUIRED TO APPLY

420-4 A. TEMPORARY ASSISTANCE BENEFITS

APA applicants or recipients cannot, under APA rules, be required to pursue Temporary Assistance benefits. Instead, clients who have potential eligibility for either Temporary Assistance or APA benefits must have their options explained to them so that they can make an informed choice between the two programs. Notwithstanding any other provision of the APA program, an applicant or recipient need not apply for SSI if doing so would result in termination of eligibility for Temporary Assistance benefits within the family unit.

Note: Except for Temporary Assistance to APA conversions situations, no individual may receive APA benefits for any month during which he or she was included as an assistance unit member in a Temporary Assistance case. (See APA MS 452-10 for more information about Temporary Assistance to APA conversions.)

420-4 B. BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS GENERAL ASSISTANCE ( BIA-GA )

BIA-GA is a needs-based assistance program available to American Indians and Alaska Natives to meet essential needs for food, shelter, and clothing. BIA-GA payments are considered as countable income by both the SSI and the APA program. Application for BIA-GA is not required for either APA or SSI .

420-4 C. OTHER NEEDS-BASED ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS

The only needs-based payments for which APA clients must apply are SSI and VA needs-based benefits. There is no requirement to apply for any other federal, state, local, or private program which makes payments based on need. Payments received from benefit programs in this category may or may not be excluded from income depending on the source of the payment.

420-4 D. VA IMPROVED PENSIONS

Certain individuals who were entitled to VA pensions as of December 31, 1978 can elect to receive an Improved Pension payment which is greater than a normal VA pension payment. VA Improved Pension benefits are not a prior resource to the APA program. APA clients who are eligible for either a normal or improved VA Pension are free to choose between the two payment levels.

420-4 E. AUGMENTED PORTIONS OF VA , RAILROAD RETIREMENT, AND BLACK LUNG PAYMENTS

VA , Railroad Retirement, and Black Lung benefits may be augmented (increased) because the beneficiary has dependents. When a benefit is augmented for dependents, the dependent has no vested right to the augmented portion. APA clients who are eligible for augmentation payments because they are dependents are not required to apply for augmentation.

420-4 F. BENEFITS OF INELIGIBLE SPOUSE OR ALIEN'S SPONSOR

An ineligible spouse or an alien's sponsor is not required to apply for any other program benefits. If the ineligible spouse or sponsor elects to receive benefits from another program, the amount of the benefit is subject to normal APA income availability policies.

420-4 G. BENEFITS WHICH DO NOT AFFECT AMOUNT OF ASSISTANCE

APA clients are not required to apply for any other benefits which will not affect the amount of their APA .

Note: Applicants and recipients for APA are not required to pursue child support income. Child support income is a benefit for the child not the APA recipient. If the applicant or recipient keeps child support for a child no longer in the home and uses the money it is counted as income to the APA client. Refer to APA MS 441-2L f or more information on how to budget child support income for APA .

In some cases, an APA client may be eligible for a benefit that will not affect the amount of their APA , but will affect the amount of their SSI . Like the APA requirement to apply for and pursue other benefits, Social Security also requires SSI applicants and recipients to apply for and pursue any other benefit which will reduce the amount of their SSI . Whenever SSI assistance is denied or terminated for failure to apply for and pursue other benefits, the client loses APA eligibility as well.