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LEGAL AUTHORITY 1.2

AREA / TOPIC DISTRICT FEDERAL Group Composition TANF: D.C. Code 4-205.15; 4- MA: 42 USC 1396a(l),(m); 42 USC 205.19; 4-205.23; 4-205.24; 1396d(a),(n), (p),(s); 42 USC 1396u-1; 42 CFR 4-205.43; 4-205.53; 4- 435.4; 435.110; 435.115, 435.116; 435.120; 205.65; 4-205.66; 4-205.69; 435.145; 435.170; 435.201; 435.301; 4-205.70 435.310; 435.602 GC: See TANF and D.C. Code 4-205.5a TANF: 42 USC 608 (a)(1), 42 USC 608 (a)(4); 42 USC 608 (a)(8); 42 USC 608 (a)(9); 45 CFR 260.30; FS: 7 USC 2012(i); 7 CFR 273.1; 7 CFR 273.12 Requirement that TANF: D.C. Code TANF: 42 USC 608 (a)(5) Minor Parent Live in An Adult Supervised Setting 4-205.63-.64 Temporary Absences; TANF: D.C. Code 4-205.15; 4- TANF: 42 USC 608(a)(10); 45 CFR 260.20 Living With and 205.18 Together; Living Situations GC: See TANF and D.C. Code FS: 7 USC 2012(i); 7 CFR 273.1 4-205.5a. MANDATORY GROUP MEMBERS 1.3

ALL Certain people must be included in the group. Although group composition rules vary by program, all programs consider the parental and marital relationships of people who live together when determining who must be considered in the group. Some programs also consider sibling relationships when determining group composition. Some programs require the presence of certain individuals only if they also apply for assistance. Other programs require the presence of certain people even if they do not request assistance for themselves. MA The MA assistance group must consist of the person requesting assistance and certain relatives and caretakers of children (including unrelated caretakers) who live with the person, if these individuals also wish to receive assistance. Relatives/caretakers who do not want to apply for benefits for themselves are never required to be included in the MA assistance unit, though their income and/or resources may be considered when determining the applicant’s eligibility for MA (see Chapter 2: Whose Assets are Counted and Chapter 5: Whose Income is Counted in Part VI). Some relatives/caretakers also applying for MA may be included in the same MA unit, but they do not have to be. In fact, individuals living in the same household may be eligible under different MA program types (such as AR, AX, SR, or QM) or different eligibility categories within a program type (that is, one child may be eligible for MA based on the Poverty Level Families and Children criteria while a child age 20 may be eligible based on the Medically Needy Families and Children criteria). The SSR must explore all categories for each person who requests assistance (see Section 2.2.1: MA Program Eligibility Criteria in Part I for a discussion of categories of people who are eligible for MA). The SSR should designate the group(s) in the manner most beneficial to the applicants (that is, in the manner that allows as many applicants, related or not, to be determined eligible; see Section 1.4: Optional