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Chapter: 2200 Standard Filing Unit Program: CIC 42 ineligible for Temporary Cash Assistance benefits as one SFU, Temporary Cash Assistance is not available to the nonmutual children or their parents.

For Medicaid, if the two-parent family with at least one mutual child is ineligible for payment standard related Medicaid benefits as one SFU, Medicaid assistance under payment standard related Medicaid coverage may be accessed for the nonmutual child and their parent. The income of the stepparent must be deemed in determining the Medicaid eligibility of the parent of the nonmutual child under this coverage group. Income of the stepparent is not deemed to the child. 2250.0404.07 Unmarried Parents (CIC) If the child's parents are not married, have other children by prior relationships living in the home, and one or both parents are incapacitated or unemployed/underemployed or receives SSI, OSS, or ICP, one assistance group is set up. Both parents, if eligible, are included in the assistance group because the children are siblings.

If the parents are not married, have other children by prior relationships, but no mutual children, two standard filing units (SFUs) must be set up. 2250.0404.08 Stepparents in Home (CIC) When there are two legally married stepparents in the home and neither is an SSI, OSS, or ICP recipient and each has children who are eligible for Temporary Cash Assistance (nonmutual children), two standard filing units (SFUs) must be set up.

If there is a mutual child and one or both parents are incapacitated or one or both parents are unemployed/underemployed or an SSI, OSS, or ICP recipient, one SFU must be set up. The children's needs and the needs of the incapacitated or unemployed/underemployed parent(s) must be included in the SFU.

When a parent and a stepparent are in the home, the parent's needs are included in the assistance group with the child. Stepparents who have no eligible children of their own may not be included in the AG under any circumstance. 2250.0405.02 Stepsiblings May be Included (CIC) Any stepbrothers, stepsisters, or other children in the home who meet all TCA eligibility criteria may be included in the SFU. 2250.0405.03 Definition of an Essential Individual (CIC) Under SSI regulations, an essential individual is an individual whose presence in the household is considered necessary to provide care and services for the eligible SSI individual.

The only essential individual recognized by SSI in Florida is the nonrecipient spouse whose needs, income, and assets were considered in determining eligibility and computing the Aid to the Aged, Blind and Disabled (AABD) grant amount in December 1973. AABD was a state program prior to SSI.

Essential individuals do not themselves receive SSI; however, an amount is allocated for them in determining the eligible individual's SSI SFU. The income and assets of the essential individual are combined with those of the eligible individual in determining the SFU amount of the SSI individual.

In order to determine if an individual is considered an “essential individual”, a contact must be made with the local SSA office.