Page 4

Title 7: SNAP Page 1 Iowa Department of Health and Human Services Employees’ Manual Chapter C: Nonfinancial Eligibility Overview Revised September 27, 2024

Overview This chapter explains who is included in a SNAP household (the “household concept”) because the household concept is the basis for determining eligibility for SNAP. This chapter also contains information about the nonfinancial requirements a household must meet to be eligible for SNAP. Nonfinancial requirements are factors like age, work requirements, and where a person lives. Household Composition The following sections explain policies on treatment of:  Mandatory household members  Nonmandatory members  Ineligible household members  Children under joint custody  Elderly and disabled people  Family-life homes  Foster and pre-adoptive children Mandatory Household Members Mandatory household members include:  Spouses living together  Parents and children living together  Children under parental control  People who purchase and prepare food together Spouses Legal reference: 7 CFR 273.1(b)(1)(i) Policy: Eligible spouses living together must be in the same SNAP household whether they eat together or not. This includes both legal and common-law spouses. Parents and Children Legal reference: 7 CFR 273.1(b)(1)(ii), 441 IAC 65.1(234) Policy: Parents living with their children who are aged 21 and under must all be certified in the same SNAP household.