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Title 7: SNAP Page 3 Iowa Department of Health and Human Services Employees’ Manual Chapter C: Nonfinancial Eligibility Household Composition Revised September 27, 2024 Mandatory Household Members This is true even if they buy and fix food together with the foster parents. However, if the household excludes them, they cannot receive SNAP on a separate case. People Who Purchase and Prepare Food Together Legal reference: 7 CFR 273.1(a) Policy: In addition to people who are mandatory household members based on relationship, people who live together and buy and fix the majority of their meals together must be in the same SNAP household. Procedure: Explain the option to buy and fix meals separately and to be certified as a separate household. Accept the household’s statement regarding eating arrangements and document it in the case file. Nonmandatory Members Legal reference: 7 CFR 273.1(b) Policy: “Nonmandatory members” are people who are not mandatory household members, as described above. They include:  Roomers to whom the household provides lodging, but not meals, for compensation.  Live-in attendants who provide medical care, housekeeping, child care, or other similar personal services. Live-in attendants can be separate households even if they buy, fix, and eat their food with the person for whom they are providing care.  Other people who live with the household, but who do not routinely buy and fix their food with the household. Procedure: Do not include nonmandatory members when determining the SNAP household’s size, eligibility, or amount of benefits. (See 7-E, Nonmandatory Members’ Income for instructions.) If eligible, nonmandatory members can receive SNAP as a separate household.