Page 10

BEM 210 10 of 20 FIP GROUP COMPOSITION BPB 2026-002 1-1-2026

BRIDGES ELIGIBILITY MANUAL STATE OF MICHIGAN DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES

Marriage Exemption The marriage exemption option applies to all marriages that occur on or after 1/1/2020. The client has the option to exclude a new spouse from the FIP certified group for up to 18 months after the month of the marriage when all the following non-financial and financial criteria are met: • The group is already active FIP. • Marriage occurred on or after 1/1/2020. • The new spouse was not already a FIP Group member. • The new spouse meets all other non-financial eligibility criteria. • The total assets of the program group, including the new members as a result of the marriage, are equal to or less than double the FIP asset limits; see BEM 400. • The budgetable income (result of the qualifying issuance test) of the Program Group, including the new members as a result of the marriage, is less than twice the FIP Monthly Payment Standard for the group size; see RFT 210. Note: If a group qualifies for the marriage exemption and chooses to include the new spouse in the FIP group, the marriage exemption would no longer be an option for that spouse. Additionally, if a family uses the exemption, a child or sibling/half- sibling to an active member would be considered a mandatory group member. Any child that joined the group only as a result of the marriage, would not be part of the mandatory group. Example 1: Leighton and her daughter Lizzy receive FIP. Leighton marries Luke in January 2020 and Luke moves into the home. Luke and Leighton's total liquid assets equal $4,000. The only income for the family is $1,100 per month of earned income. ($1,100 earned income - $200 earned income disregard - $180 additional 20% of the remaining earnings = $720) The budgetable income (after the qualifying income deductions) is $720 per month. Twice the payment standard for the FIP group of 3 is $1,166 per month. Leighton has the option to exclude Luke from