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COMBINED MANUAL

ISSUE DATE 01/2015

DETERMINING THE CASH ASSISTANCE UNIT

0014.03.03

- Sister or brother.

- Half-sister or half-brother.

- Step-sister or step-brother.

- Uncle, great-uncle, or great-great-uncle, or great-great-great-uncle.

- Aunt, great-aunt, or great-great-aunt, or great-great-great-aunt.

- First cousin or first cousin once removed.

- Niece or nephew.

- Legal custodian or legal guardian. See LEGAL CUSTODIAN and LEGAL GUARDIAN in 0002.37 (Glossary: Learning...).

- A spouse or former spouse of any of the above even after the marriage ends by death or divorce.

NOTE: This may include individuals whose parental rights have been terminated but are now caregivers for their former children as long as they meet any category of MFIP caregiver as listed in the sub-bullets above.

NOTE: A Power of Attorney or Delegation of Parental Authority completed by a minor child’s parent for an adult to act as the caregiver of the minor child does NOT meet the definition of caregiver. The adult must meet 1 of the caregiver to child relationships listed above for optional caregivers.

● Other minor children who are not mandatory members, such as nieces, nephews, cousins, etc.

● A relative foster care provider who is receiving federal, state, or local foster care payments and who meets the definition of an MFIP caregiver is eligible even if the only minor child living in the home is receiving foster care maintenance payments. If the provider is living with a spouse, the spouse must also be included in the provider’s unit. See 0020.09 (MFIP/DWP Assistance Standards).

A minor caregiver and his or her children must be a separate assistance unit. See 0012.06 (Requirements for Caregivers Under 20). When the parents of the minor caregiver also have other minor children, the parents and the other minor children are a separate unit.

Adult caregivers of a minor caregiver are also eligible to be a separate assistance unit from the minor caregiver and the minor caregiver’s child when:

● The adult caregiver or caregivers have no other minor children in the household.

AND ● The minor caregiver and the minor caregiver’s child are living with the adult caregiver or caregivers.

AND ● The minor caregiver and the minor caregiver’s child receive MFIP or would be eligible to receive MFIP, if they were not receiving SSI benefits.

Units may choose to "opt out" of the cash portion of the MFIP grant. See 0014.03.03.03 (Opting Out of MFIP Cash Portion).

MFIP and SNAP unit composition rules are different. Some households will have people who are part of the SNAP unit but are