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• A stepfather or stepmother. As an incentive for two-parent families, when a TANF PI marries on or after October 1, 1999, the income and resources of the newly married spouse are to be disregarded for six consecutive months. If the new spouse has income which causes the household’s total income to exceed 185% of the need standard established at the last case review, the marriage is a reportable change. To be considered timely the marriage would have to be reported by the 10th of the month following the month in which the change occurred. If the 10th of the following month falls on a weekend or holiday, the report must be made by the last working day prior to the 10th. When the change is reported timely, the first month of the disregard period will begin with the first month the spouse can be added to the case. If the change is not reported timely, the first month of the 6-month disregard will be the month for which the spouse could have been added, if the change was reported timely.

MISSISSIPPI [NON-FINANCIAL CRITERIA: INTRODUCTION]

3010 Volume III | Chapter 3Revised 12 -01-17 If the marriage does not meet the criteria of a reportable change, the first month of the 6-month disregard will be the first month the spouse can be added to the case following the report of the marriage whether the change is reported prior to or at the next reevaluation.. After the 6 month period ends, the income and resources with specified disregards must be considered in the determination of need for the spouse’s children who are applying for or receiving TANF. See Chapter 3, Marriage Disregard, pages 3104-3105, for procedures to disregard the spouse’s income and resources. See Chapter 6, Stepparent Situations, for the stepparent budgeting procedures. • A man or woman (not a parent or spouse) who lives in the home and maintains a marital relationship with the child’s parent; or who maintains a continuing relationship with the child’s parent outside the home. • A related adult, such as grandmother, grandfather, aunt, uncle, sister, brother, etc. • A putative father of the child when paternity has not been established, even if he lives in the home with the assistance family. Once paternity for the child has been legally established, the putative father becomes the legal father of the child for TANF eligibility. Legal Marriage The two types of marital unions which are recognized in this state are statutory marriage and legal common-law marriage. 1. A marriage between individuals who were legally free to contract a marriage and one for which a license was secured and a ceremony performed by a licensed minister or designated officer for the State. The minister or officer should have completed the marriage certificate and returned it to the County Circuit Clerk for recording. Since there is legal presumption in favor of the validity of ceremonial marriage, the worker will establish a statutory ceremonial marriage as follows: