Page 199

[NON-

MISSISSIPPI

GENERAL According to State law, the TANF benefit is limited to children already born or conceived at the time of initial application. Only children born into the family during the first ten (10) months of assistance or a child whose date of birth is prior to the end of the 10-month cap period for the case will be added to the benefit unless the child meets one of the exception reasons. If a child in a current TANF case becomes part of another TANF case (new or existing), the child’s eligibility depends on the 10-month cap period of the case in which the child is being included. If the child, whether capped or not in a previous case, was born prior to the end of the 10-month cap period in the new case, the child may be added to the benefit in the new case. MAVERICS will look at the child’s date of birth and the cap date of the case to determine if the child can be added to the TANF benefit. EXAMPLE: TANF case contains a mother, an eligible child born August 1, 1999, and a capped child born September 10, 2002. The mother moves out of the state and leaves the children with a grandmother. The grandmother already has an open TANF case with another grandchild. The 10- month family cap period in this case ended October 31, 2002. Because the two children moving in with the grandmother were born prior to October 31, 2002, both the eligible child and the child capped in the previous case can receive benefits in the grandmother’s case. EXAMPLE: TANF case contains the mother, a minor mother and her baby. The baby has been a capped child since birth. When the minor mother turns 18, she establishes her own TANF case with her child. As the PI, the 18-year old’s cap period will begin with the first benefit month in the new case. The child, capped in the previous case, is eligible for benefits in the new case. Upon initial case approval, MAVERICS will generate and mail to the household notice A918, TANF Family Cap, which explains the family cap policy. The notice will be sent the first time the family cap start date is set on the CAP2 screen. The family benefit cap date is based on the first benefit month. This month is the first in the ten-month count. A benefit month can be a month in which the benefit, whether regular or prorated, is less than $10.00 and not actually paid to the recipient. EXAMPLE: Application is made September 25 and TANF is approved October 15. October is the first benefit month. Children born through July 31 will be potentially eligible for a benefit. October through July is the 10-month cap period. Children born on or after August MISSISSIPPI [ NON - FINANCIAL CRITERIA: FAMILY BENEFIT CAP] Revised 08 - 01 - 06