Page 473

When a parent of TANF children has a temporary plan for working away from the home in which the children live, determine whether he/she retains parental control and supervision as discussed in Chapter 3, Temporary Separations. If he does and the plan is temporary, the benefit will be continued in the name of this parent as payee. If there is no plan for the payee and children to live together and another relative must assume responsibility for the children, that relative must apply for the children. See Chapter 3, Emergency Situations, if necessary. When an absent working parent does qualify to be included in the budget with his children, the worker will: 1. Code the parent IN for TANF and work the case as if the parent were in the home, entering the parent s income as usual. The system will allow work expenses and the earned income disregard, if applicable.

6102 Volume III | Chapter 6

2. Designate the needy caretaker relative, if any, as the protective payee according to policy set out in Chapter 3, Choice of Needy Caretaker Relative. MINOR MOTHER BUDGETING Based on minor mother criteria, when an unmarried minor who is living in the home with her parents has a child for whom she requests assistance, follow one of the budget plans below. • If the minor is included in an existing TANF case, the PI must apply for the addition of this child to that case, with the minor mother s parent or caretaker relative remaining as payee. The minor mother continues to receive benefits as a dependent child as does her own child. • If the minor is not currently included in an existing TANF case, the parent or caretaker relative must apply for TANF benefits for the minor parent and her child. All TANF regulations and requirements will apply including Assistance Unit Policy. • If the legal father of the minor mother's child is living in the home and there is no incapacity or unemployed parent requirements do not apply, the child is not deprived. Deem the legal father's income, after earned income expenses, if any, as available to the minor mother and the TANF unit after allowing for his and his child's needs. • If the minor mother's child is deprived, he is eligible as a child in the TANF unit. Also include the child's legal father's needs and income in the budget computation if he is in the home, and certify him for TANF as the legal parent of a child in the TANF budget The above procedure also applies if the legal father is a TANF child and living in the home of his MISSISSIPPI BUDGETARY PROCESS:SPECIAL BUDGETING PROCEDURES

Revised 09 - 01 - 10