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TANF UP Program

Mississippi operates a separate state program to serve needy two-parent families. State funds are used for cash assistance payments (TANF grant and transportation stipends). This program will not count toward the state’s MOE requirements. Although two able-bodied parents are in the home, a dependent child is considered deprived of parental care or support when the natural or adoptive parent is unemployed. Two-parent families are only eligible if the parent is designated as the “principal wage earner.”

o Meets the state’s definition of “unemployed,” which means that he or she is not currently working or has not worked full-time for at least thirty (30) days prior to receipt of TANF benefits, o Works less than 100 hours per month, o Has not refused a bona fide offer of employment or training, without good cause, within the 30-day period prior to receipt of TANF benefits; and o Is not on strike.

All other eligibility requirements for the two-parent family are the same as the TANF (Basic) case. To encourage the formation and maintenance of two-parent families:

o When the TANF recipient marries, the new spouse’s income and resources will be disregarded for six months. This will allow the single parent who marries an employed person the opportunity to continue receiving TANF cash assistance and work preparation activities without immediately losing benefits because of the spouse’s income. (One-time disregard for the first marriage of the PI on or after October 1, 1999 o Recent work history requirements will be waived for two-parent families when both parents are under 21 years of age to allow these young families to qualify for the TANF Unemployed Parent program.

Deny TANF Assistance

a. According to the TANF prohibitions/requirements outlined in federal regulations and state statute, Mississippi will, except for individuals and families specifically exempt or excluded for good cause, deny TANF assistance to: o Families without a minor child residing with the parent or adult caretaker relative; o Families including an adult head-of-household or spouse of the head-of-household, pregnant minor head-of-household or spouse of such head-of-household, a minor parent head-of-household or spouse of such minor parent head-of-household who has received assistance under TANF for 60 months (cumulative but not necessarily consecutive); o Families not assigning certain support rights to the State; o Families who fail to cooperate in establishing paternity or obtaining child support; o Teenage parents without a high school diploma or a high school equivalency (HSE) diploma, who are not employed and do not attend school or an equivalent training program;