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North Carolina

12 Receipt of Work First is based on both non-financial and financial criteria. Electing Counties will follow Standard Counties Work First Policy, except as indicated in the county specific plan.

NON-FINANCIAL ELIGIBILITY RULES

In addition to signing the MRA/Outcome Plan and work requirements, families must meet certain eligibility rules to receive Work First cash assistance. The basic eligibility rules are described below.

1. Children must be age 17 or younger at application. Children may receive through the month that they turn 18. Children aged 18 if in high school and expected to graduate by the month of their 19th birthday, can receive through the month they graduate from high school. Emancipated minor parents are considered adults and treated as such for Work First.

2. Children and adults who receive Social Security Income (SSI) are not included as recipients in the Work First cash assistance case. If a parent is applying for Work First cash assistance, they only have one child, and that child receives SSI or adoption assistance, the parent may receive assistance with a payment for one person.

3. Parents, including biological, adoptive, or stepparents, must be included with their child(ren) in the Work First cash assistance case. All siblings, stepsiblings and half siblings living together must also be included in the case. Note: Siblings can be separated for non-parent caregiver applications. If kinship cannot be established for one child to the case head, the case head can receive assistance for the children for which kinship can be verified. This exception ONLY applies to non-parent care givers.

4. If both biological parents and adoptive parents are living in the same residence with a child, the adoptive parents must apply and be included, but the biological parents may not. Ineligible parents, such as undocumented immigrants, living in the home cannot be included in the Work First cash assistance case.

5. If the child’s parent and an individual who has legal custody or guardianship reside in the home with the child, only the individual who has day-to-day care of the child may apply for and receive Work First cash assistance for that child. The child’s parent is included in the case, and child support must be pursued. The parent’s income must be counted in this case. The parent must sign an MRA-B/Outcome Plan and is expected to complete the work participation requirements unless the parent meets one of the exemptions from the definition of Work Eligible Individuals.

6. Children for whom Foster Care and/or Adoption Assistance payments are being made are not included as recipients.

7. Certain relatives, or a person with legal custody or legal guardianship, may apply for assistance for a child but may not be included in the payment.