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146 (07/2026) Chapter 2:Eligibility • Section 2: Eligibility groups Click here for Boarder/lodger. TANF The filing group is all the individuals from the household group whose circumstances are considered in the eligibility determination process. The filing group consists of individuals from the household group who choose to apply for benefits and who meet non-financial eligibility requirements; and people who must apply for benefits because of their relationship to those people. If the filing group does not include at least one applicant who meets all non-financial eligibility requirements, the group is ineligible. Applicants must provide any information or verification needed to determine who must be in the filing group. When a household member is in more than one filing group for the same program, the filing groups must be combined, unless specified otherwise in administrative rule. Who must apply together? The following household group members must be in the filing group: • Dependent child or unborn • Parents of a dependent child in the group, including stepparents • Parents of an unborn • Siblings of a dependent child. The sibling must be:
Under age 18, or
18 and attending school full time. • Caretaker relatives of the dependent child, their spouse and children. Who is not in the filing group? The following individuals are excluded from the filing group: • A dependent child receiving:
Foster care payments, or
Adoption assistance, or
Title IV-E subsidized guardianship payments • Minors who are married, married and legally separated or legally emancipated • Parents of a minor parent if:
The parents of the minor parent are in the household but not applying for TANF for the minor parent or any siblings of the minor parent, or
The minor parent does not live with their parents. A caretaker relative who does not meet the definition of a parent of the dependent child may apply