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292 (07/2026) Chapter 2:Eligibility • Section 5: Financial eligibility • Payments made by an absent parent to a third party for the benefit of the financial group are treated as follows

Š Court ordered child support diverted to a third party is counted as income (it is legally owed to the recipient).

Š Child support that is not court ordered but is paid to a third party on the household’s behalf are excluded as income. For TANF: • In determining initial eligibility, except for disregard, child support received by the OCSP is considered countable unearned income, if continued receipt of the child support is reasonably anticipated. These payments are excluded when determining the benefit amount. • In determining ongoing eligibility, except for individuals working under a TANF JOBS Plus agreement and except for child support passed through to the participant and disregarded, child support received by the OCSP is considered countable unearned income, if continued receipt of the child support is reasonably anticipated. These payments are excluded when determining the benefit amount. • For individuals working under a TANF JOBS Plus agreement:

Š Child support is excluded in determining countable income.

Š Child support is excluded when calculating the TANF portion of the benefit equivalency standards.

Š All child support paid directly to the participant is considered countable unearned income in the calculation of the wage supplement. • All other child support payments:

Š Paid directly to the financial group and turned over to OCSP are considered countable unearned income except for any amount of pass-through and disregard.

Š Paid directly to the financial group and not turned over to OCSP are considered countable unearned income.

Š Paid to a third party for the benefit of the financial group are considered countable unearned income. This includes but is not limited to payments made by an absent parent to a third party for rent, mortgage, utilities or child care. • Cash medical support is excluded in determining countable income. For OSIPM and MSP, all child support and cash medical support paid to the financial group are considered countable unearned income, except as follows: • Exclude one-third of all cash child support paid to an individual. This applies to all individuals, not just those applying for or actually receiving benefits. Effective July 6, 2020, this exclusion also applies to child support paid in arrears (past due). • Child support paid in arrears is considered countable income to the individual receiving the payments, unless the money is given to the child, in which case it is countable income to the child. • Exclude all in-kind child support paid to the financial group. • Child support collected from an absent parent by ODHS Child Welfare on behalf of a child in the custody of