110.2 TANF Budget Groups

Certain rules apply in establishing a TANF budget group . Some individuals living in a common residence must be included in the TANF budget group. Others may either be included or excluded as members, depending on certain requirements.

55 Pa. Code § 171.21(a)

The TANF dependent child in the applicant or recipient group establishes the members of the TANF budget group. The relationship to the TANF dependent child determines who is included in the group.

A non-parental specified relative under temporary or permanent sanction may get TANF Cash Assistance benefits for a child, as long as the child was not in that non-parental specified relative’s budget group when the sanction was imposed.

NOTE: The non-parental sanctioned person is not eligible for TANF benefits, but qualifies as the payment name for the child.

A TANF parent or child who lives elsewhere only because of a job (including uniformed service), training, or to attend school is considered to be living with the budget group and is included in the budget group. A child is ineligible for TANF if a parent gave up control of the child to the school or other agency.

NOTE: A biological parent who has placed a child for adoption is not required to apply for the child if the adopted child returns to the household. Adoption eliminates all legal connections between the adopted child, and the biological parents and siblings.

55 Pa. Code § 151.43(d)