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Families First Marriage During the Receipt of Assistance Policy 23.16 Effective: October 15, 2023 Introduction Families First shall provide customers the opportunity to exclude their new spouse from the assistance unit for up to three (3) calendar months following the date of the marriage. Scope The purpose of this policy is to encourage marriage and promote two (2) parent families. Policy Marriage During Receipt 1. Customers, including minor parents, who marry during the receipt of assistance may choose to exclude the new spouse from the assistance unit (AU) for up to three (3) calendar months, regardless of income and/or resources. 2. The three (3) month exclusion starts on the first (1st) day of the month after the month of the marriage, regardless of when the marriage is reported. 3. Following the three (3) month exclusion, the AU must meet all Families First eligibility requirements to continue to receive assistance. 4. Should the customer choose to waive the three (3) month exclusion, the AU, including the new spouse, must meet all Families First eligibility requirements to continue to receive assistance. Caretaker Elects to Include the Spouse Add the spouse to the AU as appropriate based on the relationship to other household members. 1. Calculate the Families First budget using the countable income of all AU members, including the spouse. Date of Last Review: 08/07/2026 Effective Date: 10/15/2023 Date of Next Review: 08/07/2029 RDA: SW22 Page 1 of 3