Policy Effective: July 1, 2006

In a household that has an eligible child who meets “age” requirements (see policy 221 ), all brothers, sisters, half-brothers, half-sisters, adopted brothers, and adopted sisters to an eligible child, who are residing in the same household, and who also meet the age requirement, must be included in the same assistance filing unit. (See #9) Regarding household composition and legal custody situations.

All parents, including stepparents who are still married to the natural parent, residing in the same household as the eligible child must also be included in the same assistance filing unit.

When a customer residing in the household is required to be included in two filing units, the filing units must be combined into one filing unit.

Determination on who is included in the filing unit must be made before other eligibility requirements can be evaluated.

Household members who meet the relationship requirement to be included in the assistance unit, but do not meet all other eligibility requirements to be included in the financial assistance amount, must still have their income and assets counted when determining the financial assistance for the filing unit. This includes, but is not limited to:

Ineligible Non-Citizens;

A customer where verification has not been provided to add the person to the case;

Customers who have failed to cooperate with Office of Recovery Services (ORS) on a repayment of retained child support agreement. ORS will notify Department of Workforce Services (DWS) when this occurs.

Exception: When the ineligible non-citizen is a dependent child, that child is not considered a household member.

U.S. Citizenship - If either or both of the parents do not meet U.S. citizenship requirements, the remaining members may still be eligible as long as all other eligibility requirements are met. Eligibility requirements include the participation requirements, including community service and job search requirements that may be completed by the non-citizen. Only eligible household members will be included in the payment.

Household members, who meet the requirement to be included in the assistance unit, and have been disqualified from receiving financial assistance because of fraud, must still have their income and assets counted when determining the financial assistance for the filing unit.

When one recipient household lives with another recipient household, the households are combined into one assistance unit if the household members meet the relationship requirements to be included in the same assistance unit. If based on the relationship rules, these recipient households are determined as not being required to be combined into one assistance unit, each household receives its own financial assistance, based on the number of eligible persons.

Eligible age children bound by a court order of custody must be included or excluded from the household based on the actual circumstances of physical custody. (see policy 221-10 )