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VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES HOUSEHOLD COMPOSITION

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household's adult members do not agree with the selection made by the applicant.

The designation by the BPS will remain in effect through the certification period or until the head leaves the household.

3. Principal Wage Earner as Head

Unless the household has selected an adult parent or adult with parental control as head as specified in Part VI.D.1, the principal wage earner will be considered the head of household when evaluating noncompliance with work registration. The principal wage earner must also be considered in determining whether a household member voluntarily quit a job or reduced work hours to less than 30 hours per week.

The principal wage earner is the household member who had the most earned income in the two months prior to the month of the registration noncompliance, job quit, or work reduction. Excluded household members, as defined in Part VI.C.2, are evaluated in determining the principal wage earner. The income used in this evaluation must involve 20 hours or more per week or provide the equivalent of 20 hours multiplied by the federal minimum wage.

The principal wage earner identified will not be applicable if the person who caused the violation lives with a parent or person fulfilling the role of a parent. The principal wage earner designation also will not apply if a parent or person fulfilling that role is registered for work or is exempt from work registration because the parent or person fulfilling the role of a parent is:

a. subject to and participating in any work requirement under Title IV of the Social Security Act such as the PA Employment Services Program (Part VIII.A.1.c);

b. receiving unemployment compensation benefits or is registered for work to receive these benefits (Part VIII.A.1.f); or

c. employed or self-employed and working a minimum of 30 hours weekly or is receiving weekly earnings at least equivalent to 30 hours multiplied by the federal minimum wage.

If there is no principal source of earned income in the household, the household member documented in the case file as the head at the time of the violation will be considered the head of the household.

E. HOUSEHOLDS IN INSTITUTIONS

Residents of certain institutions are eligible for SNAP benefits. This chapter contains special provisions for households residing in eligible institutions. See Part VII.C for a list of eligible

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