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304.5 TANF Manual 10/23 Page 4

304.5 RELATIVE MAINTENANCE SUPPORT PAYMENT - The 2022 General Assembly appropriated funds to continue the TANF Relative Maintenance Support Payment that began in 2020, and to extend eligibility to additional assistance units. * Effective July 1, 2022, funding for the TANF Relative Maintenance Support payment was transferred from the TANF Block Grant to General Funds. When the appropriated funding for the TANF Relative Maintenance Support Payment is exhausted, the payment will end. Effective July 1, 2022, there are two additional household categories that will be eligible for Relative Maintenance Support Payments as outlined in Sections 304.5.B and C below.

A. TANF Relative Maintenance Support Payment - TANF assistance units that include one or more eligible children under the age of 18 years and that meet all other eligibility criteria for a TANF payment, will be entitled to a Relative Maintenance Support Payment when a relative caretaker assumed care of the child(ren) on or after July 1, 2020, to prevent the child(ren) from entering Foster Care in the Commonwealth of Virginia, as verified by a LDSS Family Services worker. This includes TANF assistance units with a budgetary deficiency that is less than $10, and no payment is made. If an assistance unit’s ineligibility is based solely on this minimum payment provision, the case will be approved and retained as an active TANF case. TANF assistance units that include a parent are not eligible. The child is eligible until they reach the age of 18. They are eligible for the month in which their 18th birthday falls if they have not attained the specified age on the first day of that month.

Note: Children placed with a relative in the Commonwealth of Virginia by another state are not eligible for the Relative Maintenance Support Payment.

The TANF Relative Maintenance Support Payment is a monthly payment, in addition to the TANF payment and will be paid to eligible assistance units in the amount of $200 for each eligible child in the qualifying TANF assistance unit that was diverted from Foster Care. This includes TANF assistance units that include a needy relative caretaker. If the child does not meet TANF eligibility requirements, the relative caretaker will not be eligible to receive the TANF Relative Support Maintenance payment. The Relative Support Maintenance payment does not apply to Diversionary Assistance, Emergency Assistance or VTP.

When a TANF application is received for a non-parent caretaker that is also requesting the TANF Relative Maintenance Support Payment, a separate TANF case should be established. All children not belonging to the payee shall be placed in a separate case. At no time should the child(ren) of the non-parent caretaker be included on the payee TANF case.

The Family Services Specialists will be responsible for identifying the child(ren) that has been diverted from Foster Care. The Family Services Specialists will complete the Relative Maintenance Verification Form and provide the relative caretaker with a copy to verify that the child(ren) is living in the relative caretaker’s home to avoid placement into Foster Care. If applying for TANF assistance at a Local Department of Social Services, the relative caretaker must provide the Relative Maintenance Verification Form to the Benefit Programs Worker to qualify for the additional $200 monthly payment. The Relative Maintenance Verification Form includes the caretaker(s), child(ren) and referring agency’s information, in addition to the date the child began living in the home of the relative caretaker. The form also records if the caretaker is requesting assistance for the TANF Relative Maintenance Support Payment. The receiving locality is responsible for uploading the Relative Maintenance Verification Form into the Document Management Information System (DMIS).

Example 1: Ms. Perry assumed care of her grandchild Terri Lee on 07/02/2021, to prevent her from being placed in Foster Care. On 07/05/2021, Ms. Perry applied for TANF assistance for her grandchild Terri. On 07/20/2021, Ms. Perry provided all the requested verifications, to include the Relative Maintenance Verification Form that was provided by her Family Services Specialist, which verified Terri was placed with her on 07/02/2021. On 07/23/2021, the TANF application was approved, as all eligibility requirements were met. Ms. Perry received the $262 standard of assistance for one in a Group II locality. In addition, Ms. Perry received the additional $200 monthly Relative Maintenance Support Payment. Ms. Perry will receive a total of $462 on a monthly basis.

*Appropriations Act of 2022

TANF Transmittal 77