Worker Responsibilities - WAC 388-408-0025

Parent or caretaker relative of a child that gets SSI: To decide if an AU member is eligible for TANF, count a child who gets SSI as an "eligible child" even though the child isn't eligible for TANF. Don't include the SSI child's income, resources, or needs when you determine the AU's eligibility and grant amount. If the parent of an SSI child asks for assistance as a needy caretaker relative, don't include the parent's spouse or other children in the AU unless the parent wants assistance for them.

Relatives who are not the child's parent: If a non-parent relative chooses to get TANF instead of foster care payments, they can choose whether or not to be in the AU based on their needs. If a non-parent relative chooses to get foster care payments for a child in their care and the relative needs financial assistance, count the child a "dependent child" to make the relative eligible for TANF or SFA. Don't include the foster child's income, resources, or needs when you determine the AU's eligibility and grant amounts. If a couple is married and applying as a needy relative for a child who is not their child, only one of the relatives can be a recipient on the grant. The non-parental caregiver and their spouse cannot both be on the grant. If a non-parent relative chooses to get TANF for multiple siblings in their care, they can choose to exclude one or more siblings as a “recipient" if they have income or including that sibling would cause TANF ineligibility.

EXAMPLE A child, Mohammad is living with their half-sibling, Liam and Liam's mother, Astrid, who is not the parent of Mohammad and has no financial responsibility for this child. Astrid is working and has income. Astrid can choose to apply for non-needy TANF for Mohammad and not include Liam in the needs, since including herself and Liam would cause the assistance unit to be over income for TANF.

Child in common of unmarried parents: Unmarried parents who live together may choose to exclude their common child if either or both parents are a TANF or SFA recipient .

NOTE: In this example, if Artem and common child Ana are added to the TANF assistance unit, they are all recipients. If Artem gains employment, the household may choose to exclude Artem and Ana from the TANF assistance unit, while Olivia and her other two children, Sofia and Luka continue receiving a TANF grant.

NOTE: In this example, if the entire household is eligible when we include Alex's income, the household can choose to exclude Alex and Kimani, as we can consider this a recipient assistance unit. If the family is eligible in the month of application, you can consider them as recipients and exclude the child, Kimani and co-parent, Alex before you issue benefits.

What happens when a TANF AU with an optional household member has a change in circumstances?

Families can always change the status of optional TANF AU members. In some cases, removing the optional AU member from the TANF AU may increase the benefits to the family.

If Anita remains on the AU as needy, the TANF closes for the entire household due to excess countable income.

However, Aunt Anita is an optional AU member so we can opt her off the TANF grant. Her income would not be counted and she can continue to get a non-needy TANF grant for her two nephews.

Kelly is not an optional AU member so we budget the SSA benefits when determining TANF eligibility, this family would be over the income limit for TANF.

Grace is not an optional AU member. Send a request for information letter requesting verification that Grace is still attending full time high school and making satisfactory progress.

If Grace is no longer in school, she is no longer eligible for TANF, with no eligible minors in the AU, the TANF would terminate.