0210.005.00  Individuals Whose Income And Needs To Consider

The Eligibility Unit (EU) is comprised of certain identified persons living together in the same household.  Temporary Assistance (TA) payments are made based on those individuals' needs.  The EU MAY INCLUDE A NEEDY RELATED OR NON-RELATED PERSON living in the same home with the children. Refer to Non-Parent Caretaker Relative (NPCR) for more information.

When the head-of-household is married, do not consider TEMPORARY separation expected to last less than six months (such as hospitalization, vocational training, etc.), as interrupting the continuity of living together for budgeting purposes.  When the separation is on-going (longer than six months or permanent) (such as desertion; abandonment; confinement in a penal, medical, or mental institution; or living in a professional, practical, or domiciliary nursing or boarding home), exclude the needs and income of the person separated from the family.

Consider any person or group of persons described in 0210.005.05 as an EU and consider their total needs and income in determining the grant amount.

NOTE:  Adoption severs all biological relationships for purposes of mandatory eligibility unit members.  If the child returns to the biological parent that terminated his/her rights and the biological parent wants to apply for benefits, the biological parent's relationship must be determined based on current relationship (the biological parent may now be an aunt/uncle). If the adoption was to a non-relative, the biological parent is not considered a non-parent caretaker relative.  If the adoptive parent is in the home, the biological parent is not eligible for and can’t receive TA benefits for that child.

0210.005.05 Individuals Included in the Temporary Assistance Eligibility Unit

Include the needs and income of the following persons living in the household, unless they are a mandatory exclusion or an optional member whom the caretaker chooses not to include.

EXCEPTION : If one or more of these individuals receives SSI, SSI-SP, SP or SAB, exclude them from the eligibility unit (EU).

1. Biological or adoptive parents of one or more of the eligible children.
   1. A parent is a father or mother of a child;
      1. A biological (or “natural” or “birth”) father is a man who impregnated the child’s mother.
      2. An alleged father is a man identified by the child’s mother or custodian as the child’s biological father, prior to the creation of a presumption of paternity or the legal establishment of paternity.
      3. A self-alleged father is a man who voluntarily signs a Father’s Affidavit Acknowledging Paternity (VS 465F).
      4. A presumed father is a man who, by operation of law, is identified as the likely father but who has not been legally established as the father.

         EXAMPLE:  Mr. Johnson is married to Mrs. Johnson.  They have a child.  Mr. Johnson is recorded as the father on the child’s birth certificate because he and Mrs. Johnson were married when the child was born.  Mr. Johnson is the presumed father.

      5. A man is a legal father if an administrative or judicial order determines him to be child’s father.  A man is a legal father of a child born in Missouri when a VS 465 is signed by both the biological mother and father and filed with the Bureau of Vital Records (BVR) on or after July 1, 1997.  After April 15, 2010, the Mother’s Affidavit Acknowledging Paternity (VS 465M) and the Father’s Affidavit Acknowledging Paternity (VS 465F) must both be signed. A man is the legal father of a child born outside of Missouri when he and the child's biological mother sign an affidavit and it is filed with that state's birth records agency, and that state's law provides that a paternity acknowledgement by affidavit establishes a legal finding of paternity.

         An alleged father or self-alleged father is included in the EU only when he and the child's mother have both signed the VS 465 or the VS 465M and VS 465F and it has been filed with the BVR, or when a judicial order has determined him to be the child's father.  This applies when the child's mother is in the home, or when the alleged/self-alleged father is the only parent in the home.  Once the VS 465 or the VS 465M and VS 465F are signed and filed with BVR (after July 1, 1997), the alleged father becomes the legal father.

         NOTE:  If a self-alleged father applies for TA for a child(ren) and the mother is not in the home, the self-alleged father must complete the VS 465F for each child he wishes to receive TA.  The eligibility specialist must make every effort to get the mother to complete the VS 465M for each child and file the VS 465, VS 465F and VS 465M with BVR.  If the eligibility specialist is unable to locate the mother, and the self-alleged father has completed the VS 465F, he may receive TA for that child (ren).

         If mother and the alleged father are living together but are not married and the alleged father's name is not on the birth certificate, the mother must complete the VS 465M and the alleged father must complete the VS 465F and file it, along with the Written Notice of Alternatives, Rights and Responsibilities (VS 465), with BVR in order to receive Temporary Assistance.  Once the VS 465M and VS 465F are signed and filed with BVR, the alleged father becomes the legal father. If either of them fails to cooperate, the whole eligibility unit is ineligible for benefits.  If there are other children in the home not related to the alleged father, the eligibility unit can be separated to exclude the alleged father and his alleged child(ren).  Refer to Income Maintenance Manual sections 0105.025.15.05 and 0205.050.25.05 for more information regarding the VS 465 series.

         EXAMPLE:  Ms. Rogers has two children, John and Edith.  Mr. Eagle is not the father of John, but he is the alleged father of Edith. Ms. Rogers and Mr. Eagle are living together; they are not married and have not completed the VS-465 series. There is no father listed on Edith’s birth certificate.  Complete an application with Ms. Rogers and John only.  Mr. Eagle and Edith will be excluded (EX) on the Application Detail Screen (FM13).

2. A needy non-parent caretaker relative (NPCR), optional.
3. A needy legal GUARDIAN caretaker, optional.
4. Eligible children (including legally adopted children) up to the age of 18, including the month they turn 18, or under age 19 who are full-time students in high school or the equivalent level of vocational or technical training and are expected to complete the schooling.  Relationship or legal guardianship must be established to the payee/caretaker.
5. Biological and adoptive brothers and sisters of the dependent child who are themselves dependent children.  This includes half-brothers and half-sisters but it does not include step-brothers and step-sisters.  A DEPENDENT CHILD is:
   1. deprived of parental support due to the death, absence, incapacity, or financial need of one of the parents;

      NOTE:  Paternity of the dependent child must be established when the father is in the home.

   2. under age 18 and has never been married, or age 18 and a full-time student in high school or the equivalent level of vocational or technical training and expected to complete the schooling and has never been married; and

      NOTE:  If the dependent child marries, they are no longer a dependent child, even if they get divorced.  However, if the marriage is annulled, they could be considered a dependent child again, provided all other dependent child criteria are met.

   3. living with a relative or legal GUARDIAN.

NOTE: When the only child in the EU receives SSI, explore Temporary Assistance (TA) eligibility for the payee and/or second parent.

If two unmarried parents, each with a child from a previous relationship AND A DEPENDENT IN-COMMON CHILD and paternity has been established for the in-common child, apply for TA, consider the entire family as the EU.  If the entire EU is not eligible for benefits based on financial need, then and only then, can the children be in separate EUs.

EXAMPLES:

1. Mr. Able has one child and his spouse, Mrs. Able, has two children.  They do not have a child in-common.  Complete an application for each parent with his/her own children.  This is considered a “double step-parent” case.  Stepparent budgeting applies to each case. Refer to Stepparent Cases, 0210.005.45.
2. Mrs. Jones has two children and her spouse Mr. Jones (the stepparent), has two children of his own living in the household. The Jones’ have a child in common. Mr. Jones is listed as the father on the birth certificate for the in-common child.  Complete an application for the eligibility unit with everyone included.  If the eligibility unit is eligible for cash benefits there is only one eligibility unit. However, if the budget reflects ineligibility, the eligibility unit may be split by entering separate applications for Mrs. Jones and her two children and/or Mr. Jones and his two children. The in-common child and step-children will be excluded (EX) on the Application Detail Screen (FM13) and the stepparent included (IC) due to "not deprived of parental support based on financial need". Stepparent budgeting applies.  NOTE:  If either parent has received TA for 60 months, the entire EU is ineligible for TA, and you may NOT split the eligibility unit.
3. Ms. Spring has two children from a previous relationship.  She lives with Mr. Autumn, to whom she is not married.  They have a dependent in-common child.  Ms. Spring has signed the VS 465M and Mr. Autumn has signed the VS 465F both documents are filed with BVR.  Complete an application for the eligibility unit with everyone included. If the eligibility unit does not meet financial need due to income, a request would be entered for the mother and her two children as a separate eligibility unit. The in common child and second parent will be excluded (EX) on the Application Detail Screen (FM13).
4. Ms. Devin and Mr. Roberts are not married, but they have an in-common child.  Mr. Roberts is listed as the father on the birth certificate.  Neither have any other children.  Complete an application for the eligibility unit with everyone included.
5. Ms. Rogers and Mr. Evans live together but are not married. Ms. Rogers has a child, Roy, and says Mr. Evans is the father.  Mr. Evans agrees that he is the father of Roy.  There is no father listed on the birth certificate.  Ms. Rogers and Mr. Evans refuse to sign the VS 465 series.  An application may be completed with all of them included, but they are not eligible for TA until the VS 465 series is completed and filed with BVR.  Ms. Rogers may not receive TA for Roy as a separate EU.
   • To enter the relationship for Mr. Evans and Roy on the SUPERCASE MEMBER RELATIONSHIPS (RELINFO/FM0F) screen:
     •  Enter FM (family) in the TYPE field.
     • Enter DAD (father) for Mr. Evans and SON (son) for Roy in the RELATION field.
     • Enter CS (client statement) in the VER (verification) field.

   A REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (FA325) is generated asking for verification of relationship.  If Ms. Rogers and Mr. Evans do not sign the VS 465 series, the TA application will reject.

   If Ms. Rogers and Mr. Evans sign the VS 465 series, and the documents are filed with BVR, update the VER field on the RELINFO screen to HC (hard copy).  If all other eligibility factors are met, the TA application will be approved.

When a household contains both a parent and a NPCR or a parent and a legal GUARDIAN, the parent is always the caretaker payee for his/her child unless that parent is also a cash eligible child.  This provision does not preclude using an alternate payee. Refer to Protective Payments, Section 0205.045.00.

NOTE:  When a parent is also a cash eligible child, refer to Minor Parent Living With Parent(s), Section 0210.005.30 for further information.