420-4        BENEFITS FOR WHICH AN APAAdult Public Assistance APPLICANT OR RECIPIENT IS NOT REQUIRED TO APPLY

420-4 A.   TEMPORARY ASSISTANCE BENEFITS

APAAdult Public Assistance applicants or recipients cannot, under APAAdult Public Assistance rules, be required to pursue Temporary Assistance benefits.  Instead, clients who have potential eligibility for either Temporary Assistance or APAAdult Public Assistance benefits must have their options explained to them so that they can make an informed choice between the two programs.  Notwithstanding any other provision of the APAAdult Public Assistance program, an applicant or recipient need not apply for SSISupplemental Security Income if doing so would result in termination of eligibility for Temporary Assistance benefits within the family unit.  

Note:  

Except for Temporary Assistance to APAAdult Public Assistance conversions situations, no individual may receive APAAdult Public Assistance benefits for any month during which he or she was included as an assistance unit member in a Temporary Assistance case.  (See APAAdult Public Assistance MS 452-10 for more information about Temporary Assistance to APAAdult Public Assistance conversions.)

420-4 B.   BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS GENERAL ASSISTANCE (BIA-GABureau of Indian Affairs General Assistance)

BIA-GABureau of Indian Affairs General Assistance is a needs-based assistance program available to American Indians and Alaska Natives to meet essential needs for food, shelter, and clothing.    BIA-GABureau of Indian Affairs General Assistance payments are considered as countable income by both the SSISupplemental Security Income and the APAAdult Public Assistance program.  Application for BIA-GABureau of Indian Affairs General Assistance is not required for either APAAdult Public Assistance or SSISupplemental Security Income .

420-4 C.   OTHER NEEDS-BASED ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS

The only needs-based payments for which APAAdult Public Assistance clients must apply are SSISupplemental Security Income and VADepartment of Veterans Affairs needs-based benefits.  There is no requirement to apply for any other federal, state, local, or private program which makes payments based on need.  Payments received from benefit programs in this category may or may not be excluded from income depending on the source of the payment.

420-4 D.     VADepartment of Veterans Affairs IMPROVED PENSIONS

Certain individuals who were entitled to VADepartment of Veterans Affairs pensions as of December 31, 1978 can elect to receive an Improved Pension payment which is greater than a normal VADepartment of Veterans Affairs pension payment.    VADepartment of Veterans Affairs Improved Pension benefits are not a prior resource to the APAAdult Public Assistance program.  APA clients who are eligible for either a normal or improved VADepartment of Veterans Affairs Pension are free to choose between the two payment levels.

420-4 E.   AUGMENTED PORTIONS OF VADepartment of Veterans Affairs, RAILROAD RETIREMENT, AND BLACK LUNG PAYMENTS

VADepartment of Veterans Affairs , Railroad Retirement, and Black Lung benefits may be augmented (increased) because the beneficiary has dependents.  When a benefit is augmented for dependents, the dependent has no vested right to the augmented portion.   APA clients who are eligible for augmentation payments because they are dependents are not required to apply for augmentation.

420-4 F.   BENEFITS OF INELIGIBLE SPOUSE OR ALIEN'S SPONSOR

An ineligible spouse or an alien's sponsor is not required to apply for any other program benefits.  If the ineligible spouse or sponsor elects to receive benefits from another program, the amount of the benefit is subject to normal APAAdult Public Assistance income availability policies.

420-4 G.   BENEFITS WHICH DO NOT AFFECT AMOUNT OF ASSISTANCE

APAAdult Public Assistance clients are not required to apply for any other benefits which will not affect the amount of their APAAdult Public Assistance .

Note:

Applicants and recipients for APAAdult Public Assistance are not required to pursue child support income.  Child support income is a benefit for the child not the APAAdult Public Assistance recipient.  If the applicant or recipient keeps child support for a child no longer in the home and uses the money it is counted as income to the APAAdult Public Assistance client.  Refer to APAAdult Public Assistance MS 441-2L for more information on how to budget child support income for APAAdult Public Assistance.

In some cases, an APAAdult Public Assistance client may be eligible for a benefit that will not affect the amount of their APAAdult Public Assistance, but will affect the amount of their SSISupplemental Security Income.  Like the APAAdult Public Assistance requirement to apply for and pursue other benefits, Social Security also requires SSISupplemental Security Income applicants and recipients to apply for and pursue any other benefit which will reduce the amount of their SSISupplemental Security Income.  Whenever SSISupplemental Security Income assistance is denied or terminated for failure to apply for and pursue other benefits, the client loses APAAdult Public Assistance eligibility as well.