420-4        BENEFITS FOR WHICH AN APA APPLICANT OR RECIPIENT IS NOT REQUIRED TO APPLY

420-4 A.   TEMPORARY ASSISTANCE BENEFITS

APA applicants or recipients cannot, under APA rules, be required to pursue Temporary Assistance benefits.  Instead, clients who have potential eligibility for either Temporary Assistance or APA 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 APA program, an applicant or recipient need not apply for SSI Supplemental 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 APA conversions situations, no individual may receive APA benefits for any month during which he or she was included as an assistance unit member in a Temporary Assistance case.  (See APA MS Manual Section 452-10 for more information about Temporary Assistance to APA conversions.)

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

BIA-GA Bureau 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-GA Bureau of Indian Affairs General Assistance payments are considered as countable income by both the SSI Supplemental Security Income and the APA program.  Application for BIA-GA Bureau of Indian Affairs General Assistance is not required for either APA or SSI Supplemental Security Income.

420-4 C.   OTHER NEEDS-BASED ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS

The only needs-based payments for which APA clients must apply are SSI Supplemental Security Income and VA Department 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.   VA Department of Veterans Affairs IMPROVED PENSIONS

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

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

VA Department 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 APA income availability policies.

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

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

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