711-1 THE TEMPORARY ASSISTANCE UNIT
The assistance unit may include any individuals residing in the Temporary Assistance household who are otherwise eligible to receive Temporary Assistance benefits. The Temporary Assistance household has a limited right to refuse coverage for certain individuals who may be eligible but are not required by law to be included in the assistance unit. Persons who are required to be included in the assistance unit are specified in ATAP MS 711-2.
An ATAP applicant or recipient also has the right to refuse all or part of the ATAP benefits they are entitled to receive.
An assistance unit may include:
One caretaker relative and any number of dependent children with an eligible relationship to the caretaker relative;
Two parents and any number of dependent children;
Only a dependent child or children;
One caretaker relative and no child if the caretaker relative is a pregnant woman in her last trimester.
Except in two-parent TA families, an assistance unit can only contain one caretaker relative as an actual recipient of benefits, even if there are other potential eligible caretaker relatives in the child's home. A stepparent may not be included in the assistance unit as a second parent unless he or she is the natural or adoptive parent of at least one child in the filing unit.
Cases where assistance is requested for a child by an optional household member that has chosen not to be included in the ATAP assistance unit or a mandatory household member who is excluded from the ATAP assistance unit are considered Adult Not Included (ANI) cases.
In cases where the caretaker relative is a mandatory household member but their needs are excluded from the ATAP assistance unit (such as ineligible aliens), the income and resources of the excluded household member(s) will affect the ATAP eligibility for the household. These excluded household members are referred to work services for case management but the ATAP benefit cannot be penalized for non-compliance by the excluded household member(s). In cases where a caretaker relative (mandatory or optional household member) is excluded from the assistance unit because they receive SSI/APA benefits, their income and resources are not counted and they are not referred to work services for case management.
In cases where the caretaker relative is an optional household member (such as a grandparent taking care of a grandchild) and they have chosen not to be included in the ATAP assistance unit, the income and resources of the caretaker relative are not counted when determining ATAP eligibility for the child. In this situation, the caretaker relative is not referred to participate in work activities.
Example 1 - Caretaker receives SSI/APA:
Joan is excluded from the ATAP household because she is receiving SSI and APA. As an excluded household member she is coded out. Her children are eligible to receive TA ANI benefits and Joan is the payee. Joan is not referred to work services for case management; her income, resources, and needs are not included in the ATAP grant.
Example 2 - Parents are Ineligible Aliens:
Alex and his wife Theresa are ineligible aliens so their needs are excluded from the ATAP case. Although their needs are not included in the ATAP case, their income and resources are considered when determining eligibility and payment amount, and they are referred to work services for case management.
Example 3 - Optional Caretaker Relative:
Randal is taking care of his grandchildren while their parents are incarcerated. He is an optional household member and has chosen not to be included in the ATAP household. Randal is coded out. His income and resources do not affect eligibility and he is not referred to work services for case management.
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