758-6 INCOME OF SSI / APA RECIPIENTS
The policies in this section apply to adult applicants and recipients. See ATAP MS 770-1 for policy on SSI child cases.
758-6 A. SEPARATE ECONOMIC UNITS
All income of an adult who is receiving SSI , SSI and APA , or APA only, and who is living in a TA household and is a member of the TA economic unit will be disregarded in determining eligibility and payment amounts of applicants and recipients. Interim Assistance (IA) payments are not considered an APA benefit for ATAP purposes.
SSI / APA and TA persons living together will be treated as completely separate economic units, regardless of the legal or family relationships between them. Except for SSI children, no person may receive SSI / APA and ATAP benefits in the same calendar month.
758-6 B. ATAP APPLICANTS WITH SSI / APA RECIPIENTS
The caseworker will not count income determined by SSI / APA as belonging only to the SSI / APA eligible adult in the ATAP eligibility determination. Verification of sources and amounts of SSI counted income must be obtained from SSI / APA case files, EIS interfaces, computer printouts, or the servicing SSI office.
SSI / APA considers portions of the income of the SSI / APA ineligible spouse or ineligible parent of a child under 18 to be available to the SSI / APA applicant. SSI / APA cannot deem income that has been considered in determining TA. In making the ATAP eligibility and benefit determination, all income deemed by SSI / APA to be available to the SSI / APA recipient will be considered TA income unless it is otherwise not countable.
The caseworker should not concern himself with the net amounts SSI deemed, but merely identify the recipient's own income and consider the gross amounts of all other deemed income as available to the TA unit. After the TA determination is made, the caseworker must notify the SSI office and/or the APA caseworker that the income they originally deemed available to the recipient has now been considered available in ATAP. Notification may be accomplished by providing them with a copy of the TA budget. SSI must then eliminate the deemed income DPA counted and increase their payment. This action will affect the related APA case, if any.
758-6 C. ATAP APPLICANTS WITH POTENTIAL SSI / APA ELIGIBILITY
Any ATAP applicant who resides with an adult or child who has potential eligibility for the SSI / APA program should be referred to SSI to make application(s) if it would be to the household's financial advantage.
The caseworker must determine ATAP / APA eligibility under normal procedures, including the potential SSI / APA household member in the economic unit if he is a dependent child or a legally responsible relative or spouse. Once eligibility has been determined to exist or not exist, the caseworker must inform the appropriate SSI office of:
The results of the TA determination;
Which household members are included in the TA case; and
Whose income and resources were considered in the determination, identified by amount and source.
The APA caseworker must be similarly informed. Notification may be done by telephone or by mailing the SSI office a photocopy of the ATAP notice of decision and budget.
758-6 D. CLIENT RESPONSIBILITY TO REPORT RECEIPT OF SSI
The ATAP recipient or applicant is required to notify DPA within 10 days after a member of the economic unit or assistance unit begins receiving SSI benefits. Application for SSI benefits is not a condition of ATAP eligibility. If any of the persons in a TA household appear to have SSI / APA eligibility, they must be informed of their potential eligibility. The advantages and disadvantages of SSI eligibility must be explained.
758-6 E. ATAP APPLICANTS AND IA
An ATAP applicant may apply for APA and be found eligible to receive IA. However, ATAP considers IA payments as countable income, and will reduce or terminate ATAP benefits because of countable IA payments. The APA applicant shall be informed of this provision and given the choice of whether or not they would like to receive IA while their eligibility for ATAP is being determined.
An ATAP recipient is not eligible for IA. Once an ATAP applicant is found eligible to receive Temporary Assistance benefits, eligibility for IA ends. An ATAP recipient may apply for APA and SSI benefits, but may not receive IA while awaiting the eligibility determination on the APA and SSI applications.
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