Household Size And Composition

Who is included in the Food Benefits case, and which members can have a separate case?

What is a “Household” anyway ???

Individuals or groups who live together and customarily purchase and prepare meals together.

For Food Benefit purposes, the definition of a “household” is:

We determine Household Composition in terms of Food

Benefits

Relatives as a Separate Household (Vol. II, MS 2010)

If following relatives live together, they must be certified as one household, regardless of whether they customarily purchase and prepare their food separately from the other members...

The spouse of anyhousehold member

Parents living with their natural, adopted or stepchildren who are 21 years old or younger

Children, other than foster children, under 18, who are under the parental control of an adult household member.

The following relatives may have separate household status if they meet all other eligibility criteria and purchase and prepare meals separately from other members...

Adult children, age 22 or older, living with their

parents

Siblings, regardless of age, who are not living with their parents.

Elderly and disabled individuals requesting separate household... Volume II, MS 2020

Individuals who claim they are unable to purchase and prepare meals separately due to a disability, may be certified as a separate household, if ALL of the following apply:

The individual is age 60 or over,

AND...

The individual’s disability is considered permanent under the Social Security Act or he/she suffers from a non-disease-related, severe, permanent disability,

AND...

The countable gross income of all others living with the individual, excluding the income of the elderly and disabled individual's spouse, is less than or equal to 165% of the net monthly income eligibility standard.

The Emancipated Child andHousehold Composition

Volume II, MS 2030 The

What?

If a child under age 18 is not under the control of a household member, the child can be certified as a separate household if eligible, and if one of the following applies:

The child has income sufficient to meet his/her needs

ORThe child has moved into the home due to his/her divorce or separation

One of the Following Must Apply:

If questionable, require the household member to verify separate household status.

Take Special Note

1. HH members must purchase and prepare food separately (or intend to do so) in order to be certified as a separate household.

2. Income or lack of income is not a factor in allowing separate HH status.

3. For Food Benefits purposes, “parent” means natural, adopted, or step-parent.

4. All persons living in the same home are to be entered on the “HH members” screen, with appropriate status codes (M or T).

More Notes

5. Separate HH status is verified only if questionable. (MS 2010B)

More Notes

Verification of Household Size and Composition

Verification is usually but not limited to the completion of a PAFS-76 by the landlord or other person who is aware of the household circumstances.

What other ways can we verify HH Size?

3 Questions to ask the client to determine HH Composition:1. Who lives at your address?2. Which of these people, if any,

purchase and prepare their food separate from you?

3. How are these people related to you?

Part C: Determining Household Size

Return to Blackboard, and review the “Related Families” case situation

Answer the questions on your Notes Pages

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