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Department
of Human Services Families
First Online Policy Manual Family Cap |
Revised: |
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36.2 |
WHEN TO APPLY THE FAMILY CAP |
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An AU child is subject to a Family Cap when
the AU has applied and has received continuous Families First cash
payments for more than ten (10) calendar months when the birth occurs. The
10-month count begins the month after the application month. Example: The caretaker applies on 9/10/97 and
receives Families First benefits for herself and one child continuously since
that date. On 9/21/98, she reports
that she has given birth to another child on 9/3/98.
Action on case: This child will be added to the AU but
since 10 months have passed since the application month, the grant will not be increased to an
amount greater than the maximum grant for a two-person AU. Example: The caretaker applies 10/10/97 and
receives Families First benefits for herself and one child continuously since
that date. She reports that she has
given birth to another child on 7/7/98.
Action on case: This child will be added to the
assistance unit and the grant will be
increased to include the caretaker and two children since the birth
occurred within 10 months of the application month. When a minor mother who has her own Families First case turns 18 or
leaves the major mother’s household, the original family cap date follows her
to her new case if there has been no lapse in benefits. Example: An
active Families First AU has an application date of 9/17/97. The AU consists of a major mother, major
mother’s child, a minor mother and the minor mother’s child. The minor mother moves out of the household
on 12/13/97 and is removed from the AU effective 12/31/97. The minor mother reapplies in her own case
on 12/30/97 and is approved 1/15/98.
There is no lapse in benefits.
Example: An
active Families First AU applies 9/17/97.
The AU consists of a major mother, a minor mother and the minor
mother’s child. The minor mother turns
18 and applies for Families First in her own name. Her Family Cap date will remain the same
even though there is a new Families First AU.
For an AU that has reapplied for Families First cash payments, the ten-month count will begin with the
month after the reapplication month unless there has been no gap in
eligibility for the AU. Example: The caretaker applies on 9/17/97 and receives
Families First benefits for herself and one child. The AU is subsequently closed on 11/1/97
effective 11/30/97. The caretaker
reapplies and is approved on 11/24/97. The caretaker later reports that she
has had another child born on 8/17/98.
Since there was no period of ineligibility in this case, the continuous
receipt of benefits still applies.
Action on case: This child will be added to the AU but the grant will not be increased
to include the second child since the birth occurred more than ten months
after the initial application month. Example: The caretaker applies on 9/17/97 and is
approved for Families First benefits.
The AU is subsequently closed effective 11/30/97 because of excess
income. The caretaker reapplies on
1/4/98. The caretaker reports that her
child was born 12/17/98. There was a
gap in the receipt of benefits.
Therefore, the month following the reapplication month is the first
month of the 10-month count.
Action on case: This child will be added to the AU, and the grant will not be increased since
the birth occurred more than 10 months after the reapplication month. Example: The caretaker applies on 12/17/97 and is
approved for Families First benefits.
The AU is subsequently closed effective 2/28/98 because of excess
resources. The caretaker reapplies on
4/4/98. The caretaker reports that her
child was born on 12/17/98.
Action on case: The child will be added to the AU, and the grant will be increased since the
birth occurred within 10 months of the application month. Family Cap will be applied to a child born after or during a
period of ineligibility but within ten (10) months of the reapplication month when: ·
A woman
becomes pregnant while receiving Families First; AND ·
The AU was
closed prior to the child’s birth; AND ·
The child
was born more than 10 months after the previous application month; AND ·
The reason
for closure was non-cooperation with Departmental policies and rules which
include: -
Failure to
cooperate with Child Support without good cause. -
Failure to
fulfill Personal Responsibility Plan provisions and requirements. Example: The AU applies for Families
First on 7/1/99. The AU is approved
and the woman becomes pregnant in 9/99.
The Families First AU is closed effective 5/1/00 due to failure to comply
with a work activity without good cause.
The child is born on 6/3/00.
The client reapplies on 7/3/00 and is approved. The Family Cap is applied to the newborn
because: ·
The woman became pregnant while receiving
Families First. ·
The case was closed prior to the birth. ·
The child was born more than 10 months
after the previous application month. ·
The AU was closed because of failure to
comply with a work activity without good cause. |
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