A child is considered deprived because of unemployment if the child lives with both parents and one or both parents meet the conditions to be considered unemployed. When approving benefits for the parents, the CAO must use category PU or TU.
55 Pa. Code § 153.44(d) 55 Pa. Code § 178.11(5)(i) 55 Pa. Code § 178.12(5)(i)
NOTE: Deprivation due to unemployment will not be considered in joint custody situations. In a joint or shared custody situation, only one parent is considered to be living with the child. Therefore, the CAO must consider deprivation due to absence of a parent, not unemployment.
A parent is considered unemployed if the parent:
Has no work.
Has work for which the net income, after allowable deductions (see Chapter 360, NMP Deductions), is less than the NMP income limit for the applicant/recipient group.
Has work in which the net income, after allowable deductions (see Chapter 361, MNO Deductions) is less than the MNO income limit for the applicant/recipient group, or
Has on-the-job training in a project that is approved or suggested by the Job Services or RESET program
Examples:
Mike and Sally, both age 22, are married and the parents of Jimmy, age 1. No one in the family is disabled. They are living with Mike's mother, who is not applying. Sally has never worked, and Mike quit his job from Ajax Delivery. Mike cannot get unemployment compensation, and Mike and Sally have no income. They apply only for MA, because they think Mike can get another job soon. Mike, Sally and Jimmy are eligible in a PU-27 category, as they meet the TANF-related nonfinancial conditions and the applicant/recipient group's net income is under the NMP income limit.
Jerry, age 50, and June, age 55, are not married. They apply for MA for themselves and their daughter Heather, age 10. Neither parent is disabled. June is a stay-at-home mother, and Jerry works as a security guard for Toys 'R' Us. Because the household meets the TANF-related conditions, Jerry, June and Heather are reviewed for PU27. The applicant/recipient group's income after deductions is more than the NMP net income limit. The applicant/recipient group is then reviewed for PS-16 and PU-00. Its net income is within the limits for PS16 but not for PU00. Jerry and June are reviewed for TU00. The family's net income for six months of the year is under the three-person MNO income limit. Jerry and June are eligible in category TU, and Heather is eligible in category PS16.
John, age 22, and Mary, age 21, are not married. They are applying for MA for themselves and their children. Mary has a son, Joseph, age 3, who gets $300 a month in child support. John and Mary have a daughter, Jasmine, age 3 months. John is working at ABC Distributors and earning $250 per week. The applicant/recipient group is not eligible for NMP for the Family (PU27), because its net income is over the NMPF limit. Jasmine is not considered deprived. The CAO looks at category PC27 for Mary and Joseph, as Joseph is a TANF deprived child (because he has an absent parent). The CAO looks at category PS16 for Jasmine and other categories for John. Mary and Joseph are eligible for PC-27, and Jasmine is eligible for PS16. John was considered for categories PU00 and TU00 and was found ineligible.
Updated February 14, 2012, Replacing April 4, 2008