A GA budget group is an individual or group of individuals:
An individual who receives assistance in a TANF budget group is not eligible for GA at the same time.
NOTE: In CIS, a budget group is identified by the category and the grant group (GG) data field. In the majority of the cases, the budget group is entered on the system as one grant group with one benefit issued as two semimonthly payments for that budget group.
When a budget group contains members whose eligibility is based on special program requirements (identified by specific program status codes), separate grant groups are authorized within one budget group. The FSA is divided equally or unequally depending on the circumstances of the recipient in each grant group.
NOTE: Individuals paying room, board, or both, will be separate budget groups and will receive a full FSA.
If a case record contains:
Children receiving Federal IV-E or State, or local foster care assistance or adoption assistance shall not be included as a member of a GA budget group unless the child is receiving Federal, State or local adoption assistance and the child’s inclusion in the budget group would increase the benefits of the budget group. If the inclusion of the adopted child would increase the benefits, then the child must be included in the budget group.
NOTE: If the adopted child is included in the budget group, his income from the Federal, State or local subsidies is counted in the eligibility determination and benefit computation. See Chapter 150, Income.
Coding of GA eligibility status will be:
• EC if under 18.
• EA if 18 or older.
A legally responsible relative of a GA recipient who resides elsewhere for the purpose of training or employment is not included in the budget group.
See Appendix D for examples of GA budget groups.
A GA minor parent is a GA-eligible person age 16 or 17 who has never been married, and is the natural parent of a dependent child who does not qualify for TANF or is pregnant.
55 Pa. Code §§141.21 (p) & (q)
A GA minor parent is required to reside in the home of the minor parent's parent, legal guardian, other adult relative or in an adult-supervised supportive living arrangement unless otherwise exempt. The adult boyfriend of the minor parent is not considered an adult relative nor is his home considered an adult supervised supportive living arrangement. The GA minor parent is coded EC.
While residing in that home, cash benefits on behalf of the GA minor parent and dependent child will be paid to the minor parent's parent, legal guardian, other adult relative or a representative in the adult-supervised supportive living arrangement to assure that the minor parent and dependent child receive the benefit of the payment. The adult caretaker should be encouraged to discuss planning for the minor parent’s care with the parents so that the best possible plan can be developed.
If the GA minor parent does not meet one of several exemptions listed in Section 110.6, TANF Minor Parents, and the parent or legal guardian lives in another location, the GA minor parent and the dependent child may be given a special allowance for the purpose of reuniting with the parent or legal guardian when it is confirmed that the minor parent has permission to reside in the parent's or legal guardian's home. See Chapter 138, Allowances and Benefits.
The CAO will determine if the GA minor parent who claims exemption from the requirement to reside with an adult meets one of the exemptions listed in Section 110.6, TANF Minor Parents, which are the same for GA minor parents.
If the GA minor parent is exempt from the requirement to reside in an adult home and meets all other conditions of eligibility for GA, including TANF ineligibility under Section 110.211, Pregnant Women, she is coded EC.
Student status is a factor in determining eligibility for TANF or General Assistance (GA).
To be determined eligible under the GA Program, the 18 through 20 year old child who does not meet the nonfinancial requirements for TANF must be:
NOTE: If he does not meet the above criteria, the 18 through 20-year-old applicant/recipient may still be eligible for GA if he meets one of the other categorical criteria. See Section 106.3. If the child does not meet any of the GA criteria, the child may be eligible for medically needy only.
"School" means a program of supervised education or vocational training approved by the authorities of the school district or by the Pennsylvania Department of Education.
Training means:
Example: A cooperative education program where a student attends school part of the day and works in a training program part of the day.
An GA eligible student age 18 through 20 years of age may continue to receive GA during official vacations if he is expected to return to school full-time when the vacation is over.
Eligibility continues for the entire month in which the child completes, discontinues or becomes age 21 for the GA student. The student's completion or discontinuance date is the date the school records show the child ended full-time status.
NOTE: Temporary absences for reasons accepted under the compulsory attendance laws, or under the regulations of the secondary school or vocational training program will not be interruptions of full-time attendance.
After verifying attendance during the fiscal month child turns 18, the CAO will again verify attendance in March, June, September, and December until the child reaches age 21 for the GA child. If there is any question about the child's student status, the CAO will verify attendance more often.
A full-time student at a college or university is not eligible for GA unless he received TANF in the past five years. This ineligibility extends to semester breaks and school vacations.
55 Pa. Code §141.61(a)(1)(xiii)
REMINDER: Determine if the college student has received TANF within the past five years. If yes, the college student must also meet GA income and resource requirements and one of the categorical eligibility requirements in Section 106.3, GA Specific Categorical Requirements.
The CAO will first determine who is considered a college student. It will then determine if the student qualifies for assistance, and if the eligible student has any educational assistance which must be counted when determining eligibility.
The CAO will access the system or existing case records to determine if a GA student has received TANF within the last five years.
NOTE: The student may have received TANF as either a TANF child, a specified relative, eligible adult or an essential person. There is no specified length of time that the student must have received TANF.
NOTE: Receipt of Medicaid in a TANF category does not qualify the student for GA. He must have received TANF cash benefits.
A full-time student is an individual who has a school schedule equal to a full-time curriculum for the program being pursued. The college, university, or institution defines what is full-time.
NOTE: A student is considered a full-time student during school vacations.
A college or university is an institution of higher learning that has been approved by the Secretary of Education and which offers a post-secondary program of education leading to a degree, such as Associate or Bachelor. In addition to institutions offering four-year programs, junior colleges and community colleges which offer two-year programs are considered colleges.
Exception: Institutions which grant specialized associate degrees in business or technology (ASB or AST) are trade schools and are NOT colleges or universities. This is not to be confused with the Associate Degree which is offered by colleges or universities. A student at a trade school is eligible to receive GA if he meets all other requirements.
If the CAO cannot determine whether an institution is a college or university, the CAO will contact the Area Manager. If the institution is located out of state, the individual is responsible for providing information to enable the CAO to make a determination.
In some cases, an individual may be enrolled in a training program at a college or university which provides vocational or technical skills leading directly to employment and which is not a general education program. Such a training program is not considered to be college. A student enrolled in this type of training program and meeting all other requirements is eligible for GA if the training program:
The CAO will document that the training program meets all of these conditions and is part of the individual's employment plan.
Educational assistance received by GA eligible students from loans, grants, scholarships, and work-study income is excluded as income and a resource
NOTE: There Is no exclusion for cash assistance for income from an assistantship. Assistantship income is countable unless the college or university confirms that the assistantship position is work-study.
Verification of educational assistance may consist of an award letter or a statement from the person or organization providing the loan, grant, or scholarship or the school’s financial aid office.
A common residence may contain more than one budget group as follows:
See Section 110.9 Multiple Budget Groups in a Common Residence.
Exception: An individual paying room, board, or both, is a separate budget group from the individual or family group to which the rental payment is made and will receive a full FSA.
NOTE: A dependent child may not be a roomer, boarder, or both, of his own parents or caretaker relatives. A spouse may not be a roomer, boarder or both to his spouse. An individual, other than a spouse or a dependent child, who pays room, board or both, is a separate budget group.
NOTE: In CIS, a budget group is identified by the category and the grant group (GG) data field. In the majority of the cases, the budget group is entered on the system as one grant group with one benefit issued as two semimonthly payments for that budget group.
If the common residence contains a combination of TANF and GA budget groups, the monthly payment is based on the FSA for the total number of recipients. The largest possible share (subject to the FSA) must be distributed to the TANF budget group and the smallest to the GA budget group.
When a budget group contains members whose eligibility is based on special program requirements as identified by specific program status codes, separate grant groups are authorized within one budget group. The FSA is divided equally or unequally depending on the circumstances of the recipient in each grant group. See Section 110.91.
When a budget group contains members whose eligibility is based on special program requirements, the budget group must be split into two or more grant groups. The budget group will receive two or more benefits issued in four or more semimonthly payments reflecting a reduced or full FSA. The grant group containing the special program members will receive the maximum FSA for that special grant group and the other related budget group members will receive the difference between the special grant group FSA and the total FSA allowed for the budget group. See Section 110.91 for complete information on Special Program Budget Groups
Exception: In a budget group containing an SSI applicant, the grant group containing the non-SSI budget members will receive the maximum FSA for that grant group and the special program grant group will receive the difference between the other grant group’s FSA and the total FSA allowed for the budget group.
These special program budgets are identified by program status codes.
Benefits provided to persons covered by these special programs are either reimbursed 100 percent by the Federal government or need to be identified for separate reporting and therefore require special handling. A budget group containing a refugee will receive the maximum FSA for that special grant group as Federal reimbursement for assistance granted is 100 percent.
Special programs cover the following individuals:
NOTE: When an individual can be identified by more than one program status code, the worker assigns the appropriate code. This determination is based on the code for the primary characteristic.
Example: Program Status code 02 then 05 then 50 then 15.
An individual who does not meet the requirements to be a TANF child, specified relative, or mandatory budget group member may be included in the TANF budget group as an essential person. The individual who is the payment name must request that the essential person be included in the budget group and agree to receive assistance for him. However, the essential person has the right to refuse to be included in the TANF budget group as TANF is limited to 60 months in an individual’s lifetime. The essential person is coded EE.
To be eligible as an essential person, the individual must be related to the TANF child.
Additionally, the essential person must be eligible for GA.
55 Pa. Code §171.21(a)(1)(ii)(C) & (D)
Example: Ms. Elway is 33 years of age, disabled and lives with her sister Ms. Porter and Ms. Porter's three-year-old son Wayne. Mrs. Elway meets all the conditions for GA. Mrs. Porter requests that her sister be included in her budget group.
NOTE: System enhancements are planned to allow for this scenario, in the interim a TANF and GA budget will need to be opened and sharing FSA, with the TANF budget group receiving full FSA and the GA budget group receiving the remaining amount.
Reissued April 11, 2019, replacing November 2, 2018