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TAFDC - Exempt Households- Massachusetts

A Transitional Aid to Families with Dependent Children (TAFDC) exempt assistance unit is one that meets the requirements listed below. Exempt households are not subject to the reduced Need Standards, reduced Payment Standards, or the Time-Limited Benefits and have higher income eligibility standards. Assistance units that do not meet the requirements listed below are referred to as non-exempt.

Eligibility and grant payments for exempt households are handled using special standards. See the Table of Eligibility Standards - Exempt Assistance Units, Table of Need Standards - Exempt Assistance Units, and Table of Payment Standards - Exempt Assistance Units.

Exempt households are eligible for the $30 and One-Third Disregard, not the $30 and One-Half Disregard of earned income.

Requirements for Exemptions from Time-Limited Benefits and Reduced Need and Payment Standards

An assistance unit is exempt from the reduced Need and Payment Standards if the grantee (adult in the assistance unit) meets one of the following exemptions, and a grantee is exempt from the time-limited benefits restrictions if he or she meets one of the following exemptions:

·         a disabled grantee;

·         a grantee who is essential to the care of one of the following disabled persons living in the home:

o    a child,

o    the grantee's spouse, sibling or half-sibling,

o    the child's other parent, or

o    the parent(s) or grandparent(s) of: the grantee, the grantee's spouse, or the child's other parent;

·         a pregnant woman whose child is expected to be born within the next 120 days;

·         a grantee whose youngest child living in the home is under age two and:

o    in the assistance unit or would be in the assistance unit except that the child receives SSI, or

o    not in the assistance unit but is the grantee’s natural or adopted child and was born before the Family Cap date;

A grantee may not claim this exemption for a teen parent's dependent child if that child's parent is living in the home.

·         a grantee whose child living in the home is under the age of three months and not included in the assistance unit;

·         a teen parent under the age of 20 who is meeting specified living arrangement requirements (living with responsible adult, or living on own if DTA approves) and attending school, not beyond high school, full time; or a combination of a full-time GED program and participation in an approved training or employment-related activity for a total of 20 hours per week; or if living in a teen structured living program, meeting the requirements of the program;

·         an ineligible grantee, except that an ineligible grantee(s) who has a legal obligation to support his or her dependent child(ren) in the assistance unit can not be exempt unless he or she meets one of these exemptions, or he or she cannot work for pay due to his or her alien status; or

·         a grantee(s) who is age 60 or older.

In a two-parent household, both grantees must qualify for one of the exemptions specified for the assistance unit to be exempt from the reduced Need and Payment Standards

Additional Information

In two parent households, there are additional extremely detailed requirements of both parents in order for the assistance unit to be exempt. In all cases, there are also rigorous verification requirements. These details may be found in 106 CMR 203.100 (see below).

See also:

TAFDC - Categorical Eligibility Requirements - Massachusetts

TAFDC - Financial Eligibility Overview - Massachusetts

TAFDC - Overview - Massachusetts

Source

Information for this topic was drawn from 106 CMR 203.100 on the DTA website (requires Adobe Acrobat Reader) at:
http://www.mass.gov/Eeohhs2/docs/dta/g_reg_203.pdf

Additional information for this topic was drawn from 106 CMR 701.600(Q) on the DTA website (requires Adobe Acrobat Reader) at:
http://www.mass.gov/Eeohhs2/docs/dta/g_reg_701.pdf

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