Non-Separate Household Status 430-05-25-15

(Revised 05/01/13 ML3365)

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The following must be considered a single SNAP household and must not be granted separate household status even if they do not purchase and prepare meals together:

  1. A group of individuals who live together and customarily purchase food and prepare meals together for home consumption. Members of this group can be granted separate household status during a review period, if they report a change in how food is purchased and prepared and they meet separate household status.

Exception:

Residents of group homes, treatment centers, abuse shelters or homeless shelters.

  1. Spouses who live together, even if they do not purchase food and prepare meals together.
  2. Parent(s) (regardless of age or marital status) and their natural, adopted, or stepchildren under 22 years of age, even if they do not purchase food and prepare meals together.

An individual is considered to be age 22 the entire month in which they turn age 22.

 

Exception:

When parents have joint custody, the child(ren) are included in the SNAP case of the parent the child(ren) eat a majority of their meals with (over 50% of three meals daily). When parents have 50-50 custody, and the child(ren) truly spend 50 percent of their time with each parent, the child(ren) are included in the SNAP case of the parent that applies first.

The determination of where the child(ren) eat a majority of their meals is based on documented discussion with the parent. If questionable, further verification is required.

  1. Individuals under 18 years of age who live with and are under the parental control of a person other than their parent, even if they do not purchase food and prepare meals together.

 

Exception:

Foster care child(ren)/adults including PATH, subsidized guardianship, Casey Foundation and non-TANF Kinship Care individuals may participate with the household they are residing with at the household's request. These individuals cannot participate separately from the household they are residing with.  

 

A household does not have the option of including TANF Kinship Care children. TANF Kinship Care children must be included in the household.

 

  1. Adult siblings (age 18 or older) who live together or adult children (age 22 or older) who live with their parents if they purchase and prepare meals together.

An individual is considered to be age 22 the entire month in which they turn age 22.

 

Exception:

Individuals who live with the household (regardless of relationship) who do not eat the majority of their meals (over 50% of three meals daily) as a part of that household.

 

Examples:

  1. Over the road truck drivers or salespersons, who have no separate residence and return home on the weekends, but are out of the home during the week and eat the majority of their meals away from home.
  2. A child who is attending school in another community and is only home on weekends.