Other Senior/Minor Parent Concerns

Minor Parent Moves Into or Out of Senior Parent’s Household

When a minor parent recipient (not applicant) moves in with the senior parent, the income which is received by the senior parent in the portion of the month after the date of the move is counted in the senior parent computation. Deductions for the whole month are allowed. A change of address is a Mandatory Mid-Period reporting requirement.

Example

The minor parent moves in with the senior parent on August 20th. The senior parent receives earnings of $750 on August 12th and $700 on August 26th. Only $700 earnings is used in the income computation. The Senior Parent Unit consists of senior parent and 1 other minor child. Computation:

August senior parent earnings	$ 700.00
Less $225 Income Disregard	- 225.00
Net Earned Income	$ 475.00
Less 50% Earned Income Disregard	- 237.50
Total Nonexempt Income	$ 237.00
MAP for 4	$ 862.00
Less Nonexempt Income	- 237.00
First Potential Grant	$ 625.00
Second Potential Grant (AU of 2)	$ 584.00
Grant amount (Lesser of First and Second Potential Grants)	$ 584.00

Important: Current Income Disregard and MAP values must be used in calculations. Income Disregard and MAP values in the example below may not reflect current values.

If benefits increase as a result (compare the new amount to the cash aid previously authorized), the increase in benefits is effective the first of the following month.

Revise the first month of next payment period:

If the date of move occurs in, or before the data month, or
If benefits will decrease as a result of the change.

When the minor parent moves out of the home, only the senior parent's income which is received in the month of the move, but prior to the date of the move is deemed. Again, the appropriate deductions for the whole month are used in the budgeting computation.

Minor Parent Turns 18 Years of Age

When the minor parent lives with the senior parents, is aided in the minor parent AU and turns 18 years old, the use of the senior parent’s income in the budgeting process no longer applies beginning with the month following the minor’s 18th birthday.

Example Example On November 3rd, the minor parent who lives with their senior parent turns 18. This is a county-initiated change. Do not budget any of the income from the Senior Parent Unit effective the first of the following month, (December) since the minor parent budgeting is no longer applicable.

In cases where the minor parent is being aided in the senior parent’s AU (nested cases) THE MINOR MUST BE AIDED IN THEIR OWN CASE ONCE THAT MINOR PARENT NO LONGER MEETS THE AGE REQUIREMENT to be included in the senior parent AU.

Note: If the minor parent is applying for themself and their own child and is no longer included in the senior parent’s AU, then that minor parent MUST BE GIVEN THEIR OWN CASE AND CASE NUMBER.

Income in-Kind

When the senior parent is contributing to the minor parent’s AU, do not count income in-kind for the minor parent or the minor parent’s child.

Confidentiality

When the minor parent completes the CW 25, the minor parent is giving the county (EW) the authority to verify the information provided on the form. The EW may contact the senior parents to inform them that the minor parent has applied for CalWORKs and to verify the information provided regarding the exception being claimed. If the senior parents have moved since the minor parent left their home, the EW must request the senior parent’s permission to release pertinent information to the minor parent.

The EW may share case information with the CPS SW and with the Employment Services case manager from AFLP, without having a release of information signed.

Overpayment Issues

If a minor parent who is aided in their own AU moves out of the senior parent’s home, in order to remain CalWORKs eligible, a new CW 25 must be completed to determine whether or not the minor parent meets the minor parent residency requirement or meets an exception.

If the minor parent remains eligible for CalWORKs, there is no overpayment.
If the minor parent moves out of the home and is no longer eligible for CalWORKs, then the minor parent is responsible for any overpayment which may have occurred.
- Note: It is the minor parent’s responsibility to report timely any change in living arrangements. If the minor parent has moved into a living arrangement which does not meet the minor parent residency requirements or an exception, the first month of the next payment period following the move would be the effective date of the overpayment.
If the minor parent is included in the senior parent’s AU, then the senior parent is responsible for any overpayment which may have occurred.

Minor Parent is Pregnant and Has No Other Child(ren)

The senior parent/minor parent income provisions do not apply until the minor parent’s child is born. Therefore, the normal eligibility and grant determination rules are applied to the pregnant minor if there are no other dependent child(ren) in the home.

Example:

There are 2 persons in the Senior Parent Unit (the senior parent and one sibling of the minor parent). The minor parent applies as is pregnant (a "Non-Exempt" AU). There are no other children. The senior parent Unit has $875 gross earned income. The minor parent has no income.

Click herehere for Applicant Gross Income Test

Click herehere for Recipient Net Income Test

The budget computationcomputation is as follows:

Using the same figures as above, when the child of the minor parent is born, the budgetbudget is as follows:

Minor Parent Receives SSI/SSP or Is Undocumented Noncitizen

When the minor parent is an undocumented noncitizen or receives SSI/SSP, the requirements that the minor parent live with the senior parent apply.

Example Example A minor parent receives SSI/SSP and lives with her mother and father. The minor parent applies for her own child. The residency requirements are met. When determining the grant amount for the AU, use any income of the senior parent(s) and the minor parent’s child. Do not use the income of the minor parent who receives SSI/SSP.

Example Example A minor parent is an undocumented noncitizen and lives with her mother and father. The minor parent applies for her own child. The residency requirements are met. When determining the grant amount for the AU, use any income of the minor parent and her parent(s), treating her as a non-AU member.

Minor Parent Excluded for Cause

When the minor parent is excluded for cause, the needs of the minor parent are not allowed in the Senior Parent Unit, nor are her needs allowed as a non-AU member.