Title 16
8000 Refugee Resettlement Program
Family budget group is the total number of persons whose needs and income are budgeted together. This will always include the following:
1. Married couples if they live together and are both eligible for a grant.
2. Unmarried couples who live together as husband and wife and are both eligible for a grant.
NOTE: In RCA, couples will be considered as living together as husband and wife if:
a. They say they are married, even if the marriage cannot be verified, or
b. They are recognized as husband and wife in the community, or
c. One partner uses the other's last name, or
d. They state they intend to marry, or
e. They jointly hold resources.
3. Parents and their eligible children.
Family budget groups will consist of more than one assistance unit when all budget group members are not placed in the same assistance unit. In those instances, the need standard for the family cannot exceed the RCA need standard for the budget group size as specified in Section 8031.1 . (See DSSM 8021 )
In households that include a caretaker, the caretaker's children and other children that are the caretaker's responsibility, the caretaker's needs and income and those of his/her children are always budgeted together. The needs and income of any other children in the home will be considered separately. In these situations, the separate budget groups can be combined to form a single family budget group only when the following conditions are met:
1. Assistance would be denied to any of the recipients by maintaining separate budget groups.
2. The caretaker understands the implications of combining the budget groups (i.e., lower assistance payments, increased Medicaid coverage, etc.) and chooses to have his/her needs and income and those of his/her children considered with the needs and income of any other children in the home.
