TN 23 (09-24)

SI 01310.140 Deeming Concept - Household

A. Definition

A household is a person, or group of persons sharing common living quarters and facilities, living in a residence under such domestic arrangements and circumstances as to create a single economic unit. A household does not exist if a person or group of persons does not have a residence.

For deeming purposes, a household comprises:

  • The eligible individual; and

  • The spouse; or

  • Any of the couple's children (or children of either member of the couple);

     - OR -

  • The eligible child; and

  • The eligible child's parent(s); and

  • Other children of the parents.

     - OR -

  • The eligible individual; and

  • Their essential person.

B. Policy

1. Household

  1. a. 

    Relationship of Household to Deeming — Deeming from spouse-to-spouse or parent-to-child only applies in household situations as defined in SI 01310.140A. in this section. Unless temporarily absent, only those individuals residing in the household are a part of the household for deeming purposes.

  2. b. 

    Lack of Residence — Spouse-to-spouse and parent-to-child deeming do not apply in situations where a family does not have a residence. For example, if a family lives in a car because they cannot afford shelter, neither spouse-to-spouse nor parent-to-child deeming would apply.

  3. c. 

    Absence From the Household — An individual is not a member of the household if the individual is absent from home for a period which is not a temporary absence as defined in SI 01310.165 (for example, confinement in a public institution as described in SI 00520.001).

    For absences due to active duty military assignments, see SI 01310.170.

  4. d. 

    Child Born at Home — A child born at home, for whom a claim for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments is filed, is a member of the household from the month of birth.

  5. e. 

     Child Born in an Institution — If a child is born in an institution (e.g., a hospital), the child is not a member of the household until the month after the month they go home.

2. Institutional setting

Deeming does not apply when an eligible individual and ineligible spouse are living in an institution even when they are sharing a room.

3. Noninstitutional care situations

Deeming does apply in noninstitutional care situations (e.g., adult foster care) if the eligible individual is placed with a deemor (see SI 00835.790A.2.).

4. Sponsor to noncitizen deeming

Deeming applies from a sponsor to noncitizen even if they do not live together in the same household. However, certain statutory exclusions of a sponsor's income only apply if the sponsor and noncitizen are living in the same household (see SI 01320.105).

C. References

  • SI 00835.020 Definitions of Terms Used in Living Arrangements (LA) and In-Kind Support and Maintenance (ISM) Instructions

  • SI 00835.060 Transients, Homeless Individuals, and LA/ISM Determinations

  • SI 01130.100 The Home Exclusion


To Link to this section - Use this URL:
http://policy.ssa.gov/poms.nsf/lnx/0501310140
SI 01310.140 - Deeming Concept - Household - 09/26/2024
Batch run: 09/26/2024
Rev:09/26/2024