SSA - POMS: SI CHI00830.126 - (WI) AFDC Payments

A. AFDC and Deeming

1. Stepparent's Income

Effective January 1, 1982, the stepparent's income is used in determining AFDC payments. Prior to that date, it was not. This should be taken into consideration in deeming situations.

2. AFDC Income of an Ineligible Spouse or Parent

In deeming situations, if verification is in file that the ineligible spouse or parent is receiving AFDC, it is not necessary to verify the amount of an ineligible spouse or ineligible parent's AFDC income. Therefore, when systems input is prepared, the amount of the ineligible's type F income will be unknown. Enter zero money amounts for the ineligible spouse or ineligible parent's AFDC income in these cases. The same policy applies for ineligible parents.

B. AFDC for an Unborn Child - Prior to January 1, 1982 Pregnancy Allowance - Effective January 1, 1982

Receipt of AFDC payments by an SSI claimant reduces the SSI payment dollar-for-dollar. Prior to adoption of the provisions of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1981 (P.L. 97-35), the one exception to this rule was an SSI claimant who was pregnant and receiving AFDC payments for the unborn child. In these situations, the payments were for the unborn child; therefore, they were not income for the claimant or other family members on the AFDC grant. All such AFDC payments were made at state option and depended on the state plan for AFDC.

Prior to January 1, 1982, Wisconsin could establish AFDC eligibility for the unborn child as soon as the pregnancy was medically verified. Effective January 1, 1982, no payments can be made for an unborn child. A pregnancy allotment is payable beginning with the seventh month of pregnancy. The pregnancy allowance is an additional allotment for the individual who is pregnant. Since it is for the claimant , as opposed to the unborn child, it is the claimant's income. The payment rates and their effective dates are as follows.

Effective Date	Rate Per Month
07/01/78 - 07/31/79	$15 unborn child allocation
08/01/79 - 12/31/81	a) $1 each month from the time the pregnancy of an AFDC eligible was medically verified until the seventh month of pregnancy; b) Beginning with the first day of the seventh month of pregnancy, AFDC increased the family allowance to that payable for the next larger family size (e.g., current family size is 3; the individual is in seventh month of pregnancy; AFDC paid the family allowance for a family of 4). c) Both a and b are unborn child allocations.
01/01/82 - present	$60 pregnancy allowance beginning with the first day of the seventh month of pregnancy.

Effective Date

Rate Per Month

07/01/78 - 07/31/79

$15 unborn child allocation

08/01/79 - 12/31/81

a) $1 each month from the time the pregnancy of an AFDC eligible was medically verified until the seventh month of pregnancy;

b) Beginning with the first day of the seventh month of pregnancy, AFDC increased the family allowance to that payable for the next larger family size (e.g., current family size is 3; the individual is in seventh month of pregnancy; AFDC paid the family allowance for a family of 4).

c) Both a and b are unborn child allocations.

01/01/82 - present

$60 pregnancy allowance beginning with the first day of the seventh month of pregnancy.

C. Grant Amounts Not Readily Available

The method outlined in this section can be used when it has been determined that the grant amounts needed to determine the claimant's AFDC income are not readily available.

Obtain the applicant's allegation of the current AFDC payment amount. Ascertain whether there are any recent additions to the family household. If not, compare the amount alleged by the claimant and the family size shown on the medical card with the chart in Exhibit I for the amount payable in the appropriate area for that family size.

1. Allegations Match the Chart (Exhibit I)

If the claimant's allegations of family size and AFDC payment amount match the appropriate chart amounts, take the difference between the grant amount for that family size and the grant amount with one person removed. (See SI 00830.400D if there is more than one SSI applicant.) The amount determined by this method is unearned income for the SSI applicant. Verification may be done postadjudicatively.

Be sure to consider the unborn child allocation or pregnancy allowances as described in B above (but not other income or needs) in determining whether the allegations agree with the chart amounts and the claimant's share of the AFDC payment. Do not attribute the unborn child's increment to the SSI claimant. Count the pregnancy allowance as income towards the individual who is pregnant.

2. Allegations Do Not Match the Chart (Exhibit I)

If the applicant's allegations of family size and AFDC payment amount do not agree with the chart, the SSI applicant's share of the AFDC grant must be verified with the paying agency prior to adjudication.

D. AFDC or Title IV-E Foster Care Termination Date Not Available

The following regional procedure applies when the AFDC agency cannot or will not provide an AFDC termination date. The same procedure applies for title IV-E foster care:

•

Input AFDC or foster care income with a "c" frequency code;
•

Diary the case to obtain the termination date postadjudicatively;
•

Document the file with an SSA-5002 (Report of Contact) stating whether the AFDC or title IV-E foster care agency could not or would not provide the information, and that the case has been diaried to obtain the termination date postadjudicatively.

E. Exhibit

If the contact with the AFDC agency is by mail, a notice similar to Exhibit II may be used. The DO may reproduce this letter or develop one of its own as long as the letter requests all the required information.

Social Security

Program Operations Manual System (POMS)

SI CHI00830.126 (WI) AFDC Payments