IMPORTANT: Effective April 1, 2012, Massachusetts began self-administering all categories. 
               
               
                  
                     
                        
                        
                     
                     
                        
                        
                           
                           | Code | Definition | 
                     
                     
                        
                        
                           
                           | A | Full Cost-of-Living: A recipient who is in Federal living arrangement A is in State living arrangement
                                 A, if they are living in their own household1 and meet one of the following:
                               
                                 
                                    
                                       1.  
                                          Living alone – recipients who live alone, who rent rooms in commercial rooming houses
                                             which openly advertise to the public and which do not provide board, or who live in
                                             a hotel. Also, recipients who rent only rooms in private residences are considered
                                             living alone provided they do not use the residential kitchen facilities for preparing
                                             meals;
                                          
                                    
                                       2.  
                                          Living only with their eligible spouse;
                                    
                                       3.  
                                          Living with their eligible spouse and ineligible child or children 2 none of whom (children) receive public income maintenance payments;3 or
                                          
                                    
                                       4.  
                                          Living only with their ineligible spouse or their ineligible child or children, none
                                             of whom (spouse and children) receive public income maintenance payments.
                                           NOTE: For purposes of 1 through 4, do not consider foster children placed with anyone other than their parents to be living with the foster parent.
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                           |   | 
                                 
                                    
                                       • 
                                          A recipient who is in Federal living arrangement C is in State living arrangement
                                             A if none of the other people with whom they are living receive public income maintenance
                                             payments.
                                          
                                    
                                       • 
                                          A recipient who is in Federal living arrangement A or C and who does not meet the
                                             criteria contained in SI 01415.040G.1. (See Code A, 1 or 2 (in this chart)) is in State living arrangement A if they pay
                                             at least two-thirds of the household expenses. In making a determination whether the
                                             recipient pays two-thirds or more of the expenses, use the method defined in SI 00835.160. Use only the household expenses shown in that section. You may use an ineligible
                                             spouse's income (except any assistance based upon need) to determine if the eligible
                                             person is paying two-thirds of the household expenses.
                                          
                                    
                                       • 
                                          A recipient living in a public congregate housing development is in OS category “A.”
                                             The State makes the determination that a public congregate housing development is
                                             eligible for listing. Optional supplement code A is the proper code to use with an
                                             “intervening” Federal code A. For Optional State Supplement codes, see SM 01301.535.
                                           | 
                        
                           
                           | B | Shared Living Expenses – Consider a recipient who is in Federal living arrangement
                                 A or C but who does not meet the criteria listed for State living arrangement A, E
                                 or G to be in OS category “B.” Also include in this living arrangement category:
                               
                                 
                                    
                                 
                                    
                                       • 
                                          Recipients residing in public emergency shelters for the homeless (PESH) throughout
                                             a month;
                                          
                                    
                                       • 
                                          Residents of group-care facilities such as halfway houses;
                                    
                                       • 
                                          Claimants residing in private medical facilities where Medicaid is paying 50 percent
                                             or less of the cost of care;
                                          
                                    
                                 
                                    
                                       • 
                                          Recipients living in commercial boarding homes;
                                    
                                       • 
                                          Any recipient living in a facility which does not meet the criteria for living arrangement
                                             E or public congregate housing defined in SI 01415.040G.1., Code A.4. This includes children under the age of 18 who are in Federal living arrangement
                                             D because a private health insurance policy or a combination of Medicaid and a private
                                             health insurance policy pays or is expected to pay over 50 percent of the cost of
                                             care for that month. For determination of applicability of $30 payment limit, see
                                             second and third bullets in SI 00520.011C.1.b;
                                          
                                    
                                       • 
                                          Recipients placed under the auspices of the State adult foster care program;
                                    
                                       • 
                                          Recipients living in a household where all members receive public income maintenance
                                             payments unless they are paying at least two-thirds of the household expenses (A);
                                          
                                    
                                       • 
                                          Recipients living in a mixed household – i.e., a household where one or more other
                                             members receive a public income maintenance payment – are also included unless the
                                             individual is paying at least two-thirds of the household expenses (A).
                                           | 
                        
                           
                           | C | Living in the Household of Another – Apply this OS code to recipients who live in
                                 the household of another and receive support and maintenance from them (FLA- B).
                               | 
                        
                           
                           | E | Licensed Rest Home – Persons residing in a licensed rest home, all of which or the
                                 portion in which they live in is licensed by, and has a provider agreement with the
                                 State. This does not include residents of a Medicaid certified portion of a rest home.
                               | 
                        
                           
                           | F | Effective 07/01/87, the State elected Federal administration of this optional State
                                 supplementary payment to residents of Title XIX facilities where Medicaid pays more
                                 than 50 percent of the cost of care. This includes children under the age of 18 for
                                 whom Medicaid alone pays or is expected to pay over 50 percent of the cost of care
                                 for that month.
                               | 
                        
                           
                           | G | Assisted Living – Effective 07/01/94, the State elected Federal administration of
                                 this variation. Includes a recipient, certified by the State to be residing in an
                                 Assisted Living residence served by a certified Group Adult Foster Care provider,
                                 who does not receive assistance under any other Federal or State rental assistance
                                 program, and who pays a fixed, non-separable fee for rent and supportive services,
                                 other than medically necessary services reimbursed by Medicaid. The State certifies
                                 to SSA each recipient who is eligible for this optional supplement living arrangement.
                                 This living arrangement was discontinued effective 01/01/96; but restored retroactively
                                 to 01/01/97.
                               | 
                        
                           
                           | Y | Optional Supplementation Waived – Use this code to indicate that a recipient is eligible
                                 for an optional supplement, but has waived their right to receive such.
                               | 
                     
                  
                
               NOTE: Massachusetts is a concurrent category State and permits SSI recipients to receive
                  the highest categorical supplement for which they can qualify. For more information
                  on multi-category eligibility, see SI 00501.300B.3.
               1For purposes of determining State living arrangements, do not consider a commercial
                  boarding house, foster home, or halfway house to be an individual's household.
               
               2Use the SSI definition of “child” found in SI 00501.010.
               
               3A public income maintenance payment is a payment from any of the following programs:
               
               
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                           Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF); 
 
 
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                        • 
                           Supplemental Security Income (SSI); 
 
 
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                        • 
                           The Disaster Relief Act of 1974: 
 
 
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                        • 
                           General assistance programs of the Bureau of Indian Affairs; 
 
 
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                        • 
                           State or local government income maintenance programs that are based on need; or 
 
 
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                        • 
                           Department of Veterans Affairs benefits that are based on need.