Teen Moms And Dads: Your Legal Rights Under Welfare Reform

Teen Moms And Dads: Your Legal Rights Under Welfare Reform

You must be in school full-time or have graduated from school if you are under age 20 and pregnant or a parent. You must also meet special living arrangement rules if you are under age 18 years. You’ve still got the right to register your very own application for TAFDC benefits without your moms and dads, even though you live using them.

1. Just how do the educational college attendance rules work?

Unless you have finished, if you’re under 20 you should be in senior high school, center or elementary college or perhaps a in a full-time GED (senior high school equivalency) system with a minimum of 20 hours each week. A week, you may be asked to do community service or other training as well if your GED program is less than 20 hours. This guideline will not use if you should be within 60 times of switching age 20. You should be in college or even a program that is ged least 75percent of that time (15 hours away from a 20 hour system) to qualify for TAFDC advantages. If you’d like assist getting into college, pose a question to your DTA worker. The worker is meant that will help you find an application which help you receive time care and purchase transport expenses to college and time care. But, you simply cannot be sanctioned you) if you are not in school because of lack of child care or because of domestic or teen dating violence (like where your current or former boyfriend is stalking or has threatened.

2. Is there known reasons for lack from college?

Yes. You’ll have cause that is good absences as a result of not enough transport or kid care, poor weather, a medical condition, an urgent situation or crisis you’ll want to focus on. If you don’t have good cause and you’re missing significantly more than 25percent of times, you may first lose about $92 of you TAFDC grant for 1 month. After thirty days, you are going to lose the entire TAFDC grant. Your SNAP/Food Stamps and MassHealth should carry on.

3. How can the living arrangment guideline work?

You must if you are under age 18 and not married:

  • Reside together with your moms and dads, or
  • Reside with another general (regarding you or your infant) that is age 20 or higher, or
  • Reside with a guardian that is legal or
  • Be described as a “graduate of the DSS independent living system,” or
  • Be 17 yrs old and fulfill unique “waiver” rules (see below).

If you don’t satisfy one of several above, maybe you are asked to reside in a young adult living program — if one is present. If you should be under 18 and married, you truly must be coping with your better half to be exempt.

Essential:

18- and 19- year teens that are oldand teenagers within 60 times of switching age 18) need not live with parents, family relations or perhaps in group domiciles. You do need certainly to meet up with the educational college rules above.

4. That are the family relations you are able to live with?

Teenagers nevertheless meet with the arrangement that is living if coping with an aunt, uncle, grandparent, older sibling or other general who’s age 20 or older. You may live having a stepparent—like that is former father’s ex-wife or even the paternal grand-parents of one’s youngster (but this does not consist of coping with the little one’s daddy if you’re unmarried). Your loved ones do not need to get guardianship that is legal. That person does need to be legal guardian if you live with an unrelated adult.

The earnings of loved ones or guardians that are legal perhaps perhaps perhaps not count in determining your TAFDC grant.

5. Imagine if you cannot live along with your parents?

If you should be under 18 and can not live together with your mum or dad, tell DTA. A young adult expert under agreement with DSS will contact both you and glance at whether you are able to carry on along with your parents, in a living that is teen, or by yourself. You shouldn’t have to live in the home you, there was drug abuse in your home, in the event that house has rule violations, OR if you will find virtually any “extraordinary circumstances. in the event that you worry punishment, when your parent(s) will not help” The teenager specialist’s work will be discover why you can not live in the home while making a recommendation make sure to inform her all of the reasons. You can even pose a question to your college guidance therapist or other experts who understand one to phone or compose the teenager expert. In the event that teenager professional agrees you can’t go homeward, DTA might find you a teen living system to get or counsel you associated with the waiver guidelines for 17 12 months olds.

Waiver:

Teenagers that are 17 yrs old and should not live along with your moms and dads can request a particular “waiver” to reside by themselves if: a) in a great living situation, b) at school full-time in good standing, c) have actually stable son or daughter care and d) are playing a teenager parenting system.

You do not need a waiver and are exempt from the rule if you are within 60 days of turning age 18.

6. Just Exactly Exactly How is Parental Income counted?

If you should be under age 18 and live in the home, your parents’ earnings above 200percent associated with the poverty degree counts in deciding just how much TAFDC you and your child get. This degree happens to be $1,990/month for just two individuals. In case your moms and dads will not inform DTA their income, you might be rejected TAFDC however you can certainly still submit an application for SNAP/Food Stamps and MassHealth.

Your parent’s earnings will not count when you turn age 18. The earnings of non-parent family relations your home is with will not count —regardless of one’s age.

7. Challenging denial of benefits:

In case the TAFDC will be cut, you have actually a the proper to an advance written notice.

In the event that you request a hearing within 10 times of the date of notice, your advantages should carry on through the appeal.

You have got the right to bring in just about any brand new evidence about why you simply can’t live in the home. Any information that explains why you missed classes if DTA says you missed too much school, bring to the hearing. You have got a right to see your TAFDC situation record, including college attendance documents and/or reports from the DSS contracted specialist that is teen. You’ve got the directly to make copies of any papers in your file, to inquire about concerns of DTA worker or perhaps the teenager expert in the hearing and also to bring a close buddy or advocate to work with you.

Call your local Legal Services to get more advice or appropriate representation. You’ll be able to contact the Massachusetts Alliance on Teen Pregnancy: for advice and recommendations.