3205 Assistance Units

Georgia State Seal

Georgia Division of Family and Children Services
SNAP Policy Manual

Policy Title:

Assistance Units

Effective Date:

July 2024

Chapter:

3200

Policy Number:

3205

Previous Policy Number(s):

MT-65

Updated or Reviewed in MT:

MT-78

Requirements

A Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Assistance Unit (AU) includes eligible individual(s) who live together and customarily purchase food and prepare meals in common.

Basic Considerations

The following criteria are considered in determining a SNAP AU:

  • the individuals living at the residence

  • the individuals who purchase food and prepare meals together

  • the individuals who intend to purchase food and prepare meals together upon receipt of the SNAP benefits

  • the type of residence (e.g., house, room, shelter, institution)

  • the age and disability of the individuals

  • the relationship of the individuals.

Individuals who live together but who purchase food and prepare meals separately may be eligible to receive benefits as separate AUs, with the following considerations:

  • each AU must declare a separate AU status

  • the AU members are not required to store food separately from those with whom they reside to be considered a separate AU.

  • separate AU status is not verified unless questionable.

Refer to Procedures in this section for a list of individuals to be included and excluded for AU composition.

The AU is not required to have cooking facilities available as a condition of SNAP eligibility.

Procedures

Follow the steps below to determine the composition of a SNAP AU.

Step 1

Include the individuals who purchase food and prepare meals together.
Step 2

Consider potential separate AU status if one or more household members state that they are a separate AU or intend to purchase food and prepare meals separately.
Step 3

Include the following individuals in one AU, even if they state they purchase and prepare meals as a separate AU:

  • Spouses (including common-law marriages which started prior to 7/1/97). Under Georgia Law, effective 7/1/97, common-law marriages were not recognized, unless the marriage was started prior to that date.

  • minor children under 18 who are under the parental control of an AU member other than their parent and the non-parent exercises parental control.

  • parents and their children under the age of 22 (biological, adopted or step) whether the child is living with his/her spouse and/or his/her own children.
Step 4

Exclude the following individuals from the AU, even if they customarily purchase food and prepare meals together:

  • an individual who is IPV disqualified

  • an individual who is enumeration sanctioned

  • an individual who is work sanctioned

  • an ineligible student

  • an ineligible ABAWD

  • an individual who is a fleeing felon or probation/parole violator

  • an individual who committed and was convicted by federal, state, or local court, after 8/22/96, of an offense classified as a felony related to possession, use, or distribution of a controlled substance (lawbreaker) and violates the terms of their probation as determined by a court order or violates the terms of their parole as determined by a State Board of Pardons and Paroles order

  • an individual convicted as an adult of aggravated sexual abuse, murder, sexual exploitation, and other abuse of children, a Federal or State offense involving sexual assault, or an offense under State law determined by the Attorney General to be substantially similar to such an offense, after 2/7/14 and violates the terms of their probation as determined by a court order or violates the terms of their parole as determined by a State Board of Pardons and Paroles order

Refer to Chart 3205.1, Determining the Composition of a SNAP AU.

Refer to 3600 Budgeting Overview for how to budget excluded AU members' resources and income.

Verification

Accept the A/R’s statement to determine the AU composition, unless the information provided conflicts with other information available to the agency.

Use one of the following sources if verification is required:

  • a statement from a landlord

  • a statement from a person outside of the AU who has knowledge of the AU’s situation

  • any other source which verifies the A/R’s statement.

Use the following chart to determine the composition of the SNAP AU in special situations.

Chart 3205.1 - Determining the Composition of a SNAP AU
SPECIAL AU MEMBERS TREATMENT

Aliens

Include aliens who meet the eligible alien requirements. Exclude those who are considered ineligible aliens because of failure to meet citizenship criteria. Refer to 3320 Citizenship/Alien Status and 3635 Budget for an AU with Ineligible Aliens or Ineligible ABAWDs.

Boarder

Boarder Not in a Commercial Boarding House

Boarder in a Commercial Boarding House

An individual or groups of individuals residing with others and paying reasonable compensation for lodging and meals. A boarder can never participate as a separate AU.

To determine if an individual living with an AU meets the definition of a boarder or if s/he must be included as an AU member, determine if reasonable compensation is paid by using the following criteria.

  • The individual or family receiving more than two meals daily from the boarding household must pay an amount equal to or exceeding the maximum monthly SNAP allotment for the appropriate number of individuals.

  • The individual or family receiving one or two meals daily from the boarding household must pay an amount equal to or exceeding two thirds of the maximum monthly SNAP allotment for the appropriate number of individuals.

If less than reasonable compensation as defined above is paid, the individual or family cannot be considered a boarder(s) and must be included as a member(s) of the AU.

Refer to 3425 Self-Employment Income for instructions on how to budget boarder payments

Exclude the boarder from any SNAP AU. A boarder in a commercial boarding house is ineligible to participate. Refer to the Glossary for the definition of a commercial boarding house.

An individual considered permanently disabled under the Social Security Act (refer to the definition of disabled in the Glossary) or suffers from a non-disease related, severe, permanent disability and who is 60 years or older, living and eating with others because of the inability to purchase and prepare his/her own meals

Determine eligibility for the disabled person and spouse as a separate AU if the gross income of the others with whom the individual resides does not exceed 165% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL). The table showing 165% of the FPL is located in Appendix A Financial Standards Overview.

The age and health of the spouse are not considerations.

Foster Care Children or Adults or Children Placed through Relative Care Subsidy.

Allow the foster or relative care family the option to include as a member(s) of their AU the foster child(ren), foster adult(s) or relative care children placed in the home by DFCS.

If the AU chooses to include the foster or relative care individual(s), include the foster care per diem or relative care subsidy and all other income and resources of the foster or relative care individual.

If the AU chooses to exclude the foster or relative care individual(s), DO NOT count the foster care per diem or relative care subsidy or any other income/resources of the foster or relative care individual.

The foster child/adult or relative care child cannot participate as a separate AU.

Homeless Individual

An individual who lacks a fixed and regular nighttime residence, or an individual whose primary nighttime residence is:

  • a halfway house or similar institution that provides a temporary residence for individuals intended to be institutionalized

  • a temporary accommodation for not more than 90 days in the residence of another individual;

  • a place not designed for, or ordinarily used, as a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings; (a hallway, a bus station, a lobby, or similar places);

  • a supervised shelter designed to provide temporary accommodations for homeless individuals

Homeless AUs may use benefits to purchase prepared meals from homeless meal providers and other eating facilities authorized by FNS.

Institutional Care Residents

Individuals shall be considered residents of an institution when the institution or facility provides the majority of their meals (over 50 percent of three meals daily) as a part of the institution’s normal services. Exclude from any AU. Residents of institutional care are ineligible to participate in the SNAP program except for residents living in one of the following:

  • battered women and children’s shelters

  • drug addiction or alcohol treatment centers

  • group living arrangements for disabled or blind individuals

  • homeless shelters

  • federally subsidized housing for the elderly.

The residents of the above five types of institutional care may receive benefits even if over 50 percent of three meals are provided daily by the facility.

Refer to 3215 Residents of Battered Women and Children Shelters; 3220 Residents of Drug and Alcohol Treatment Centers; 3225 Residents of Group Living Arrangements; and 3230 Residents of Homeless Shelters.

Live-in Attendants

Determine eligibility as a separate AU for the individual(s) whose presence in the home is solely for medical care, housekeeping, childcare or similar reasons.

Do not include the attendant in the AU with those for whom s/he provides services.

Non-resident Participants of Drug and Alcohol Treatment Centers

Individuals who regularly participate in a drug and/or alcohol treatment program but who do not live in a treatment center.

Verify participation of the AU member in the treatment program.

Determine eligibility of the AU in which the participant resides, using normal SNAP policies.

During treatment sessions, the participant may use benefits to purchase prepared meals from the center/program.

Refer to 3220 Residents of Drug and Alcohol Treatment Centers for policy regarding individuals who reside in treatment centers.

Roomers

Determine eligibility as a separate AU for those individuals who are furnished lodging, but not meals, for compensation. A roomer cannot be included as a member of the AU providing lodging.

Seasonal Farm Workers (migrant or non-migrant)

Determine the eligibility of seasonal farm workers for expedited processing. Seasonal farm workers are individuals who meet the following criteria:

  • They are engaged in seasonal work related to an agricultural crop.

  • They are hired on a temporary basis.

Refer to 3235 Seasonal Farmworkers (Migrant or Non-Migrant) for special considerations.

Strikers

Determine the eligibility of an AU that includes a striker based on the AU’s eligibility status on the day before the strike. Refer to 3240 Strikers.

Students

Students in institutions of higher learning are included in the AU if they meet the eligibility requirements for a student. Refer to 3245 Students.

Teen Parent Improvement Program (TPI) Residents

Residents of TPI residential homes may be eligible for SNAP benefits as separate one-person assistance units. If the child(ren) of the teen lives with the teen in the residential home, the teen may receive for her children and herself.