You must be in school full-time or have graduated from school if you are under age 20 and pregnant or a parent. If you should be under age 18 years, you have to additionally meet unique residing arrangement guidelines. You’ve kept the right to register your very own application for TAFDC advantages without your parents, even though you reside using them.

1. Just how do the college attendance rules work?

Until you have actually finished, if you’re under 20 you really must be in senior high school, center or elementary college or perhaps a in a full-time GED (twelfth grade equivalency) system with a minimum of 20 hours each week. In case your GED system is lower than 20 hours per week, you are expected to accomplish community solution or any other training aswell. This rule will not use if you’re within 60 times of switching age 20. You need to be in school or A ged system at minimum 75percent of that time period (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 to assist you find an application which help you receive care and pay for transportation costs to school and day care day. But, you can not be sanctioned if you should be maybe not at school due to lack of kid care or due to domestic or teen relationship physical violence (like where your present or previous boyfriend is stalking or has threatened you).

2. Are there any reasons that are good lack from college?

Yes. It’s possible to have cause that is good absences because of not enough transport or kid care, poor weather, a health condition, a crisis or crisis you will need to focus on. If you fail to have good cause and you’re missing a lot more than 25percent of that time, you will definitely first lose about $92 of you TAFDC grant for thirty days. After thirty day period, you can expect to lose the entire grant that is TAFDC. Your SNAP/Food Stamps and MassHealth should carry on.

3. So how exactly does the living arrangment guideline work?

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

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• Live along with your moms and dads, or
• Live with another general (pertaining to you or your child) that is age 20 or higher, or
• Reside by having a appropriate guardian, or
• Be a “graduate of the DSS independent living system,” or
• Be 17 yrs old and meet”waiver that is special rules (see below).

You may be asked to live in a teen living program — if one is available if you do not meet one of the above. You must be living with your spouse to be exempt if you are under 18 and married.

Crucial:

18- and 19- year old teens (and teenagers within 60 times of switching age 18) don’t need to live with parents, loved ones or perhaps in team domiciles. However you do have to meet with the educational college rules above.

4. That are the loved ones it is possible to live with?

Teenagers nevertheless meet with the residing arrangement guidelines if coping with an aunt, uncle, grandparent, older sibling or other general that is age 20 or older. You can live with a former stepparent—like your father’s ex-wife or perhaps the paternal grand-parents of one’s son or daughter (but this doesn’t add coping with the little one’s daddy if you’re unmarried). Your loved ones do not need to get guardianship that is legal. If you reside having an unrelated adult, see your face does should be appropriate guardian.

The income of family members or guardians that are legal perhaps perhaps perhaps not count in determining your TAFDC grant.

5. Imagine if you cannot live together with your moms and dads?

If you should be under 18 and can’t live together with your mum or dad, tell DTA. A teenager expert under agreement with DSS will contact you and have a look at whether you can easily carry on together with your moms and dads, in a living that is teen, or all on your own. You ought not have to live in the home in the event that you worry punishment, when your parent(s) will not give you support, there clearly was drug abuse in the house, in the event that home has rule violations, OR if you will find just about any “extraordinary circumstances.” The teenager specialist’s task is always to learn why you can’t live in the home and also make a suggestion make sure to tell her all of the reasons. You may also pose a question to your college guidance therapist or any other experts who understand one to phone or compose the teen expert. In the event that teenager specialist agrees you simply cannot go homeward, DTA could find you a living that is teen to get or help you regarding the waiver guidelines for 17 12 months olds.

Waiver:

Teens that are 17 yrs old and cannot live together with your moms and dads can request a particular “waiver” to reside by themselves if: a) in a great living situation, b) in college full-time in good standing, c) have actually stable youngster care and d) are taking part in a teenager parenting system.

If you’re within 60 times of switching age 18, you certainly do not need a waiver and are also exempt through the guideline.

6. Exactly Exactly How is Parental Income counted?

You and your baby get if you are under age 18 and live at home, your parents’ income above 200% of the poverty level counts in deciding how much TAFDC. This degree happens to be $1,990/month for just two individuals. Should your moms and dads will not inform DTA their income, you may be rejected TAFDC however you can nevertheless make 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 relatives you reside with will not count —regardless of one’s age.

7. Challenging denial of benefits:

If the TAFDC has been cut, you have a the proper to an advance written notice.

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

You have got a directly to bring in just about any new proof about why you can not 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 straight to see your TAFDC case record, including college attendance records and/or reports from the DSS contracted teenager professional. You’ve got the directly to make copies of every papers in your file, to inquire about concerns of DTA worker or even the teenager expert during the hearing and also to bring buddy or advocate to help you.

Call the local Legal Services to get more advice or representation that is legal. It is possible to contact the Massachusetts Alliance on Teen Pregnancy: for advice and recommendations.