(3) a group of individuals living together
who purchase food and prepare meals together.
(A) The following individuals living with
others or groups of individuals living together shall be considered as
purchasing food and preparing meals together even if they do not do so unless
an exception applies:
(1)
Spouse
Rule. An individual living with his or her spouse must be in the
same SNAP household as the spouse. Spouses shall not be granted separate
household status.
Spouse is defined as either of two individuals who are legally
married to one another, or who are living together and holding themselves out
to the community as husband and wife by representing themselves as spouses to
relatives, friends, neighbors, or tradespeople;
(2)
Parental Control
Rule. A child younger than 18 years old, except for a foster care
child (as defined in
106 CMR 361.240(F)
) , who is living with an adult household
member (not the child's parent) and under the parental control of the adult
household member, must be in the same SNAP household as the adult household
member.
Parental control means providing financial support or
supervision, or both, to an individual younger than 18 years old;
and
(3)
Parent/Child Rule. A child younger than 22 years old
living with his or her natural, adopted or stepparent(s) must be in the same
SNAP household as the parent(s).
(B) The following individuals living with
others or groups of individuals living together shall be considered as
purchasing food and preparing meals separately even if they do not do so.
(1) An individual, with or without children,
residing in a drug or alcohol treatment center shall be one SNAP household
separate from the other residents. See
106 CMR
365.600 through
365.690.
(2) A blind or disabled resident of a group
living arrangement (
106 CMR
365.600 through
365.690
) who applies through the use of the facility's authorized representative shall
be one SNAP household separate from the other residents. If a blind or disabled
resident applies on his or her own behalf, the household size must be
determined following the household concept rules defined in 106 CMR
361.200.
(3) An individual, with or
without children, residing in a shelter for battered individuals and their
children shall be one SNAP household separate from the other residents.
See
106
CMR 365.550: Residents of Shelters
for Battered Women and Their Children.
(4) An individual who is both 60 years of age
or older and disabled, as defined in 106 CMR 361.200(B)(4)(a) and (b), may be a
separate SNAP household when living with others who purchase food and prepare
meals for such individuals, if both the following conditions are true:
(a) The individual is unable to purchase food
and prepare meals for himself or herself because he or she suffers from a
disability considered permanent under the Social Security Act, or suffers from
a non-disease-related, severe, permanent disability.
If this disability is not obvious to the Department,
verification of the disability is required. The verification shall be a
statement from a physician that the individual is unable to purchase food and
prepare meals because of the disability. Individuals meeting the disabled
definition in
106 CMR
361.210 shall also be considered unable to
purchase food and prepare meals for themselves.
(b) The gross income of the others, excluding
the individual; and
1. his or her
spouse;
2. his or her natural,
adopted or stepchildren younger than 22 years old; or
3. a children younger than 18 years old
living under his or her parental control, if applicable, in accordance with
106 CMR 363.220:
Income, does not exceed 165% of the net income eligibility
standard for a household of the appropriate size.
See
106
CMR 364.975:
Standards for Special
Circumstances Involving an Elderly and Disabled Individual for these
eligibility standards. Such income must be verified in accordance with
106 CMR
363.210:
Verification of
Income.
An elderly and disabled individual who meets the two conditions
in 106 CMR 361.200(B)(4) and lives with his or her spouse, natural, adopted or
stepchildren younger than 22 years old, or children younger than 18 years old
living under his or her parental control must be in the same household as the
spouse, natural, adopted or stepchildren, or children living under his or her
parental control in accordance with 106 CMR 361.200(A).
