Section 701.600 - Definition of TermsCertain terms have a specific meaning in administering the TAFDC and EAEDC Programs. 106 CMR 701.600 provides definitions of these terms and, when appropriate, a manual citation where a complete definition is found.
(A)Appeal. An appeal is a written request for a fair hearing on an action proposed or taken by the Department or on the Department's failure to act. Manual Reference: 106 CMR 343.000: Fair Hearing Rules, 702.600: Appeals.(B)Assets. Assets are objects of value, not including income, such as personal property, real estate, automobiles, life insurance, cash and bank deposits, securities, and certain other items. Manual Reference: 106 CMR 704.100: Assets.(C)Assistance Unit. The assistance unit is composed of persons whose needs are considered in determining eligibility and the amount of the grant, and who are eligible to receive TAFDC or EAEDC benefits. All persons required to be in the assistance unit must be included in the filing unit. Manual Reference: 106 CMR 704.300: Membership in the Assistance Unit and Filing Unit, 704.305: Composition of the Assistance Unit, 704.320: Optional Membership in a TAFDC Assistance Unit, 704.310: Composition of the Filing Unit.(D)Auxiliary Activities. Auxiliary activities are those administrative actions necessary to ensure that the benefits authorized for eligible recipients are provided in a timely and accurate manner. Manual Reference: 106 CMR 706.000.(E)Case Record. The case record is the permanent collection, in written or electronic form, of the information used to determine eligibility and provide benefits and referrals for services. Manual Reference: 106 CMR 702.410: Documentation in the Case Record(F)Child of Mandatory Full Time School Age. A child who has turned six years of age or begun first grade whichever is later. Manual Reference: 106 CMR 703.150: TAFDC Work Program.(G)Child of Record. In the TAFDC Program, the youngest child of a grantee as specified in 106 CMR 701.600, or the youngest child in the household of an ineligible grantee who has a legal obligation to support the child, or of a dependent child who is a parent even if the grantee is not receiving assistance for his or her own children when the Family Cap date is established. Manual Reference: 106 CMR 703.140: TAFDC Family Cap and Child of Record.(H)Competent Medical Authority. For TAFDC and EAEDC, a physician, physician's assistant, osteopath, nurse practitioner or psychologist licensed by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, including a physician or psychiatrist from a Veterans Administration Hospital or clinic or from a Massachusetts Department of Mental Health facility or, for the limited purpose of diagnosing pregnancy and pregnancy-related incapacity, a nurse-midwife who meets the educational and certification requirements mandated by state law and/or regulations.(I) For TAFDC and EAEDC, a competent medical authority is a physician, osteopath, nurse practitioner or psychologist licensed by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, including a physician or psychiatrist from a Veterans Administration Hospital or clinic or from a Massachusetts Department of Mental Health facility or, for the limited purpose of diagnosing pregnancy and pregnancy-related incapacity, a nurse-midwife who meets the educational and certification requirements mandated by state law and/or regulations.(J)Dependent Child .(1) In the TAFDC program, a dependent child is a child who is younger than 18 years old, or younger than 19 years old if the child is a full-time student in grade 12 or below, in a high school or a vocational or technical training program of the equivalent level designed to lead to gainful employment, and the child is expected to graduate or complete the course of study before his or her 19th birthday.(2) In the EAEDC program, a dependent child is a child who is younger than 18 years old and living with a caretaker as defined in 106 CMR 703.700(1)(c).(3) The term, dependent child, as used throughout 106 CMR 701.000 is understood to include the plural, when appropriate. Manual Reference: 106 CMR 703.200: TAFDC Dependent Child, and 106 CMR 703.700: EAEDC Caretaker Family.(K)Disabled Adult. An individual younger than 60 years of age in the TAFDC program or under the age of 65 in the EAEDC program who meets the Department's medical and/or vocational standards as determined by the agency or organization under contract/agreement with the Department to provide disability evaluation services. In order to be considered disabled, an adult must meet specific medical criteria established by the Department for the program for which they are applying or receiving. In addition, an applicant or recipient shall be considered disabled if he or she is in receipt of Supplemental Security Income for the disabled or Social Security benefits for the disabled. Manual Reference: 106 CMR 203.100, 203.530, 320.200, 320.210, 320.220(L)Disabled Adult. An individual younger than 66 years old in the TAFDC program or under the age of 65 in the EAEDC program who meets the Department's medical and/or vocational standards as determined by the agency or organization under contract/agreement with the Department to provide disability evaluation services. In addition, an applicant or client shall be considered disabled if he or she is in receipt of Supplemental Security Income for the disabled, or Social Security benefits for the disabled. Manual Reference: 106 CMR 703.100: TAFDC Exemptions from Time-limited Benefits, 106 CMR 703.130: TAFDC Extension of Benefits Beyond the 24-month Period, 106 CMR 703.190: TAFDC Disability Exemption Process, 106 CMR 703.610: EAEDC Participant in a Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission Program, and 106 CMR 703.620: EAEDC Caring for the Disabled.(N)Elderly Person-EAEDC. A person 65 years of age or older who meets the requirements for eligibility for the EAEDC program. Manual Reference: 106 CMR 703.600: EAEDC Elderly -65 Years of Age or Older.(O)Eligibility Process. Those activities that are required in all cases to ensure eligibility for Department benefits. These activities include the application for assistance, eligibility reviews, case maintenance activities, notification and appeal provisions. Manual Reference: 106 CMR 702.000: Transitional Cash Assistance Program.(P)Eligibility Review. A periodic reevaluation of eligibility (sometimes referred to as a redetermination). Manual Reference: 106 CMR 702.200: Eligibility Reviews.(Q)Exempt Assistance Unit-TAFDC. Meets the requirements of 106 CMR 703.100: TAFDC Exemptions from Time-limited Benefits and is not subject to Time-limited Benefits and the work requirement. Manual Reference: 106 CMR 703.100: TAFDC Exemptions from Time-limited Benefits.(S)Fair Hearing. A proceeding conducted by an impartial officer of the Division of Hearings to review an action proposed, taken or not taken by the Department, which has been appealed. Manual Reference: 106 CMR 343.110: General Description of the Fair Hearing Process.(T)Family Cap Date-TAFDC. The date that is established to identify those children born after the child of record. Manual Reference: 106 CMR 703.140: TAFDC Family Cap and Child of Record.(U)Filing Unit. Made up of those persons whose income must be used to determine eligibility and the amount of the grant for the assistance unit, regardless of whether they are included in the assistance unit. Manual Reference: 106 CMR 704.300: Membership in the Assistance Unit and Filing Unit,106 CMR 704.305: Composition of the Assistance Unit, and 106 CMR 704.310: Composition of the Filing Unit.(V)Full Employment Program Wages-TAFDC. The gross wages a participant gets directly from his or her Full Employment Program employer. Manual Reference: 106 CMR 707.180: Full Employment Program.(W) Grant. The total amount of assistance that an assistance unit is eligible to receive. Manual Reference: 106 CMR 704.500: Calculation of the Grant Amount.(X)Grantees. Grantees are adults included in the grant, or not included in the grant because of a sanction, immigration status or receipt of SSI. In a two-parent household, both parents are considered grantees. A sanctioned grantee does not become an ineligible grantee. An adult who meets the definition of a dependent child shall not be considered a grantee.(Y)Home Visit. A visit to the home of the applicant or client by a Department employee.(Z)Household. The total group of persons who live together. The assistance unit, the filing unit, and the household may or may not be the same group of persons. Manual Reference: 106 CMR 704.300: Membership in the Assistance Unit and Filing Unit.(AA)Income. Any money, goods, or services received from any source, such as salaries, wages, tips, bonuses, annuities, free shelter or utilities. Manual Reference: 106 CMR 704.200: Income.(BB)Ineligible Grantee. Adults who receive a grant on behalf of a dependent child, but who are not themselves included in the grant, such as parent receiving SSI, an aunt, or a grandparent. Some provisions of the TAFDC program, apply to an ineligible grantee who has a legal obligation to support a dependent child. Sanctioned grantees are not considered ineligible grantees.(CC)Nonexempt Assistance Unit - TAFDC. An assistance unit which does not meet the requirements of 106 CMR 703.100: TAFDC Exemptions from Time-limited Benefits and is subject to Time-limited Benefits and the Work Program requirements. Manual Reference: 106 CMR 703.100: TAFDC Exemptions from Time-limited Benefits.(DD)Notice. A written statement of an action proposed or taken by the Department, which includes the reasons for the action, an appropriate citation to 106 CMR 701.000, and an explanation of the individual's right to appeal. Timely notice is mailed in advance of the date the proposed action is effective, or in specific cases, no later than the date the action is effective. Manual Reference: 106 CMR 343.140: Time Limits,106 CMR 343.200: Adequate Notice Requirements,106 CMR 343.210: Timely Notice Exceptions, and 106 CMR 702.500: Notification of Proposed Action.(EE)Related Benefits. TAFDC benefits other than the grant such as infant benefits, clothing allowance, etc. Manual Reference: 106 CMR 705.000: Related Benefits.(FF)Sanctioned Grantees. Adults who would be included in the TAFDC grant, except that they have been sanctioned, such as a grantee who has failed to cooperate with child support requirements or failed to comply with his or her Work Requirement.(GG)Standards of Need-TAFDC. Used to determine financial eligibility and are also used to determine the amount of the monthly grant. Manual Reference: 106 CMR 704.260: TAFDC Income Test of Eligibility, 704.410: TAFDC Table of Need Standards - Exempt Assistance Units.(HH)Standards of Payment-TAFDC. The maximum amount that an assistance unit may receive as a monthly grant. Manual Reference: 106 CMR 704.420: TAFDC Table of Payment Standards - Exempt Assistance Units, 704.500: Calculation of the Grant Amount.(II)Standards of Assistance-EAEDC. The maximum amount that an assistance unit may receive as a monthly grant. Manual Reference: 106 CMR 704.440: EAEDC Table of Standards of Assistance.(JJ)Teen Parent. A TAFDC grantee or dependent child younger than 20 years old, who is a parent, or who, if she has no other children, is pregnant. Manual Reference: 106 CMR 703.180: TAFDC Teen Parent Eligibility.(KK)Vendor Payments. Vendor payments are payments made directly to a provider of goods or services on behalf of a TAFDC or EAEDC client. Vendor payments include protective payments made because of a client's mismanagement of funds. Manual Reference: 106 CMR 706.600: Vendor Payments.(LL)Verification. The process of ensuring the validity of a statement or circumstance for purposes of determining or reviewing the eligibility of an applicant or client. Manual Reference: 106 CMR 702.300: Verification.(MM)Voucher. A Department form authorizing a vendor payment or other payment that is not the cash grant. Manual Reference: 106 CMR 706.600: Vendor Payments.Amended by Mass Register Issue 1461, eff. 1/4/2022.Amended by Mass Register Issue 1465, eff. 1/4/2022.