Age of a Participant
The age of a participant determines eligibility and benefit amounts.
Policy
Age is an important eligibility factor for the NA and CA programs because age applies to all of the following:
●Eligibility
●Benefit amount
●Income deductions
●Program compliance requirements
The participant is required to list on the application for benefits the date of birth of each budgetary unit member for whom benefits are applied.
For NA, see all of the following important ages and policies related to eligibility and benefit amounts:
●All of the following ages are important for the NA Work Requirements:
A participant responsible for a child Aged 6 or under is exempt.
A participant under the age of 18 and age 60 or older is exempt
Participants under the age of 16 are exempt from the NA Work Requirements.
See Work Requirement Exemptions for complete details about each exemption.
●Participants aged 18 through 49 and enrolled at least half-time in an institution of higher education(g) are required to meet a work requirement or an exemption to be considered potentially eligible. See Adult Student Eligibility for NA for when a participant meets the definition of a student.
●Dependent Care expenses are an allowable deduction from income when the dependent care is for a child under 18 or an incapacitated adult. See NA Dependent Care for a complete list of allowable expenses.
●Participants can apply for NA separately from the family they are living with at both of the following ages:
At the age of 18, when living with their siblings who are age 18 or older and do not live with their parents.
Through the month of their 22nd birthday, when the participant lives with their parents.
See Determining Budgetary Units for who in a household would be considered a mandatory, optional, or nonparticipant.
●A participant who is age 60 or older or has a disability receives special consideration when budgeting and determining eligibility, including all of the following:
A special resource limit
Medical deductions
They are not subject to the Gross Income Standard.
See Budgetary Units with Special Circumstances for complete considerations and requirements.
For CA, see all of the following ages and related policies that FAA uses to determine eligibility and benefit amounts:
●Dependent Care Expense is allowed for children; the amount of the deduction is based on all of the following:
Whether the child is under the age of two or age two and over.
When the expense is required for the participant to continue to work
When the wage earner is billed for the expense
For more information about CA dependent care expense maximum deduction amounts and requirements, see CA Dependent Care.
●Each child aged 6 through fifteen is required to be enrolled in and attending school or be home schooled. School attendance is included in the CA Personal Responsibility Agreement (PRA) that single and two parent budgetary units are required to agree with for CA eligibility. See PRA School Attendance for all the school attendance requirements.
●All CA participants are mandatory referrals in the CA work program, Jobs, except children ages 3 through 17. See CA Jobs Work Program Requirements for more about services available with the CA work program.
●For CA potential eligibility, an application is required to include a dependent child. A CA dependent child is any child who meets both of the following:
Is under the age of 19, and when age 18 meets the student criteria for CA.
Lives with a caretaker relative or legal permanent guardian who has requested benefits for the child.
See Dependent Child for more information about CA eligibility requirements.
●An 18-year-old who meets the full-time student criteria, attending either high school or the equivalent level, and is expected to complete the course of study on or before their 19th birthday are considered potentially eligible dependent children. When a participant is age 18 and does not meet this CA student criteria, the participant is regarded as an adult for eligibility purposes. See CA Student Criteria for the policies that apply to dependent participants 18 years of age.
Verification
Date of Birth Verification
For NA and CA, FAA requests age verification when a participant's age is questionable(g), and age is a factor in determining eligibility and benefit amount.
Any of the following documents verify the date of birth for NA and CA:
●Adoption records
●Baptismal certificate before age five
●Bureau of Vital Statistics
●Certificate of Indian Blood
●Certificate of Live Birth signed by a hospital official and a parent
●Certified Birth Certificate issued by the United States (U.S.), state, or local governmental Bureau of Vital Statistics
●Hospital Birth Certificate
●Social Security records
●Tribal Census Card
●Completed Tribal Records Request (FAA-0061A) form
●U.S. Passport
When the previously listed documents are not available, any of the following forms can be used to verify the date of birth for both NA and CA:
●Affidavit Attesting Citizenship for Cash and Nutrition Assistance (FAA-1353A) form needs to be acquired from FAA. See the instructions on the form for completion requirements.
●Child wellness agency records
●Court order for child support
●Doctor's statement
●Family Bible record
●Federal or state census records
●Insurance policy
●Juvenile court records
●School records
●Voluntary social service agency records
When the previously listed documents are unavailable, a participant can use a driver’s license to verify the date of birth.
When the previously listed documents are not available, one of the following can be used to verify the date of birth for CA:
●Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) document assigning a person to an institution of higher learning
●A minister's statement
A participant can receive a birth or death verification from a state vital statistics office. See Vital Statistics Office for address and website information.
NOTE The participant is responsible for requesting and for all expenses associated with requesting verification of birth or death certificates from a government bureau of vital statistics.
Legal Authorities
AAC R6-12-205
7 CFR 273.2(f)(5)
7 CFR 273.2(h)(1)(i)(C)
7 CFR 273.2(h)(2)
last revised 02/13/2023