04 Nutrition Assistance Categorical Eligibility - Overview
When a budgetary unit is NA categorically eligible, all participants that are included and eligible to receive NA in the budgetary unit are categorically eligible.
Categorically eligible budgetary units include the following household types:
●Basic Categorical Eligibility (BCE)
●Expanded Categorical Eligibility (ECE)
●Special Basic Categorical (SBC)
●Special Expanded Categorical (SEC)
NA Categorical Eligibility (Basic or Expanded) does not exist when a participant is disqualified and coded DF on SEPA.
Basic NA Categorical Eligibility (BCE) exists when the budgetary unit does not have a participant coded DF on SEPA and ALL budgetary unit members receive any of the following:
●Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
●Any of the following types of cash grant:
Cash Assistance
Grant Diversion
Kinship Foster Care
Refugee Cash Assistance
Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) Payments
Tribal TANF
Expanded Categorical Eligibility (ECE) exists when ALL of the following apply to the budgetary unit:
●The NA budgetary unit does not meet BCE requirements
●Gross income is below 185% of the federal poverty level
●The resources of all participants coded DI on SEPA do not exceed the NA resource limit
●The budgetary unit does not include a participant coded DF on SEPA
Special Basic Categorical (SBC) and Special Expanded Categorical (SEC) exists when a
special household meets either basic or expanded CE criteria.
AZTECS displays the indicated NA Case Type Code in the HH TYP field on FSAD and FSBH in the following situations:
NOTE BC displays in the TYPE field on
CAP2.
NOTE EC displays in the TYPE field on CAP2.
●SBC when the budgetary unit is a special household and determined to be eligible for basic categorical eligibility with
special considerations.
NOTE SB displays in the TYPE field on CAP2.
●SEC when the budgetary unit is a special household and determined to be eligible for expanded categorical eligibility with
special considerations.
NOTE SE displays in the TYPE field on CAP2.
A budgetary unit is not categorically eligible (Basic or Expanded) when any of the
NA Categorically Eligible Exceptions apply.
Policy and procedures regarding NA categorical eligibility are outlined as follows: