Marital Status - Effecting Changes
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This section includes information about what happens when there is a change in marital status.
Policy
Legally married participants are financially responsible for each other. Their income and resources are used in the eligibility determination.
Marital status is only a change reporting requirement for CA budgetary units assigned Standard Reporting. Marital status is not a change reporting requirement for NA or Simplified Reporting.
Procedures
When a change is reported in the marital status of a participant, whether it is married, separated, widowed or divorced, complete all of the following steps:
●Review the case so any differences may be addressed
●Add the Spouse when they are not already in the case
●Key the new Marital Status Code in the MAR STA field
●Key the appropriate codes on the appropriate AZTECS Screens
●Update the case with new information
●Redetermine eligibility for all participants allowing for NOAA
●Send appropriate notices
●Set alerts when needed for follow-up information
When the change in marital status also includes a change of participants in the household, see Participants Living in the Household - Effecting Changes for additional procedures.
Verification
The participant has the primary responsibility for providing verification. (See Participant Responsibilities – Providing Verification for additional policy.)
Marital status must be verified when any of the following apply:
●When change in marital status is questionable(g)
●Married Minor Parents must verify that they are married or have been married.
Any of the following are examples of documents that may be used to verify marital status:
●Divorce decree
●Insurance record
●Legal annulment documents
●Marriage license
●Navajo Nation Family Court decree validating a Navajo common law marriage
●Other records indicating that a participant was or is married
●Religious records
●Separation papers
●Tribal records
AZTECS Keying Procedures
When there is a change in the marital status of a budgetary unit member one or more of the following must be keyed in AZTECS:
●On SEPA change the REL field to appropriate relationship to the PI(g) for all members involved
●On SEPA update the SP POS field for the couple that changes their marital status
●On MAST change the MAR STA for the couple that changes their marital status
Legal Authorities
7 CFR 273.1
45 CFR 206.10(a)(9)
AAC R6-12-306
AAC R6-12-309C
last revised 08/30/2021