Summary
general_assistance (agency cash aid such as general relief, BIA General Assistance, or refugee cash assistance) is not counted by any state TANF program that inherits the federal baseline list gov/hhs/tanf/cash/income/sources/unearned.yaml. A state-by-state audit of the 42 inheriting states found that most either exclude general assistance or count it only after a gap or duplication test, so the baseline should stay as is (see #9382 and #9384).
Three inheriting states name General Assistance as countable in their manuals:
| State |
Rule and evidence |
| Minnesota (MFIP) |
Combined Manual 0017.12.03 specifically includes GA, RCA, and cash benefits already issued. Section 0011.21 adds concurrent-assistance and transition rules. Combined Manual 0017.12.03, Minn. Stat. 256P.06 |
| North Dakota |
The current countable-unearned-income page lists General Assistance. An older edition states that direct county or BIA GA cash counts; vendor, reimbursement, and complementary-assistance exclusions are distinct. Countable unearned income, Disregards |
| Wyoming (POWER) |
The SNAP and POWER income table marks General Assistance from state, local, or tribal sources nonexempt with its own income code. SNAP and POWER Policy Manual |
Proposed change
For each state, follow the Maine pattern in #9384:
- Add a state-specific unearned list (federal baseline plus
general_assistance) under the state's TANF parameters, citing the manual above.
- Add a state gross-unearned-income variable that
adds the list, and point the state's countable-unearned formula at it.
- Add a test showing
general_assistance counts and a regression case on the existing integration tests.
Concurrent-benefit rules (a GA recipient is usually not TANF-eligible) are not modeled; the change only affects API callers who send general_assistance for an assistance-unit member. It is inert for microsimulation because the CPS dataset never populates the variable.
Out of scope
States whose manuals make general assistance conditional (need-standard gap or duplication tests, for example Nevada, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Washington) or leave it unresolved (Connecticut, Idaho, New York, West Virginia) need formula logic rather than a list entry and are not part of this issue.
Summary
general_assistance(agency cash aid such as general relief, BIA General Assistance, or refugee cash assistance) is not counted by any state TANF program that inherits the federal baseline listgov/hhs/tanf/cash/income/sources/unearned.yaml. A state-by-state audit of the 42 inheriting states found that most either exclude general assistance or count it only after a gap or duplication test, so the baseline should stay as is (see #9382 and #9384).Three inheriting states name General Assistance as countable in their manuals:
Proposed change
For each state, follow the Maine pattern in #9384:
general_assistance) under the state's TANF parameters, citing the manual above.addsthe list, and point the state's countable-unearned formula at it.general_assistancecounts and a regression case on the existing integration tests.Concurrent-benefit rules (a GA recipient is usually not TANF-eligible) are not modeled; the change only affects API callers who send
general_assistancefor an assistance-unit member. It is inert for microsimulation because the CPS dataset never populates the variable.Out of scope
States whose manuals make general assistance conditional (need-standard gap or duplication tests, for example Nevada, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Washington) or leave it unresolved (Connecticut, Idaho, New York, West Virginia) need formula logic rather than a list entry and are not part of this issue.