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3.3.1 Food Unit/Food Group/Relationships

3.3.1.1 H.U.G (Households, Units, Groups)

3.3.1.2 Relationship Definitions

3.3.1.3 Relationship Rules

3.3.1.4 Relationship Rules Exception

7 CFR Code of Federal Regulations 273.1(a)

3.3.1.1 HUG (Households, Units, Groups)

To determine who is nonfinancially eligible for FoodShare, you must start with all household members.

H  - Households:  

Households consist of all persons living in or temporarily absent from the same residence.  It is important to enter all household members into CARES to ensure that the correct eligibility determination is made.

U  - Food Units:  

One or more persons who live in the same household and purchase and prepare food together for home consumption. This group is tested for eligibility together. There are some exceptions for boarders, foster persons, and certain elderly and disabled individuals.

Examples

Examples of a food unit include:

1. A person living alone.

2. A group of persons living together who purchase and prepare meals together for home consumption.

3. A person (or group of persons) living with others, but who usually purchases and prepares food for home consumption separately from the others.

Purchase and Prepare

People living together who:

1. Share in the cost of purchasing food.

2. Share in the preparation of food.

3. Eat together.

Each person does not have to shop, provide money, prepare food, and eat together.  Any of those activities is sufficient to include a member in purchasing and preparing food with the group.

G  - Food Groups

The FoodShare group is formed by persons who are in the same food unit and pass all the individual non-financial criteria.  This table identifies where to find non-financial CARES screens and policy references.

3.3.1.2 Relationship Definitions

Adult : a person who is 18 years old or older.

Child a person's biological, step, or adopted son or daughter, regardless of age.: a person's biological, step, or adopted son or daughter, regardless of age. If a child is adopted, the adoption severs the biological tie to the parent.

Minor someone less than 18 years old who is under the parental control an adult providing parental control acts as a parent would toward the minor child. A minor child is considered under parental control if the child is financially or otherwise dependent on a member of the household. Foster care providers do not meet the parental control definition. of an adult a person who is 18 years old or older food unit member: someone less than 18 years old who is under the parental control of an adult food unit member.

Parent a person's biological, step, or adoptive mother or father regardless of age. Parenthood doesn't have to be verified: a person's biological, step, or adoptive mother or father regardless of age. Parenthood doesn't have to be verified.  If a child is adopted, the adoption severs the biological tie to the parent.

Parental Control: an adult providing parental control acts as a parent would toward the minor child. A minor child is considered under parental control if the child is financially or otherwise dependent on a member of the household. Foster care providers do not meet the parental control definition.

Sibling brother, sister, half-brother, half-sister, stepbrother, stepsister, and siblings related through adoption: brother, sister, half-brother, half-sister, stepbrother, stepsister, and siblings related through adoption.

Spouse A person recognized by Wisconsin law as another person's legal husband or wife. Wisconsin does not recognize common law marriage.: A person recognized by Wisconsin law as another person's legal husband or wife.  Wisconsin does not recognize common law marriage.

Stepparent : The spouse of a person who is the biological parent of a child. A stepparent that is divorced from a biological parent is no longer considered a stepparent.

3.3.1.3 Relationship Rules

7 CFR 273.1(b)(1)

The following individuals must be included in the same food unit, even if they do not purchase and prepare meals together:

1. Spouses and spouses,

2. Biological (unless no longer a parent because of adoption), adoptive, or step-parents and their children under the age of 22, and  

3. Adults and minor children under the age of 18 years over whom they are exercising parental control.

Under certain specific circumstances, individuals and their spouses who are elderly and disabled may be a separate food unit, even if they are living and eating with others. See 5.2.1 for rules related to FS-E eligibility.

Note: The provision that allows EBD Elderly, Blind, or Disabled HH members who cannot purchase and prepare their meals separately does not take precedence over the basic HH composition provision which requires children under 22 years of age who reside with their EBD parent to be included in the same HH.

3.3.1.4 Relationship Rules Exception

A minor, living with his or her own spouse or child and with an adult who is not the minor's parent, is not considered under the control of the adult and can be a separate food unit if they purchase and prepare food separately.

This page last updated in Release Number: 09-02

Release Date: 06/26/09

Effective Date: 06/26/09