New Jersey Administrative Code › Title 10 - HUMAN SERVICES › Chapter 87 - NEW JERSEY SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (NJ SNAP) MANUAL › Subchapter 2 - THE APPLICATION PROCESS › Section 10:87-2.2 - Household defined

Current through Register Vol. 56, No. 14, July 15, 2024
(a) A household may be composed of any of the
				following individuals or groups of individuals:
1. Individual living alone;
2. An individual living with others, but who
				customarily purchases food and prepares meals for home consumption separate and
				apart from others.
i. Any person who has a
				disability that prevents him or her from purchasing or preparing his or her own
				food, but who has arranged to have his or her food purchased and prepared
				separate and apart from others in the household, may claim separate household
				status. Separate household status may be granted even if the person who shops
				for food or prepares meals for the disabled person is residing with the
				disabled person;
3. A
				group of individuals living together for whom food is purchased in common and
				for whom meals are prepared together for home consumption;
4. An individual who is 60 years of age or
				older (and the spouse of such individual) living with others who is unable to
				purchase and prepare meals because he or she suffers from a disability
				considered permanent under the Social Security Act or suffers from some other
				physical or mental nondisease-related, severe, permanent disability may be a
				separate household (see definition of elderly or disabled at
				10:87-2.34 and verification
				requirements at
				10:87-2.19(i) ).
				However, the gross monthly income of the household with which the individual
				resides cannot exceed the gross monthly income eligibility standard for the
				appropriate household size at
				10:87-12.7. This income
				determination shall be made in accordance with the following procedures:
i. The gross monthly income of the others
				with whom the elderly, disabled person resides shall be determined as if they
				were applying for participation in the program. The income of the elderly,
				disabled person and his or her spouse is not included in the calculation. The
				elderly, disabled person and his or her spouse are not to be considered
				household members for this purpose;
ii. The gross monthly income of the others
				shall then be compared to the monthly income eligibility standard for the
				appropriate household size in
				10:87-12.7 to determine if the
				income is within the prescribed limit. The elderly, disabled person and his or
				her spouse would not be considered as household members for this
				comparison.
5. An
				applicant household that has customarily purchased and prepared food separately
				in the past but, because of changes in financial or other circumstances, is now
				temporarily buying and preparing food with others, shall be considered a
				separate household, providing it intends to return to its former status upon
				receipt of NJ SNAP benefits. The applicant household's statements on past and
				intended practices shall suffice, except when the information provided is
				questionable according to the criteria at
				10:87-2.19(i). If
				the applicant household does not return to its former status, the actual
				household composition will prevail and will be considered a client-reportable
				change in accordance with
				10:87-9.5(a) and
				(b). The 10-day period for reporting that the
				applicant household has not returned to its former status will commence upon
				receipt of NJ SNAP benefits.