Best Financial Help for Grandparents Raising Grandchildren in Pennsylvania on a Fixed Income

If you are a grandparent raising a grandchild in Pennsylvania on Social Security, a pension, or both, the most important thing to know is that some programs evaluate the child separately from your income. Child-Only TANF excludes a non-needy relative caregiver's income, and a child in an informal relative-care arrangement may be evaluated as a household of one for Medical Assistance. SNAP and the Caregiver Support Program use household-income rules, so your income may matter for those programs.

Why Fixed-Income Grandparents Miss Benefits They Qualify For

Pennsylvania's kinship care benefits are administered by at least five separate agencies, and none of them advertises the income exclusion rules in plain language. A grandparent living on $1,800 a month in Social Security sees that number and assumes they are "over the limit" for everything. They never apply.

But Child-Only TANF uses a different calculation. When you apply as a non-needy caretaker relative — meaning you are not seeking cash for yourself, only for the child — the County Assistance Office evaluates the child's income alone. Your Social Security, your pension, your part-time wages, and your bank balance are excluded from the determination. The child's own income (if any — most children have none) is what matters.

A specified relative may qualify the child for monthly cash assistance if the child meets TANF requirements; the caregiver's income alone does not disqualify the child-only case.

The Programs That Matter Most on a Fixed Income

1. Child-Only TANF Cash Grant

Monthly cash payment for the child. Does not count the caregiver's income. Payment amounts vary by Pennsylvania's four Family Size Allowance county groups: the one-child maximum is $215 in Group 1 counties and $174 in Group 4 counties; Philadelphia is in Group 2. Apply through COMPASS or your County Assistance Office using the PA 600.

2. Caregiver Support Program (CSP)

Administered through your local Area Agency on Aging. Reimburses eligible relative caregivers age 55 and older who share a residence with a dependent child under 18; legal custody is not required. The Area Agency on Aging assesses household income. Reimbursement is up to $600 per month for ongoing costs and up to $5,000 lifetime for home modifications or assistive devices.

3. Medical Assistance and CHIP

Health coverage for the child. Under Pennsylvania's MAGI rules, a child in an informal relative-care arrangement may be evaluated as a household of one, excluding caregiver income. A relative caregiver can apply without a court custody order; a Caregiver Authorization Affidavit can authorize medical and educational consent but does not transfer custody.

4. SNAP Food Benefits

A child under 18 who is under your parental control must be included in your SNAP household if you purchase and prepare meals together. In that case, household income is evaluated; a child-only TANF grant does not create a separate SNAP unit.

5. Child Care Works

Subsidized childcare for caregivers who meet the program's work or education requirement, typically 20 hours per week or 10 hours of work plus 10 hours of training, unless exempt due to age or disability. Child Care Works evaluates total household income. Apply through your regional Early Learning Resource Center.

6. Free School Meals and WIC

Children under 5 may qualify for WIC; children receiving Medical Assistance or SNAP are adjunctively financially eligible. Public school students in participating schools receive free breakfast, and children receiving SNAP or child-only TANF are directly certified for free school lunch.

How to Prioritize When You Are Overwhelmed

If you are on a fixed income and raising a grandchild, these are useful programs to check; TANF, SNAP, Medical Assistance/CHIP, and Child Care Works applications can be submitted together through COMPASS:

1. Child-Only TANF — apply as a non-needy specified relative; the caregiver's income is excluded from this child's TANF determination
2. Medical Assistance/CHIP — apply simultaneously through COMPASS; health coverage is the most expensive gap to cover out of pocket
3. SNAP — apply at the same time; household composition and countable income determine eligibility and benefit amount
4. Caregiver Support Program — call your Area Agency on Aging; this is the program most grandparents have never heard of, and it reimburses expenses you are already paying
5. Child Care Works — apply if you meet the work or education and household-income requirements
6. WIC and school meals — apply once the child is enrolled in school or if under 5

Who This Is For

• Grandparents on Social Security or a pension who assume they earn too much to qualify for benefits for their grandchild
• Retired caregivers supporting a grandchild with no additional income beyond their retirement
• Fixed-income relatives who have already applied for one benefit but do not realize there are other programs worth checking
• Adult children or younger relatives helping an older grandparent figure out the system

Who This Is NOT For

• Relatives seeking legal advice about custody or guardianship — a family lawyer or the SeniorLAW Center PA Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Legal Line (1-877-727-7529 for eligible caregivers age 60+) is the right resource
• Anyone wanting to become a licensed foster parent — that is a different system with different agencies
• Caregivers in other states — every program's rules and amounts are Pennsylvania-specific

The Real Obstacle Is Finding the Right Pathway

The research describes kinship caregivers — especially grandparents — facing administrative intimidation and confusion about which programs fit their arrangement. The programs are spread across agencies, their household rules differ, and income or the child's own eligibility can affect which benefits are available. A child-only TANF application excludes the qualifying relative caregiver's income, but that rule does not apply to every program.

A Pennsylvania grandparent on $1,500 a month in Social Security who is raising a 6-year-old grandchild could be eligible to apply for Child-Only TANF, SNAP, Medical Assistance, the Caregiver Support Program, and free school meals. The income rules differ: Child-Only TANF excludes the caregiver's income, and the child's Medical Assistance may use a household of one; SNAP and the Caregiver Support Program consider household income, so eligibility and amounts depend on the household's details.

The Financial Help for Grandparents and Relatives Raising a Child in Pennsylvania guide covers every one of these programs in a single document: the eligibility rules, the income calculations, the application steps, the documents to bring, and the appeal process if something goes wrong. It is written for grandparents, not caseworkers.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Child-Only TANF really not count my Social Security?

Correct. When you apply as a non-needy caretaker relative, the County Assistance Office evaluates only the child's income and resources. Your Social Security, pension, wages, and savings are excluded from the calculation. This is the single most misunderstood rule in Pennsylvania's kinship benefits system.

Can I get the Caregiver Support Program without legal custody?

Yes. The Caregiver Support Program is administered through your Area Agency on Aging and does not require a court order. You must be age 55 or older and caring for a child aged 18 or under. The program reimburses expenses you have already paid — you do not receive a lump sum.

What if I already applied for TANF and was denied?

If you were denied TANF, check whether the denial was because the caseworker counted your income. If you applied for an adult-inclusive grant rather than as a non-needy caretaker relative, the income rules would include yours. You can reapply under the child-only category. You have 30 calendar days from the notice mail date to request a Fair Hearing. If existing benefits are reduced or terminated, filing within 10 to 13 calendar days can keep them at the prior rate while you appeal (Aid-Paid-Pending).

How much can I get from all these programs combined?

It depends on the child's eligibility, your county, household composition, income, and approved expenses. The caregiver's income is excluded from a child-only TANF determination, and a child's Medical Assistance may use a household of one. SNAP, CSP, and Child Care Works use household-income rules, so do not assume eligibility or a combined monthly amount before the agencies determine the case.

Is there a single application for everything?

No. TANF, SNAP, and Medical Assistance/CHIP can be started through a single COMPASS application, but the Caregiver Support Program requires a separate call to your Area Agency on Aging, and Child Care Works goes through your regional Early Learning Resource Center. A benefits guide that covers all the programs in one place can help you track which applications go where.

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