Child-Only Cash Assistance New York Income Rules

The Core Rule: Your Income Is Invisible

When a grandparent, aunt, uncle, or other non-parent caregiver applies for a child-only grant in New York, the caregiver's income and assets are excluded from the child's Temporary Assistance eligibility calculation. 18 NYCRR Parts 350–352 govern these cases; OTDA refers to them as non-parent caregiver cases.

It does not matter whether you earn a salary, collect a pension, receive Social Security retirement benefits, or have significant savings. None of it enters the equation. The child is treated as a standalone assistance unit.

What Does Count

Only the child's own income is evaluated:

• Social Security survivor benefits received in the child's name
• Supplemental Security Income (SSI) if the child qualifies
• Child support payments routed to or on behalf of the child
• Trust income or other unearned income in the child's name

Each dollar of countable child income reduces the grant dollar-for-dollar. A child in NYC eligible for the maximum $439.70 per month who receives $200 in survivor benefits would get a net grant of $239.70.

What Does Not Count

• Wages earned by a full-time student — fully disregarded under 18 NYCRR § 352.20
• Occasional gifts — birthday money, holiday gifts, or modest allowances are excluded unless they form a regular, predictable income stream
• The caregiver's home, vehicle, and retirement accounts — entirely exempt regardless of value
• The caregiver's bank accounts — only the child's individual assets are measured against the resource ceiling

Why Intake Workers Sometimes Get This Wrong

The child-only Temporary Assistance calculation excludes your income and resources. New York requires non-parent caregivers to provide income and resource information on the LDSS-2921, but the district cannot count it when deciding the child's Temporary Assistance eligibility. Caregiver income documents may still be needed for other benefits, such as SNAP or CCAP.

If a worker counts your income or resources toward the child's child-only Temporary Assistance eligibility, ask the worker to confirm the case classification. If this happens:

1. State clearly that you are applying as a non-parent caregiver for child-only assistance
2. Ask the worker to identify the application as a non-parent caregiver case
3. Note the worker's name and the date
4. If they insist on counting your income, you have the right to request a Fair Hearing through OTDA at 1-800-342-3334

The NYS Kinship Navigator (1-877-454-6463) can also help you clarify the correct process with your local district.

Child-Only Grant vs. Household Grant

The difference matters for every other benefit you apply for:

SNAP uses the "purchase and prepare" rule — people who live together and customarily purchase and prepare food together are generally one SNAP household. This catches many caregivers off guard. The child-only grant shields your income from the cash calculation, but food benefits work differently.

Understanding which programs exclude caregiver income and which do not is the difference between applying strategically and leaving money on the table. The complete New York kinship benefits guide maps the income rules for every program and explains how to sequence your applications.

See more New York guides →