How to Apply for Alabama Child-Only TANF Without Losing Your Retirement Income

If you're a grandparent or relative raising a child in Alabama and you want cash assistance without your retirement income being counted, you need to apply through the non-needy relative Family Assistance pathway. This is Alabama's version of child-only TANF: the eligibility determination looks at the child's own income only — child support, survivor benefits, trust payments — and excludes your Social Security, pension, disability, savings, and employment income entirely.

The standard Family Assistance application form is used for the child-only non-needy relative pathway as well. Make clear that you are applying as a non-needy relative caretaker; in that case, the caregiver's income and resources are excluded from the child's eligibility calculation. DHR evaluates the child's countable income under the Family Assistance rules.

What "Non-Needy Relative" Actually Means

Under Alabama's TANF rules (administered as Family Assistance through DHR), a "non-needy relative" is a caretaker who is not asking for assistance for themselves — only for the child. The relative is not a member of the assistance unit. This means:

• Your income doesn't count. Social Security, pension, SSDI, SSI, employment wages, and investment income are excluded from the eligibility determination.
• Your assets don't count. The non-needy relative caregiver's resources are excluded from the child's eligibility calculation. A grandparent with a home, a car, and retirement savings is not disqualified on that basis.
• Only the child's countable income is evaluated. This can include child support received on the child's behalf, SSI or Social Security survivor benefits paid to the child, direct earnings, and unearned cash assets belonging to the child.
• The relative is the payee, not a member of the child-only assistance unit. The non-needy relative pathway evaluates the child's eligibility separately from the caregiver's.

The maximum monthly payment standard is $165 for one eligible child and $215 for an assistance unit of three. Family Assistance cases classified as "TANF — Other Relative" are among the childcare subsidy priority groups that bypass the statewide waitlist.

The Application Process

Alabama DHR accepts Family Assistance applications through three channels:

1. ACES online portal — accepts SNAP and TANF applications in Dallas, Elmore, Montgomery, Talladega, and Tuscaloosa counties
2. OneAlabama portal — the Family Assistance online application route outside those five pilot counties
3. County DHR office — paper or in-person submission at any of Alabama's 67 county offices

The Family Assistance paper form is the same for child-only and other cases. Identify the application as a child-only non-needy relative case so DHR evaluates the child's countable income and excludes the caregiver's finances.

What Goes Wrong Without Preparation

Three patterns show up repeatedly when grandparents apply without understanding the non-needy relative pathway:

1. You apply without identifying the child-only pathway. The same Family Assistance form is used for different case types. Make clear that you are applying as a non-needy relative caretaker so your retirement income is excluded from the child's eligibility calculation.

2. You apply online. DHR accepts online Family Assistance applications through OneAlabama outside the ACES pilot counties and through ACES in the five pilot counties. Identify the application as child-only and ask DHR how to provide the child's income information; do not assume the online form has separate fields for the two case types.

3. You get approved, then the case is reviewed at renewal. Family Assistance renews on a 12-month cycle. Identify the case as child-only non-needy relative again at renewal so the caregiver's income and resources remain excluded from the child's eligibility calculation.

Each of these outcomes is recoverable — you can reapply on the correct pathway or request a Fair Hearing — but recovery takes time. Family Assistance applications take up to 30 days to process. A Fair Hearing can take longer. During that wait, the child's needs continue at your expense.

What Documents a Child-Only Application Needs

The child's countable income is the focus of the child-only financial eligibility test. DHR also needs to verify the caregiver's relationship to the child and the child's residence:

• Proof of the child's identity: birth certificate, Social Security card
• Proof of relationship: the child's birth certificate showing the parent, plus documentation connecting you to the parent (your own birth certificate, marriage records, or other proof of the family relationship)
• Proof of residence: showing the child lives with you — school enrollment records, medical records with your address, mail addressed to the child at your address
• The child's income documentation: child support payment records, SSI or Social Security benefit statements if the child receives benefits, direct earnings, and any trust distributions
• Proof of the child's citizenship or eligible immigration status

The caregiver's income and resources are excluded from the child-only eligibility calculation. Ask the county DHR office which documents it needs for the child's income and the non-needy relative application.

What Happens After You Apply

DHR has 30 calendar days to make an eligibility determination from the date your application is received. If approved, benefits are retroactive to the date of application. You'll receive an EBT card for the monthly cash grant.

If denied, the notice letter specifies the reason. Read it carefully. If the denial counts caregiver income in a child-only case, you can reapply on the non-needy relative pathway or request a Fair Hearing within the notice deadline:

• Reapply as a child-only non-needy relative, where the caregiver's income and resources are excluded
• Request a Fair Hearing within 60 calendar days of the notice date to challenge the eligibility determination

What This Unlocks Beyond the Cash Grant

Family Assistance approval on the non-needy relative pathway has cascading benefits:

• Childcare subsidy priority: children in "TANF — Other Relative" cases are a priority group exempt from the statewide childcare waitlist implemented May 8, 2026
• Direct certification for free school meals: a child receiving Family Assistance is automatically certified for free school meals without a separate application
• WIC eligibility: a child under five receiving Family Assistance automatically meets WIC's financial income test; the child must still meet WIC's other requirements
• Medicaid/ALL Kids: child health coverage has separate income rules and application routes; a child's eligibility is based on the child's household under MAGI rules

Who This Is For

• Grandparents on Social Security or a pension who need cash assistance for a grandchild without their retirement income being evaluated
• Relatives raising a child informally — without a court order — who were told they need legal custody before they can apply for benefits
• Caregivers who applied for Family Assistance on the standard track, were denied due to household income, and want to understand the correct pathway
• Adult children helping an older parent apply for benefits for a grandchild in Alabama

Who This Is NOT For

• Caregivers who also need cash assistance for themselves — the non-needy relative child-only pathway evaluates the child, not the caregiver
• Families already receiving foster care maintenance payments through a DHR placement — foster care and Family Assistance are separate programs with different eligibility rules
• Anyone in a custody dispute who needs legal representation — contact Legal Services Alabama (1-866-456-4995)

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I apply for child-only Family Assistance without a court order?

Yes. A court custody or guardianship order is not required. You can apply as an informal caregiver — a relative who has physical custody of the child by family arrangement. Proof that the child lives with you (school records, medical records, mail) is sufficient.

What if the DHR worker insists on my income information?

Explain that you are applying for a child-only non-needy relative case, where the caregiver's income and resources are excluded from the child's eligibility calculation. Ask the worker how to provide the child's income information. If the written decision counts your income, request a Fair Hearing within 60 calendar days of the notice date.

How much is the monthly grant?

For a child-only case, the maximum monthly payment standard is $165 for one eligible child and $215 for an assistance unit of three. The amount is modest, but Family Assistance directly certifies a school-age child for free school meals and satisfies the WIC income test for a child under five.

Does getting Family Assistance affect my Social Security or pension?

The child-only Family Assistance grant is paid on behalf of the child, and the caregiver's income and resources are excluded from this eligibility calculation. For questions about how another program or pension counts the grant, contact the agency that administers that benefit.

The Alabama Kinship Benefits Navigator walks through the non-needy relative application process — which documents to bring, how the caregiver-income exclusion works, and how to identify the child-only case with your county DHR office.

See more Alabama guides →