How to Apply for Utah's Specified Relative Grant

Where to Start

The Specified Relative Grant runs through Utah's Department of Workforce Services (DWS), and the fastest path is the online myCase portal at jobs.utah.gov. You will fill out Form 61 — the same multi-program application used for SNAP, Medicaid, and child care assistance. There is no separate kinship-only form.

If you do not have reliable internet access, you can apply by phone at 1-866-435-7414 or walk into any regional DWS Employment Center with a paper application.

Filling Out the Application

When myCase asks about household members, list only the child or children in your care — not yourself. You are applying as a "non-needy caretaker relative," which means you are requesting benefits on behalf of the child, not for your own household. Your income fields should reflect this: the application needs the child's income (Social Security Survivor benefits, child support received, any trust disbursements), not yours.

Mark that you are a specified relative — grandparent, aunt, uncle, sibling, or other qualifying relationship — and that the biological parents are absent from the home. DWS will ask you to attest under penalty of perjury that the child lives with you and the parents are not present.

You do not need the parents' signatures. If they are unreachable, incarcerated, or unwilling to co-sign, you can proceed without them. Inform DWS of the situation, and they will handle the administrative waivers.

Documents You Need

DWS will issue a Verification Checklist (Form 214) after receiving your application. Getting ahead of it saves weeks. Gather these before you apply:

• Child's birth certificate or hospital crib card — proves identity and age
• Child's Social Security card or SSA assignment slip
• Proof of your relationship — birth certificates that connect you to the child's parent, a court guardianship order, or a § 75-5-103 power of attorney
• Utah residency proof — a current utility bill, lease, or mortgage receipt showing your street address
• Child's income documentation — if the child receives Social Security benefits or child support, bring the benefit statement or ORS payment history

Upload everything through myCase if you can. The portal generates a confirmation number for each document — write those down or screenshot them. If a document goes missing in the system, that number is your proof it was submitted.

What Happens After You Apply

DWS has 30 to 45 calendar days to process FEP cash assistance applications. During that window, a caseworker reviews your documents and may request additional verification.

If DWS sends a Verification Checklist, you have 30 days from the notice date to return the requested items. Submit between days 31 and 60, and DWS can reopen the application without a new filing — but benefits are prorated from the date they receive the documents. After 60 days, you start over.

DWS will also refer your case to the Office of Recovery Services (ORS) for child support enforcement against the absent parents. If cooperating with ORS would put you or the child at risk, file a Good Cause claim immediately — do not wait for ORS to contact you.

After Approval

Benefits load onto a Horizon card. For one child, the maximum monthly grant is $383. The amount is based on the number of eligible children in the assistance unit and any income belonging to the child.

Once the cash grant is active, the child is eligible for Medicaid, and FEP cash can directly certify the child for free school meals. FEP also makes the child adjunctively eligible for WIC, but WIC requires intake through a local county health department clinic. These linked benefits are one of the biggest advantages of getting the Specified Relative Grant in place first.

For a complete picture of all the benefits available and how they interact, the Utah Kinship Financial Help guide walks through every program, document, and deadline.

See more Utah guides →