How to Apply for Wyoming POWER Benefits Without Your Retirement Income Counting

If you are a grandparent or relative raising a child in Wyoming and you need cash assistance without your Social Security, pension, or savings being counted, you need the POWER Caretaker Relative pathway — not the standard POWER application. Both use the same DFS form. Both go through the same county office. But the income-counting rules are completely different, and the default intake process uses the one that counts your retirement.

Here is how to make sure the application goes through the pathway that excludes your income.

The Two POWER Tracks and Why It Matters

Wyoming runs its TANF cash assistance through the POWER program (Personal Opportunities With Employment Responsibilities). Within POWER there are two distinct tracks:

Standard POWER (Work Program): Serves intact family units. Counts all household income, including yours. A family of three with zero income receives up to $781–$939 per month, but the monthly income eligibility ceiling is $1,539 — so a grandparent receiving $1,800 in Social Security would be over the limit.

POWER Caretaker Relative: Serves non-parent relatives (grandparents, aunts, uncles, siblings) who maintain daily care and control of a child whose parents are absent from the home. Evaluates only the child's own income and resources. Your Social Security, pension, 401(k), home equity, and savings are excluded entirely from the calculation. A child with no income of their own receives $259 per month.

The difference between these two tracks can be the difference between receiving $259 a month for the child and receiving nothing. Both tracks use the same Application for Assistance (Form DFS 100). The form itself does not have a checkbox that says "Caretaker Relative pathway." The designation depends on what the eligibility worker enters during processing.

The Application Process

Before You Call or Visit DFS

Gather these documents before contacting the office — having them ready prevents delays and follow-up appointments:

1. Your identification (driver's license, state ID, or passport)
2. The child's birth certificate or other proof of age and identity
3. Proof of your relationship to the child (your own birth certificate showing the connecting relative, or other documentation establishing the family relationship)
4. Proof the child lives with you (school enrollment showing your address, medical records, a letter from the child's school, or a sworn statement)
5. Evidence the parent is absent (not required to be a court order — an affidavit explaining the circumstances is accepted)
6. The child's income documentation (if the child receives any income such as Social Security survivor benefits or child support — if none, state that)
7. Your own income documentation (Social Security statement, pension statement) — not because it should count, but because DFS will ask, and having it ready lets you show the worker why the Caretaker Relative track applies

When You Contact DFS

You can apply at your county DFS office in person or submit the Application for Assistance by mail or email. The key conversation happens during the mandatory intake interview, which can be completed by phone on the state interview line at 1-307-777-8550 after DFS receives your application.

When you speak with the eligibility worker, state clearly: "I am applying as a non-needy caretaker relative. The child's parents are absent from the home, and I want the application processed under the Caretaker Relative designation where only the child's income is counted."

This is not adversarial. The eligibility worker processes dozens of applications. By stating the designation upfront, you are making their job easier — they know immediately which income-counting rules apply and which sections of the form matter.

What Can Go Wrong

The most common problem: the application is processed under the standard means-tested track by default. This happens when the caregiver does not mention the Caretaker Relative pathway and the intake worker applies the general household rules.

If this happens, your Social Security and pension appear in the eligibility calculation. If your income exceeds the standard POWER threshold ($1,539 for a family of three), the application is denied — even though you would have qualified on the Caretaker Relative track where your income is excluded.

A denial on the wrong track is not the end. You have 30 days from the denial notice to request a Fair Hearing. The hearing examines whether the correct income-counting rules were applied. But prevention is far simpler than appeal — which is why you state the designation at intake.

Beyond POWER: Other Programs Where Income Rules Vary

The POWER Caretaker Relative grant is the most dramatic example of income exclusion in Wyoming's benefit system, but it is not the only program where the income-counting method matters for a relative caregiver:

• SNAP counts your income but allows the excess shelter deduction and an uncapped medical expense deduction for household members age 60 or older — deductions that many applicants do not know to document
• Medicaid/CHIP for the child uses MAGI tax-filer and non-filer household rules to determine whose income counts; a caregiver is not included solely because the child lives with them
• ECARES childcare subsidies have their own eligibility criteria (updated April 2026) tied to approved work, education, or job-search activities
• WIC for eligible children under five has its own income guidelines; enrollment in SNAP, TANF/POWER, Wyoming Medicaid, or Kid Care CHIP meets the income requirement

Each program has a different income-counting method. Getting POWER right is the first and most impactful step, but coordinating all the applications — knowing which income counts where and which deductions to claim — determines whether the child receives the full range of support Wyoming provides.

Who This Is For

• Grandparents on Social Security or a pension who need cash assistance for a grandchild without their retirement being counted
• Aunts, uncles, or siblings who took in a relative's child and earn enough to disqualify on the standard track but qualify when only the child's income is evaluated
• Anyone who was denied POWER and suspects the application was processed under the wrong income-counting rules
• Family members helping a caregiver prepare for the DFS intake interview

Who This Is NOT For

• Parents applying for POWER for their own children — the Caretaker Relative track is for non-parent relatives only
• Caregivers who already receive the POWER Caretaker Relative grant and just need to recertify
• Anyone seeking help with a contested custody matter — that requires legal representation, not a benefits application

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a court custody order to apply as a Caretaker Relative?

No. Wyoming does not require a formal custody or guardianship order to apply for the POWER Caretaker Relative grant. You need to demonstrate that you are a relative, that the child lives with you, and that the parents are absent from the home. An informal arrangement with a sworn statement is accepted.

What counts as "the child's income" on the Caretaker Relative track?

Only income and resources belonging to the child: Social Security survivor benefits paid in the child's name, child support received for the child, any trust income, or earned income if the child works. Your income, your spouse's income, and your assets are excluded.

Can I receive both the POWER Caretaker Relative grant and SNAP?

Yes. The two programs have separate eligibility determinations. SNAP does count your household income, but the available deductions for seniors (excess shelter, uncapped medical) can significantly increase your SNAP benefit. Receiving POWER does not disqualify you from SNAP or vice versa.

What if the intake worker does not know about the Caretaker Relative designation?

This is rare but possible, particularly with newer staff. Ask to speak with a supervisor, or reference the POWER Caretaker Relative policy that evaluates only the child's income and resources for non-parent relatives. The policy is in the DFS manual — you are not asking for a special favor, you are asking for the correct application of existing rules.

How long does the POWER application take?

DFS sets a 30-calendar-day processing limit for POWER applications. The clock starts the day after a DFS field office receives the application; the intake interview is part of processing. If you need faster help, ask about expedited SNAP processing (7-day issuance for crisis situations) to cover food costs while the POWER application is pending.

The Wyoming Kinship Benefits Navigator covers the complete POWER Caretaker Relative application process alongside every other program a relative caregiver can access — with the exact documents to bring, the income-counting rules for each program, and what to do if an application is denied.

See more Wyoming guides →