WAC 388-422-0005

Effective January 30, 2010

WAC 388-422-0005 What happens to my child, spousal and medical support when I get public assistance?

  1. "We" means the department of social and health services.
  2. "You" means a person applying for or getting benefits from us.
  3. "Benefits" mean family medical and related alien emergency medical (AEM), TANF or SFA cash assistance.
  4. "Support" means the money paid to meet a support order whether it is called child support, spousal support, alimony, maintenance, or medical support.
  • "Medical support" means either or both:
  1. The set dollar amount for health care costs in a support order; or
  2. Health insurance coverage for a dependent child.
  • "Assistance unit" or "AU" means the group of people who live together and whose income and resources we count to decide your eligibility for benefits and the amount of those benefits.
  • When you apply for TANF or SFA cash benefits, you permanently assign to the state your current support for the months you get assistance. If you applied for TANF or SFA cash benefits before October 1, 2008, support for months before you begin receiving assistance (also called "arrears" under WAC 388-14A-2036) is temporarily assigned to the state. For more information about permanently and temporarily assigned support see:
  1. Permanently assigned arrears,  WAC 388-14A-2037.
  2. Temporarily assigned arrears,  WAC 388-14A-2038.
  • You assign your rights to medical support under WAC 388-505-0540  when you apply for or get benefits from the following:
  1. Family medical; or
  2. Children's medical.
  • You assign your rights to support when your application for benefits is approved by the department.
  • If you have a good reason WAC 388-422-0020 DCS may not be able to establish or collect child support  WAC 388-14A-2060.
  • If you receive any support payments before you assign your rights to support, we count this as unearned income to your AU WAC 388-450-0025.
  • If you receive any direct support payments during the month you apply, you must report these payments and may count them as unearned income in determining your eligibility for benefits.
  •  If you keep any support payments you receive after you assign your rights to support, DCS may collect this money from you  WAC 388-14A-5505.

This is a reprint of the official rule as published by the Office of the Code Reviser. If there are previous versions of this rule, they can be found using the Legislative Search page.