Submitted by goldieismyhedgehog t3_10nxi7f in Pennsylvania
Hi. My friend is trying to apply for cash assistance in pa but they rejected her because she doesn’t get child support. She unfortunately doesn’t know who the father of either of her two kids are so she can’t reach out or anything.
Does she have any options?
Also please let me know if this is the wrong sub.
She’s working on appealing but what is the option she has? How can she make sure the appeal doesn’t get rejected too
She did not get rejected for that reason alone, perhaps she misunderstood the notice. Anyone applying for TANF must attempt to receive support from an absent relative before receiving the benefit. The state will pay for up to 3 paternity tests per child. It is important to establish paternity for reasons beyond financial benefit (medical history, etc). There is an exemption if doing so would put the family at risk for domestic violence or if the child was conceived due to rape. Should your friend choose not to pursue support she can still qualify if otherwise eligible however the grant is reduced by 25% for failure to cooperate with support requirements.
There's no way to be sure except to be thorough. State her case honestly, have testimony or statements from others as proof she has no info on the fathers.
Ah thank you I’ll relay this information
There's a 25% reduction if you don't cooperate with child support for cash. They should not have rejected her, just decreased her benefit by 25%. Follow through with the appeal and explain the situation to the appeal worker.
Got it! Thank you!
My understanding is that you need to name three potential fathers. They will order DNA testing and if there's not a match there is no problem.
Surely she can name at least three people she was sleeping with around the time of conception.
That’s so embarrassing 😭 to just reach out to the random that have a very low probability (because otherwise she have already done it) people years later
I do agree with you, it is absolutely embarrassing. And it's horrible that the state requires it.
However, (welfare requirements aside) from the perspective of the child, their right to know who their father is supersedes any other person's rights. A close friend of mine is in her 40s and she has no idea who her father is, and her mom won't tell her anything. They are no longer talking because she is in the process of doing a 23 and me to get some information. Please encourage your friend to find out who the dad is. Not because TANF requires it, but because her children deserve to know their history. And they also deserve the financial support of the sperm donor.
Fair point! Thanks for the input!
[removed]
Whose names are on the birth certificates?
There are no names on the birth certificate’s
Economy-Cantaloupe42 t1_j6bg8i4 wrote
There is a requirement to provide the name and any info on the father. If she was rejected due to not providing that she should appeal. That is always an option, even if they don't tell you it is.