Does the requirement to verify qualified alien status apply to children participating in the SFSP?
A2:No. Jurisdictions only need to verify qualified alien status for benefits that are Federal public benefits. According to Title IV of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996, in order for a benefit to be considered a Federal public benefit, it must be provided to an “individual, household, or family eligibility unit.” HHS has previously determined that benefits that are generally targeted to communities or specified sectors of the population without individual eligibility determinations of need do not fall within the definition of Federal public benefits (63 Fed. Reg. 41658, 41660 [Aug. 4, 1998]).
