Revision 18-1; Effective January 1, 2018

All Programs

Applicants must live in Texas to be eligible for benefits. The household is not required to have a permanent dwelling or fixed residence.

TANF and Medical Programs

Individuals who live in Texas (other than for migrant or itinerant work) meet the residency requirement if they are living in Texas intending to remain in Texas. People who live in Texas for a temporary purpose do not meet the residency requirement.

The person's residence becomes questionable when the post office returns Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) correspondence or benefits as undeliverable.

Migrant and itinerant workers meet the residency requirement when applying if they:

• live in the state;
• entered the state with a job commitment or an intention to seek employment (regardless of current employment status); and
• do not receive assistance from another state.

SNAP

People who live in Texas for any purpose other than a vacation meet the residency requirement, regardless of the length of time they have been here or plan to stay.

Related Policy

Form TF0001 Required (Adequate Notice), A-2344.1

Revision 24-2; Effective April 1, 2024

All Programs

A person cannot participate in more than one state in any month.

Use these resources to contact agencies in other states to verify if a new Texas resident's benefits have ended in another state:

• Medicaid and CHIP program contact information;
• The National Directory of SNAP Agencies on The LOOP; or
• TANF program contact information.

Medical Programs

New Texas residents may receive overlapping Medicaid coverage.

SNAP

Residents in an approved shelter for battered persons may participate twice in the month of application if they participated first with the person who abused or threatened them with abuse.

Related Policy 

Medicaid Coverage for New State Residents, A-822
 

Revision 15-4; Effective October 1, 2015

All Programs

Individuals keep their residence status when they move within Texas.

TANF and SNAP

A person cannot participate as a member of more than one household in any month.

SNAP

Residents in an approved shelter for battered persons may participate twice during the month of application if they participated first with the person who abused them or threatened them with abuse.

Related Policy

Household Composition, A-200

Revision 15-4; Effective October 1, 2015

TANF and Medical Programs

A certified individual becomes ineligible if the individual moves to another state:

• with the intent to remain there, or
• without declaring intent to return.

If the individual returns to Texas within 90 days and states that the move was not intended to be permanent, the advisor must:

• reopen the Eligibility Determination Group (EDG) using the reason denied-in-error; and
• issue restored benefits, if appropriate.

SNAP

A household is not eligible for benefits issued for a month after the household leaves Texas.

When a household member notifies HHSC that the household moved out of Texas, Form TF0001, Notice of Case Action, is not required. If the household has not yet moved, the advisor must issue Form TF0001 to provide adequate notice. The EDG is denied effective the end of the month they move, if possible.

Related Policy

Canceling Benefits, B-330

Revision 15-4; Effective October 1, 2015

TANF and Medical Programs

Individuals do not lose their residence status when they temporarily leave Texas.

An individual can be absent from Texas for any length of time. Advisors must review the situation every three months to determine the individual's intent to maintain Texas residence. The individual must reasonably explain:

• the purpose for leaving Texas,
• the intent to return to Texas, and
• which state the individual claims residency in.

An individual is a resident of Texas unless there is substantial, factual evidence that proves otherwise. When the advisor determines that the individual is no longer a resident, the individual is denied.

SNAP

A person is not eligible for SNAP in Texas for any month the individual is out of Texas the entire month.

Revision 24-4; Effective Oct.1, 2024

All Programs except TP 33, TP 34, TP 35, TP 43, TP 44, TP 45, TP 48 and TP 56

Verify the actual physical address of a household at each application and redetermination.

Verify the last month any benefits were issued when an applicant recently moved to Texas from another state.

When staff cannot verify residence with readily available evidence, they must:

• contact the landlord, neighbors, or other sources of reliable information; or
• observe personal effects and living arrangements.

Note: If any household residence is questionable, staff may require the household provide a more reliable source of verification, such as one of the primary verification sources. Do not restrict the additional verification requested to a specific source from that list.

TANF and Medical Programs

Determine if the household plans to remain in Texas at each application and redetermination.

TP 40

Postpone verifying residence if trying to meet expedited service time frames.

TP 33, TP 34, TP 35, TP 43, TP 44, TP 45, TP 48 and TP 56

Verify residency using the household’s statement, unless questionable.

Related Policy

Prudent Person Principle, A-137
Expedited Service, A-140
Special Treatment for Households Meeting Categorical Eligibility Criteria, B-472
Questionable Information, C-920

A-761 Verification Sources

Revision 22-2; Effective April 1, 2022

All Programs except Children’s Medicaid

The following are acceptable sources to verify the household's current address:

• utility bills or utility company records;
• rent receipt or statement from non-relative landlord;
• mortgage receipt or statement from mortgage company;
• valid Texas driver license or Department of Public Safety (DPS) identification card;
• Data Broker residence reported on the DPS data field;
• Department of Motor Vehicles record;
• school records;
• voter registration card;
• statement from child care provider;
• employment records or statement from employer;
• official records confirming ownership of property;
• home visit;
• SOLQ for Social Security benefit recipients, including those receiving Medicare;
• item of mail with household name and address;
• other HHSC correspondence the applicant can provide showing the household received it at the applicant's current Texas address;
• inquiry into Office of the Attorney General (OAG), Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) or another entity’s automated system, outside of HHSC, showing the same Texas address currently reported by the household;
• a local landline number the applicant provides (not a cell phone number) that is either listed in the phone book or an online directory with the same Texas address the household currently reports, or the household can be contacted at that local phone number when conducting a phone interview;
• searches resulting in a match between the address and the phone number provided by the applicant using the Data Broker Search Options Menu, Telephone Number Search;
• post office records;
• city or crisscross directory;
• church records; or
• statement from non-relative.

Exception: Self-declaration of residence is acceptable when certifying a child for TP 56, MA - Medically Needy with Spend Down.

TANF and Medical Programs

The applicant's statement of intent to remain in Texas is acceptable.

Children's Medicaid

Self-declaration.

Related Policy

Questionable Information, C-920
Providing Verification, C-930

Revision 24-4; Effective Oct. 1, 2024

All Programs

Document:

• the household’s proof of address; and
• all efforts to verify residence if unusual circumstances make residency verification difficult.

TANF and Medical Programs

For temporary visits outside of Texas, document the household member’s:

• purpose for leaving the state;
• intent to return to Texas; and
• state they consider their residence.

Related Policy

Prudent Person Principle, A-137
Documentation, C-940
The Texas Works Documentation Guide