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Virginia TANF: va_tanf pays two-parent (TANF-UP) units the 2020 TANF-UP standards, below the TANF standards; current law and manual give them the TANF standards

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Assessment

Difficulty
4/5
Estimated time
3-5 days
Newbie friendliness
56/100
Issue type
Bug
Clarity
Mostly clear
Activity status
Active
Tech stack
python
Domain
backend

Research direction

Start by tracing va_tanf, va_tanf_grant_standard, and up_grant_standard to their definitions and tests, then compare the applicable Virginia manual periods and standards described in the issue. The issue proposes using the regular TANF standard and ending the TANF-UP schedule, but says the date the schedule changed still needs a source. Done means the calculation and tests reflect the supported rule and period.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.

Description

bug hhs/tanf states/va

Summary

va_tanf pays units with two able-bodied parents (va_up_tanf_eligibility) va_tanf_up_grant_standard, from gov.states.va.dss.tanf.payment.up_grant_standard (the 11/20 manual's Section 304, Appendix 3 "Standards of Assistance – TANF-UP", dated 7/20: Group II $197, $289, $363, ... for 1-3 people), times the 1.155 multiplier, capped at ceil(544 x 1.155) = $629. Other units get va_tanf_grant_standard (Appendix 2: $417 x 1.155 = $481.64 for 3), capped at ceil(625 x 1.155) = $722.

Virginia's current rules give two-parent families the TANF standards:

  • Appropriation Act, Department of Social Services, Item 325 C (2024 Special Session I, HB 6001, Chapter 2; the same text in the 2025 Act, HB 1600, Chapter 725, and in earlier Acts): two-parent families get benefits under a separate state program, and "the basic benefit payment for which two-parent families are eligible under the separate state program shall not be less than what they would have received under TANF."
  • Virginia TANF Manual (7/24), the newest on the VDSS manual page: Section 304 has Appendix 1 (grouping of localities) and Appendix 2 (standards of assistance, pages dated 7/22: $262, $385, $482, ... for Group II; maximum reimbursable payment $723) and no TANF-UP schedule; the 11/20 manual's Appendix 3 is gone. 502.1 A.1 takes the maximum payment from Appendix 2. Chapter 701 (TANF-UP) applies the TANF conditions of eligibility and has no separate standard.

Repro

Same result on 1.811.2 (45d51ef5d4) and on main (26348e7cf7).

from policyengine_us import Simulation
s = Simulation(situation={
    "people": {"a": {"age": {"2025": 35}}, "b": {"age": {"2025": 33}}, "c": {"age": {"2025": 5}}},
    "tax_units": {"t": {"members": ["a", "b", "c"]}},
    "marital_units": {"m": {"members": ["a", "b"]}},
    "spm_units": {"s": {"members": ["a", "b", "c"], "is_tanf_enrolled": {"2025": True}}},
    "families": {"f": {"members": ["a", "b", "c"]}},
    "households": {"h": {"members": ["a", "b", "c"], "state_name": {"2025": "VA"}}},  # county defaults to a Group II locality
})
s.calculate("va_up_tanf_eligibility", "2025-01")  # True
s.calculate("va_tanf", "2025-01")                 # 419.27 = 363 x 1.155
s.calculate("va_tanf_grant_standard", "2025-01")  # 481.64 = 417 x 1.155

Expected: $482 (Appendix 2, 3 people, Group II); PE's regular standard gives $481.64.

Possible fix

Use va_tanf_grant_standard and the Appendix 2 maximum for every unit, at least for periods covered by the current manual, and end up_grant_standard; the date Virginia dropped the TANF-UP schedule (between the 7/20 Appendix 3 and the 7/24 manual) still needs a source. va_up_tanf_eligibility would then only matter for rules that differ for two-parent families.

Impact on the PRD comparison

2025 aligned view, shared set: 6 Virginia units, $5,530 lower PE TANF (2026: same).

Dominant language
Python
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Merged PRs (30d)
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