(a) What is in this subpart. This subpart contains the basic rules for deciding for SSI purposes whether a person is considered married and, if so, to whom; whether a person is considered a child; and whether a person is considered another person's parent. It tells what information and evidence we need to decide these facts.

(b) Related subparts. Subpart D discusses how to determine the amount of a person's benefits; subpart G discusses what changes in a person's situation he or she must report to us; subpart K discusses how we count income; and subpart L discusses how we count resources (money and property). The questions of whether a person is married, to whom a person is married, whether a person is a child, and who is a person's parent must be answered in order to know which rules in subparts D, G, K, and L apply.

(c) Definitions. In this subpart—

Eligible spouse means a person—

(1) Who is eligible for SSI,

(2) Whom we consider the spouse of another person who is eligible for SSI, and

(3) Who was living in the same household with that person on—

(i) The first day of the month following the date the application is filed (for the initial month of eligibility for payment based on that application);

(ii) The date a request for reinstatement of eligibility is filed (for the month of such request); or

(iii) The first day of the month, for all other months. An individual is considered to be living with an eligible spouse during temporary absences as defined in §416.1149 and while receiving continued benefits under section 1611(e)(1) (E) or (G) of the Act.

Spouse means a person's husband or wife under the rules of §§416.1806 through 416.1835 of this part.

We and us mean the Social Security Administration.

You means a person who has applied for or has been receiving SSI benefits, or a person for whom someone else has applied for or has been receiving SSI benefits.

[45 FR 71795, Oct. 30, 1980. Redesignated at 46 FR 29211, May 29, 1981; 46 FR 42063, Aug. 19, 1981, as amended at 60 FR 16376, Mar. 30, 1995; 64 FR 31975, June 15, 1999; 65 FR 16815, Mar. 30, 2000]