A 20-year-old with no visible means of support wants to apply for FNS and lives with her aunt. Can she be considered as a separate Food and Nutrition Services unit?

In the context of the Food and Nutrition Services (FNS) program, an individual can be considered a separate household or unit under certain criteria based on their living situation and financial independence. In this scenario, the 20-year-old lives with her aunt but has no visible means of support.

Being 20 years old, she is typically considered an adult capable of establishing her own household, even if she resides with family members. If she does not have any financial ties with her aunt, such as sharing income or expenses, she can be viewed as an independent unit for the purposes of applying for FNS benefits. This separation is significant because it allows her to apply based on her individual circumstances, including any income or resources she might have, independent of her aunt’s financial situation.

The options that suggest needing her aunt's agreement or requiring her to have a job do not align with the guidelines that define household units in the FNS context. Therefore, when assessing her eligibility as a separate unit, she meets the criteria based on her age and lack of financial dependency on her aunt.