Good cause waives the requirement to cooperate with or establish a child support a child support order with the OAG, because doing so would pose a clear safety risk to you or your children. Even if you receive a good cause waiver not to pursue child support, you will still have to give your HHSC eligibility advisor information on the absent parent—or risk losing your benefits. 

  • Your HHSC eligibility advisor will refer you to a Family Violence Specialist at a family violence program. 
  • In order to receive good cause, your HHSC eligibility advisor will have you contact staff from a family violence program (sometimes referred to as a Family Violence Specialist).  The Family Violence Specialist will make a recommendation as to the "good cause" claim and inform your HHSC eligibility advisor. Sometimes this recommendation will be made verbally (over the phone) to your HHSC eligibility advisor.  Other times your HHSC eligibility advisor will instruct you to have Form H1706, recommending good cause, completed by staff at the local family violence program.
  • If this form is not completed prior to, or during your HHSC interview, you will be given at least 10 days to contact the Family Violence Specialist and to return the completed H1706 form to HHSC.
  • If your case is not recommended for good cause, you will be required to cooperate with the OAG in pursuing child support in order to receive benefits.
  • If your case is recommended for good cause, good cause will be granted and you can receive your benefits without applying for child support through the OAG. 
  • Your eligibility to receive TANF benefits is periodically re-evaluated (normally every six months). Your HHSC eligibility advisor should ask you if you would still like to have the good cause waiver.  If they do not ask you about this, ask them about the status of your good cause waiver, and make sure that it still applies to your case.