Change Head of Household

Discuss questions around local unit policies for membership (creating records, transferring records, etc.) This forum should not contain specific financial or membership information.
echatterley
New Member
Posts: 1
Joined: Sun Mar 17, 2013 10:05 pm

Change Head of Household

#1

Post by echatterley »

How do I change the head of household from the husband to the wife? They are both members but the husband is not a Melchizedek priesthood holder. Currently the husband is listed as the head of household but will be gone from the home indefinitely because of extenuating circumstances. I have been instructed to list the wife as the head of household and the husband as a household member.
eblood66
Senior Member
Posts: 3907
Joined: Mon Sep 24, 2007 9:17 am
Location: Cumming, GA, USA

Re: Change Head of Household

#2

Post by eblood66 »

echatterley wrote:How do I change the head of household from the husband to the wife? They are both members but the husband is not a Melchizedek priesthood holder. Currently the husband is listed as the head of household but will be gone from the home indefinitely because of extenuating circumstances. I have been instructed to list the wife as the head of household and the husband as a household member.
The only way to do that is to put the husband in his own household. MLS automatically makes the husband the head of household when both the husband and wife are in the same household. There is no way to change that.
russellhltn
Community Administrator
Posts: 34417
Joined: Sat Jan 20, 2007 2:53 pm
Location: U.S.

Re: Change Head of Household

#3

Post by russellhltn »

echatterley wrote:I have been instructed to list the wife as the head of household and the husband as a household member.
As has been noted, you may not be able to do that.

I'm not sure that moving him into his own household will work. The on-line directory has a tendency to display a female member's spouse even if there is no record in MLS. It can be suppressed by calling CHQ and some convincing that it is necessary.

If it is known that the husband will be away for 3 months or more, then you might consider moving the record to where he will be.
Have you searched the Help Center? Try doing a Google search and adding "site:churchofjesuschrist.org/help" to the search criteria.

So we can better help you, please edit your Profile to include your general location.
eblood66
Senior Member
Posts: 3907
Joined: Mon Sep 24, 2007 9:17 am
Location: Cumming, GA, USA

Re: Change Head of Household

#4

Post by eblood66 »

russellhltn wrote:As has been noted, you may not be able to do that.

I'm not sure that moving him into his own household will work. The on-line directory has a tendency to display a female member's spouse even if there is no record in MLS. It can be suppressed by calling CHQ and some convincing that it is necessary.
That's only for non-member spouses (who don't have their own membership record). That won't be a problem for a member spouse.

Still, I wouldn't recommend splitting the household like that unless the husband is actually living in a different address in the ward. It seems like it would just cause more confusion than it would solve.
Gary_Miller
Senior Member
Posts: 1222
Joined: Thu Dec 08, 2011 10:42 am
Location: Emmett, Idaho

Re: Change Head of Household

#5

Post by Gary_Miller »

echatterley wrote:Currently the husband is listed as the head of household but will be gone from the home indefinitely because of extenuating circumstances.
Since the husband will be gone from the home indefinitely then his record should move with him. If he is still staying in the ward then he would have a new address and should be split off as his own household. If he is going to prison then you should follow the guidelines in the handbook on what to do with the records for prisoners. Anyway you look at it he will be his own household.
echatterley wrote: I have been instructed to list the wife as the head of household and the husband as a household member.
Once you split the husband off as his own household the wife will automatically become the new head of household.
rickd47
New Member
Posts: 6
Joined: Wed Jan 19, 2011 6:41 pm

Re: Change Head of Household

#6

Post by rickd47 »

I have a different twist on changing H of H. I have a sister who was single and H of H. She married a non-menber. After entering the marriage information nothing changed, she still was listed as H of H. Several months later her husband was baptized. After entering this ordinance nothing changed. She is still listed and H of H and he is listed and spouse. How do I change the H of H to him and her to spouse?
russellhltn
Community Administrator
Posts: 34417
Joined: Sat Jan 20, 2007 2:53 pm
Location: U.S.

Re: Change Head of Household

#7

Post by russellhltn »

rickd47 wrote:I have a different twist on changing H of H. I have a sister who was single and H of H. She married a non-menber. After entering the marriage information nothing changed, she still was listed as H of H. Several months later her husband was baptized. After entering this ordinance nothing changed. She is still listed and H of H and he is listed and spouse. How do I change the H of H to him and her to spouse?
Ok, first of all, do you see his name when you look at the "individual records"? I've seen a few clerks get confused between the information shown on the individual records and the household.
Have you searched the Help Center? Try doing a Google search and adding "site:churchofjesuschrist.org/help" to the search criteria.

So we can better help you, please edit your Profile to include your general location.
Gary_Miller
Senior Member
Posts: 1222
Joined: Thu Dec 08, 2011 10:42 am
Location: Emmett, Idaho

Re: Change Head of Household

#8

Post by Gary_Miller »

rickd47 wrote:I have a different twist on changing H of H. I have a sister who was single and H of H. She married a non-menber. After entering the marriage information nothing changed, she still was listed as H of H. Several months later her husband was baptized. After entering this ordinance nothing changed. She is still listed and H of H and he is listed and spouse. How do I change the H of H to him and her to spouse?
My guess would be that the official membership record is not linked to the spouse. The mission would have created a separate record when he was baptized, this record needs to be linked to the household. The record before he was baptized is only an administrative record and not a membership record, this record needs to be deleted.
rickd47
New Member
Posts: 6
Joined: Wed Jan 19, 2011 6:41 pm

Re: Change Head of Household

#9

Post by rickd47 »

The husband has an official record (IOS) and he is listed as the spouse on his wife's record. When we received his records his non-member record number was removed and his new membership record replaced it. I believe that the two records are tied together. I haven't tried deleting his record or trying to separate the two by giving him a bogas address, moving her to it and then doing a change of address to get them back to normal. I cannot edit her status as HOH.
russellhltn
Community Administrator
Posts: 34417
Joined: Sat Jan 20, 2007 2:53 pm
Location: U.S.

Re: Change Head of Household

#10

Post by russellhltn »

rickd47 wrote:When we received his records his non-member record number was removed and his new membership record replaced it. I believe that the two records are tied together.
Maybe, but I wouldn't be surprised but what both are in there are causing problems. Go to the "Individual" view and see if he's listed twice. If so, see which one is the non-member and delete it.
Have you searched the Help Center? Try doing a Google search and adding "site:churchofjesuschrist.org/help" to the search criteria.

So we can better help you, please edit your Profile to include your general location.
Post Reply

Return to “Membership Help”