TAFDC - TRANSITIONAL AID TO FAMILIES WITH DEPENDENT CHILDREN
TAFDC is the program that provides cash aid to low-income families with children to help them meet basic needs. Often referred to as ‘welfare’ or ‘public assistance’.
TAFDC eligibility is based on general eligibility standards, financial standards and work/school requirements.
GENERAL REQUIREMENTS
To be eligible, a person must be either a woman in the last four months of pregnancy or a family with a child under age 18 (or a child age 18 who is a full time student) living in the home.
Note: A relative caring for a child does not need to have legal custody or guardianship to get TAFDC benefits.
Additional Requirements:
- Must be a resident (including homeless families) of Massachusetts
- Must be a U.S. citizen or eligible noncitizen
- Must provide a social security number for everyone who is applying for TAFDC
Eligible Noncitizens:
- Veterans and active duty military personnel
- Legal permanent resident if at least one of the following is true:
- 5 Years have passed since granting of legal permanent resident status
- Refugee, asylee, noncitizen with deportation withheld, Cuban or Haitan entrant, Amerasian immigrant prior to obtaining legal permanent resident status
- Entered US before August 22, 1996 and were continuously in the U.S. until legal permanent resident status was granted.
- Refugee
- Asylee
- Witholding of deportation noncitizen
- Parolee if one of the following is true:
- Parolee status was granted more that 5 years ago
- Entered US before August 22, 1996 and were continuously in the U.S. until parolee status was granted
- Conditional entrant, if one of the following is true
- Conditional entrant status was granted more that 5 years ago
- Entered US before August 22, 1996 and were continuously in the U.S. until conditional entrant status was granted
- Some battered noncitizens legally in the U.S.
- Cuban or Haitian entrant
- Victim of severe forms of trafficking
- American Indian born in Canada
Noncitizens must show proof of immigration status
In some (limited) cases, receiving TAFDC or other cash assistance can affect decisions on legal permanent resident status
Undocumented immigrants are not eligible for TAFDC
Nonimmigrant noncitizens (such as visitors or international students) are not eligible for TAFDC
Teen-Parents
Teen parents under 18 must live:
- With one or both parents, unless there is evidence of abuse, neglect, addiction or other special circumstances
- With an adult relative (over age 20) or a legal guardian
- In a teen group-home
Teen parents do not need to meet these requirements if:
- They are married and living with their spouse
- They are a graduate of a Department of Social Services “independent living program”
- They are 17 years old and a teen specialist has determined that the living situation is safe and healthy for parent and child, that the parent has enough support and parenting skills to live on their own AND the parent must be in school or a GED program, have reliable child care and attend a teen-parenting program.
Teen parents who are 18 or 19 are legal adults and not subject to these requirements.
Not eligible
- People with outstanding default warrants
- Undocumented immigrants
- Individuals who have violated probation or parole assigned after September 1996
- Individuals fleeing prosecution or punishment for a felony
- Individuals who have been released from prison within the last 12 months for a drug felony that occurred after August 1996 (unless they receive a domestic violence waiver or are a family with disabled parents, are caring for a disabled child, are a teen parent who is in school, are over age 60 or are within the last 120 days of pregnancy)
Family Cap:
Children born more than 10 months after applying for TAFDC are not eligible for benefits. (Although the rest of the family may continue to be eligible). The family-cap rule can be waived in extraordinary circumstances.
If one member of a family is ineligible, other members of the family may still apply.
FINANCIAL ELIGIBILTY REQUIREMENTS
Assets
To be eligible for TAFDC, countable assets must be less than $2500.
The assets of all members of the household filing must be counted.
__Countable Assets__
Cash
Bank Accounts
Retirement Accounts
Stocks and Bonds
Value of any real estate EXCEPT home
Some value of a car worth more that $5000
Not Countable Assets
Home
Household items and personal possessions
Value of car under $5000
Foodstamps
Earned Income Credit
Assets of any household member who receives SSI
Assets that cannot be used because of domestic violence
Inaccessible assets
A Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA) worker can provide a complete list of countable and un-countable assets, and can explain the rules regarding cars.
DTA may impose a period of ineligibility if a family has given away assets, sold them for below value or spent them in some instances (such as for a vacation) within one year of applying for TAFDC.
Unless –
- The family thought they had enough to live on for a year at the time of the transfer
- The money was spent on food, shelter, fuel, utilities, medical expenses or transportation (up to $150 per month)
- The money was spent on repair/purchase of basic furniture or household appliances or repairs of the home
- The money was spent on prepaid funeral arrangements or a burial plot
- The money was spent on court ordered judgments or court government obligations (like taxes)
- The money was spent on expenses related to work or education
- The money was spent on something you would normally buy, and the amount was less that 25% of average monthly income.
- The person making the transfer was coerced or legally incompetent
- The transfer was the result of a court action
Income:
Income determines both eligibility for TAFDC benefits, and the level of those benefits.
There are two income tests, to be eligible, a family must meet both.
Gross income: Total countable income
Net income: Gross income minus some deductions
Income limits are based on:
- The number of family members
- Whether housing is subsidized
- Whether work requirements apply
Not counted as income:
- Income of SSI recipients (including child support for an SSI child)
- Foster care payments
- Food stamps
- Higher education grants, loans or workstudy
- Any loan that cannot be used for living expenses
- Training stipends, up to $130 per month or reimbursements for training expenses
- Youthbuild or AmeriCorps earnings
- Earnings of children under 14 or earnings of full time students age 14-18
- Assistance from social service or other organizations
Other types of income may also be un-countable
Gross Income
Monthly gross income standards are different for those who are and are not exempt from work requirements and for those who do and do not live in subsidized housing.
Group 1: Exempt from work requirements, subsidized housing
Group 2: Exempt from work requirements, unsubsidized housing
Group 3: Not exempt from work requirements, subsidized housing
Group 4: Not exempt from work requirements, unsubsidized housing
| Family |
|
Group 1 |
|
Group 2 |
|
Group 3 |
|
Group 4 |
| 1 |
|
$717.80 |
|
$791.80 |
|
$699.30 |
|
$773.30 |
| 2 |
|
$908.35 |
|
$982.35 |
|
$884.30 |
|
$958.30 |
| 3 |
|
$1097.05 |
|
$1171.05 |
|
$1069.30 |
|
$1143.30 |
| 4 |
|
$1278.35 |
|
$1352.35 |
|
$1245.05 |
|
$1319.05 |
| 5 |
|
$1465.20 |
|
$1539.20 |
|
$1428.20 |
|
$1502.20 |
| 6 |
|
$1657.60 |
|
$1731.60 |
|
$1613.20 |
|
$1687.20 |
| 7 |
|
$1844.45 |
|
$1918.45 |
|
$1796.35 |
|
$1870.35 |
| 8 |
|
$2029.45 |
|
$2103.45 |
|
$1973.95 |
|
$2047.95 |
| 9 |
|
$2214.45 |
|
$2288.45 |
|
$2155.25 |
|
$2229.25 |
| 10 |
|
$2401.30 |
|
$2475.30 |
|
$2336.55 |
|
$2410.55 |
Net income
Net Income = Gross income minus deductions
Earned Income Deductions
- $90 for work expenses
- $30 of earned income plus:
- 1/3 of remaining gross income if the family is exempt from time limits
OR
**½ of of remaining gross income if the family is not exempt from time limits
- Childcare costs up to $200 per month per child
Unearned Income Deductions
- First $50 per month in child support
- First $90 in income for a child ineligible under the family cap
Net income standards use the same groups as gross income standards
Group 1: Exempt from work requirements, subsidized housing
Group 2: Exempt from work requirements, unsubsidized housing
Group 3: Not exempt from work requirements, subsidized housing
Group 4: Not exempt from work requirements, unsubsidized housing
| Family |
|
Group 1 |
|
Group 2 |
|
Group 3 |
|
Group 4 |
| 1 |
|
$388 |
|
$428 |
|
$378 |
|
$418 |
| 2 |
|
$491 |
|
$531 |
|
$478 |
|
$518 |
| 3 |
|
$593 |
|
$633 |
|
$578 |
|
$618 |
| 4 |
|
$691 |
|
$731 |
|
$673 |
|
$713 |
| 5 |
|
$792 |
|
$832 |
|
$772 |
|
$812 |
| 6 |
|
$896 |
|
$936 |
|
$872 |
|
$912 |
| 7 |
|
$997 |
|
$1037 |
|
$971 |
|
$1011 |
| 8 |
|
$1097 |
|
$1137 |
|
$1067 |
|
$1107 |
| 9 |
|
$1197 |
|
$1237 |
|
$1165 |
|
$1205 |
| 10 |
|
$1298 |
|
$1338 |
|
$1263 |
|
$1303 |
WORK/SCHOOL REQUIREMENTS
20-30 hours per week of work or participate in an Employment Services Program to maintain eligibility.
Exemptions from work requirements:
- A disability lasting more that 30 days which makes it difficult to work
- Needed at home to care for a disabled family member
- At least four months pregnant
- Over age 60
- Caring for a child under age 2 who is not excluded by the family cap
- Caring for a child under 3 months who is excluded by the family cap
- Teen parent attending school full-time or a work/training program 20 hrs per week
- A non-parental caretake who is not getting benefits for themselves
- Domestic violence waiver
- Some other circumstances.
Employment Services Program (ESP): A program to meet the work requirements for those who have been unable to find paid work.
Community Service Program: Unpaid work at a public or nonprofit organization, meets ESP requirements
Pregnant or parenting teens who do not have a GED or highschool diploma must attend school or GED program full time. Teens must meet school attendance requirements. If the school program is less that 20 hours per week, teens must participate in an approved training/employment activity to reach the 20 hours.
TAFDC is an extremely complicated program. This presents a summary of eligibility rules, to apply or to get a definitive answer regarding eligibility, contact the Department of Transitional Assistance.
PO Box 1370
Holyoke, MA 01040
Ph. 413.552.5400
Fx. 413.784.1050
M-F 7:45am – 5:00 pm
Springfield, MA 01105
Ph: 413.858.1300
Fx: 413.784.1049
M-F 8:00am – 5:00pm
Springfield, MA 01103
Ph. 413.858.1000
Fx. 413.784.1044
M-F 7:30am – 5:00 pm
TAFDC Advocacy Guide
from
http://www.masslegalhelp.org/income-benefits/tafdc-advocacy-guide
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