FirstStep
TANF Program Q & A
Source: U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Office of
Family Assistance
General Questions about TANF
What is TANF?
The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program provides cash assistance
and work opportunities to needy families and children.
Where can I access information
about the TANF program in my state?
For more information on the TANF program, please visit the Office of Family
Assistance on the Web at www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ofa/.
For more information on the TANF program in your state, please visit either www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ofa/hs_dir2.htm or www.financeprojectinfo.org/WIN/tanf.asp.
Who is eligible for TANF?
If your clients have dependent children, they may be eligible for TANF benefits.
If your client has received Federally funded assistance for a total of five years (or less at state option), they may not be eligible for cash assistance under the TANF program unless they meet optional exception criteria defined by the state.
States have the option to extend assistance beyond the five-year limit for Federally funded assistance if:
- Your client has a hardship, as defined by the state
- Your client or someone in your client’s family has been battered or subject to extreme cruelty
What does my client need to enroll
in TANF?
Your clients may need to provide the following information to enroll in TANF:
- Social Security numbers for all applying family members
- Age of all family members
- Any income information (including other public assistance programs)
- Proof of citizenship/legal residency or eligible non-citizen status
Is there a time limit on how long
my client can be enrolled in TANF?
Your clients will have to renew their TANF eligibility. Each state is responsible
for setting its own renewal process and criteria. Check with your state TANF
office for more information.
How long is the typical turn-around
for application approval?
The timeframe for your client’s TANF application process is determined
by your state. Some states pay TANF benefits from the date of application and
others within a period following the date of application.
The final determination of your client’s eligibility and the date a payment is authorized or approved will generally depend on when your client is able to verify his/her circumstances.
For more information on the application process and timeline for TANF in your state, visit www.financeprojectinfo.org/win/tanf.asp.
If my client is an immigrant,
is he/she still eligible for TANF?
Each state has the freedom to decide if “qualified aliens” will
be eligible for TANF benefits.
If your client is a qualified alien and your state considers him/her eligible for TANF benefits, it may not provide to non-citizens entering the U.S. on or after August 22, 1996, for your client’s first five years as a qualified alien.
Nevertheless, TANF allows certain non-cash benefits offered at the local level to be provided to all non-citizens if the benefits are necessary for the protection of your client’s life or safety. Examples of such benefits include soup kitchens, crisis counseling and intervention, and short-term shelter.
TANF eligibility and benefits are based on your client’s circumstances as defined by the state, and each member of your client’s family must disclose his/her citizenship or immigration status as a condition of the family's eligibility for TANF benefits.
However, because states have considerable flexibility in TANF, states may have policies that provide for the exclusion of certain family members. In such circumstances, once the family member is determined to be ineligible or not to be part of your client’s family, he/she is “excluded” and is no longer considered eligible for TANF benefits.
For example, under current practice, states have “child-only” rules that allow needy children to receive TANF benefits even if other family members are ineligible. Thus, in a child-only case, your client must prove only that his/her child is a U.S. citizen or qualified immigrant.