Government support programs offer assistance and financial payment support for a variety of needs, including housing, utility, and food assistance. One such program is the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program. The program is designed to support low-income families with children under the age of 18 cover daily living expenses such as food, clothing, and housing. For qualifying families in Texas, TANF can pay up to $1,000 in assistance.
TANF provides monthly and one-time payments for low-income families
Under TANF regulations, a family is considered any individual who cares for children under the age of 18. To be eligible to receive TANF, the amount of household income your family receives, the value of what the family owns or is paying off, and the amount the family pays for child care and child support is taken into account. To be eligible for TAF, you must have very little resources and income. The maximum monthly income limit for a home with two caretakers and three children is $268 for a family in Texas, for example.
Part of the eligibility process to receive TANF, the guardian of the children has to agree to train for a job or seek employment. Child support rules have to be followed, and the guardian may not quit their job with no planned career changeover. Guardians may not abuse alcohol and drugs and are required to enroll in parenting skills classes. Their children need to be enrolled in school as well as receive vaccinations.
Household size and income determines how much TANF families in Texas receive in payments
In Texas, the maximum payment a family can receive from TANF is $503 per month for a family with two guardians and three children. Single-guardian families with three children can receive $424. The income from TANF is intended to not be permanent unlike Social Security income. Beneficiaries of TANF need to ensure that they are seeking permanent forms of income as part of the TANF payment agreement.
In addition to monthly payments, TANF also offers one-time only cash payments to families in acute crisis. This could be due to a loss of income, a medical emergency, or the loss of a home. This one-time payment is intended to help families meet their basic needs in time when income is suddenly in crisis. This payment can only be provided to families once a year.
Relatives caring for children can receive $1,000
Relatives of children who are caring for them and reside in Texas may also qualify for a one-time annual payment amounting to $1,000. The relative must be older than 25 and care for a child who receives TANF. Monthly income is capped at $2,510 for a single-person while a five-person family’s income is caped at $6,097. Payments are generally issued on the first working day of the month through direct deposit or the mail.
TANF provides over $16.6 billion dollars across states for families who require assistance. The federal government provides TANF grants to states to distribute to qualifying families. TANF is also distributed to recognized Native American tribes and consortia of tribes to distribute to members who qualify.
States are provides with TANF grants and are free to manage and design welfare programs using the TANF grant. TANF recipients have three years to find work once approved for the payments. TANF has been in action since 1997 and each state slightly differs in how the manage and design their welfare programs using TANF’s money. Texas offers one of the lowest grant sizes for children living in poverty at $318 per child while states like Vermont offer over $3,000 dollars per child in poverty. The average TANF grant per child nationwide is just over $1,000.
