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Good news for families participating in the Transitional Aid to Families with Dependent Children (TAFDC) program! For the month of September, the Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA) is once again increasing the income eligibility limits and payment standards for the TAFDC program. This increase in the payment standard is known as the clothing allowance benefit, and occurs only in September. This month, families participating in the TAFDC program will receive up to an additional $200/eligible child-- and increase of $50/child over the long-standing benefit level!
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Who Is Eligible to Receive the Clothing Allowance?
Families can receive a clothing allowance of up to $200 for each child currently receiving TAFDC benefits or eligible to receive benefits.
Ineligible children include children who are:
- Age 19 and older;
- Subject to the family cap rule;
- Receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI); and/or
- Are undocumented immigrants.
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TAFDC Income Eligibility Limit Increase:
Benefits Extended to Some Working Families Not Receiving TAFDC
The TAFDC income eligibility limits have increased for September; the amount of the increase depends on the number of applicants or recipients under age 19 in the household. (The eligibility standards also have increased this month based on the number of eligible applicants or recipients under age 19.)
This means that many low-income working families that normally are income-ineligible for TAFDC benefits will become eligible for the clothing allowance. Although these families will not receive cash benefits, they may be able to receive one year of MassHealth benefits and subsidized child care, in addition to the clothing allowance.
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| Clothing Allowance Benefit Amount
Families will receive $200/child if they are participating in the TAFDC program as of September 1st or if they applied by September 1st and are approved later; families that receive TAFDC for only part of September will receive a prorated clothing allowance.
Please note: The clothing allowance benefit is considered income under Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, a.k.a. Food Stamp) rules. As with other increases in income, the receipt of the clothing allowance can lead to a temporary decrease in SNAP benefits for some families.
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| For more information, please contact DTA. (For basic information, you also can contact Kelly Turley at the Massachusetts Coalition for the Homeless: 781-595-7570 x17 or kelly@mahomeless.org.)
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mchalert
Massachusetts Coalition for the Homeless |
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