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STATE OF CONNECTICUT TEMPORARY ASSISTANCE FOR NEEDY FAMILIES (TANF) STATE PLAN 2024-2026

Effective Date: 10/1/23 – 9/30/26 ☐ Initial Submission Date: 12/31/2023 ☒ Revision Date: 04/15/2024 Page: 12

Connecticut uses state funds to pay for the months that exceed 60 federal time-limited months. If the family moves to another state, these months will be reported to the new state as non-exempt months.

A family that includes a member who has been battered or subject to extreme cruelty is considered a hardship case for TANF funded benefits and can receive benefits beyond the 60-month federal limit.

Effective October 1, 2008, TFA families in which all adults are exempt based on incapacity, age 60 or older, pregnant, or post-partum, or unemployable, are identified as “Certain Exempt” and funded outside of the TANF program in a solely state-funded program.

Any relative may receive assistance for a child. In addition, legal guardians and others acting in loco parentis may receive such assistance. Pregnant women are eligible for assistance throughout the entire pregnancy. Children are eligible for assistance if they are less than 18 years of age or if they are 18 years of age and attending secondary school or its equivalent.

Pursuant to Public Act 22-118, effective July 1, 2022, TFA benefit levels became uniform across the state. Prior to this change, the TFA benefit levels varied across three regions and were originally calculated based on variations in the average cost of rent in each area. Additionally, pursuant to Public Act 22-118, the standard of need used to calculate TFA income eligibility and benefit levels now equals 55% of the federal poverty level. This change allows for an increase to the TFA income eligibility thresholds and payment standards and ensures that eligibility and benefits will be adjusted annually to account for cost-of-living increases built into the Federal Poverty Guidelines.

Effective January 1, 2014, the State of Connecticut Department of Social Services revised the Connecticut Temporary Family Assistance (TFA) program and the TANF Plan to comply with the federal mandate in Section 4004 of Public Law 112-96. Effective January 1, 2014, TFA electronic benefit transfer (EBT) card benefits cannot be used for goods, services or cash at liquor stores, casinos, gambling casinos, gaming establishments, off- track betting branch facilities, and establishments that provide adult-oriented entertainment in which performers disrobe or perform in an unclothed state for entertainment.

The state has imposed penalties for Failure to Comply. If TFA electronic benefit transfer (EBT) card benefits are used in any of the places listed above, the TFA client will be subject to the following penalties: for the first violation, a warning that a prohibited transaction occurred; for the second violation, a penalty in the amount of the EBT transaction that occurred at the prohibited location; for the third violation, a penalty of one month’s suspension of TFA benefits in addition to the amount of the EBT transaction that occurred in the prohibited location; for the fourth violation, DSS may suspend the TFA benefits for a certain amount of time or may stop the TFA benefits forever. If DSS plans to impose a penalty for failure to follow the new law, a notice will be sent to the TFA recipient explaining the violation of the rules and client rights to a Fair Hearing