SB 2791 approved first TANF increase in 21 years

(Jackson, Miss.) – Mississippians receiving benefits from the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program will see their benefits increase by $90 beginning today, three months ahead of the originally published timeline of July 2021. On May 1, families of three will see their benefits increase from the current level of $170 per month to $260 per month.

In addition, retroactive TANF payments will be issued for the month of April 2021. On April 30, payments will be issued to make up the difference between the TANF benefit amount issued April 1 and the new amount for which the household will be eligible. For example, a three-person household that received the maximum amount of $170 April 1 will receive an additional $90 on April 30, for a total April payment of $260.

“I’m very grateful to the Legislature and the Governor for approving and signing the bill authorizing this historic increase,” said Robert G. “Bob” Anderson, Executive Director of the Mississippi Department of Human Services. “Therefore, I felt it was critical to get this increase to the people who need it as quickly as possible.”

Prior to the senate vote, individual TANF disbursements in Mississippi had not seen an increase since 1999.

Implemented in Mississippi on October 1, 1996, TANF provides benefits for families with needy children under age 18. The TANF Program is designed to help needy families achieve self-sufficiency through employment and training activities provided by the TANF Work Program (TWP). TANF supportive services such as assistance with child care and transportation expenses are available to help the adults in the family prepare for employment and to promote self-sufficiency.

The goal of TANF is to end the dependence on public assistance by preparing recipients for a job by helping them with job readiness training, job skills training, vocational training, other educational training programs and assisting you in finding and keeping a job.

To be eligible for TANF, a family must have a dependent under the age of 18 and be residents of the state of Mississippi. The gross monthly income limit for a family of three is currently $680. Other requirements for TANF assistance include:

Cooperation with Child Support is a requirement of receiving TANF benefits.

Cooperation with the TANF Work Program (TWP) is a requirement of receiving TANF unless the adult in the family meets an exemption.

Registering with Mississippi Works and completion of the Substance Abuse Screening Inventory are required for TANF application approval.

TANF benefits and TANF Work Program Supportive Service payments are issued to a Mississippi Debit MasterCard® Card. Paper checks are not issued.

To apply for TANF, you must submit a TANF application to the Department of Human Services office in the county where you live. The application is available online or you may request an application by phone, in person, or by mail from the county office.

For more information on the TANF program, eligibility requirements, and how to apply, visit https://www.mdhs.ms.gov/economic-assistance/tanf/ .

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“Offering Mississippians young and old tangible help today to create a lasting hope for tomorrow.”

TANF cash assistance helps parents and caretaker relatives meet their family’s most basic needs while they gain work skills and find jobs.

The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Program provides cash assistance and services to families with children under the age of 18.

To be eligible for TANF cash assistance, a family must:

• Have at least one child under the age of 18 living at home. • Have a monthly income that is at or below the gross monthly income limit for their household size (see table below). • Have no more than $2,000 in resources, like property or cash, excluding a personal home and car. • Meet other program requirements.

Number Persons in Assistance Unit (AU) Maximum Monthly Gross Income Limit 1 $627 2 $851 3 $1074 4 $1298 5 $1522 6 $1746 7 $1970 8 $2194 9 $2417 10 $2641

The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program helps parents and caretaker relatives find jobs and job training while meeting the family’s most basic needs.

The TANF program:

Serves very low-income families with at least one child under 18 living at home.

Provides up to 60 months of benefits to help with expenses when you are out of work.

Helps you build job skills and find a job through the TANF Work Program (TWP).

Can offer help paying for child care and transportation.

Check your eligibility

Learn how to apply

Understand what happens after you apply

Your rights as a TANF household

Your responsibilities to maintain enrollment in the program

How to use your benefits

How to resolve issues with TANF

Important forms

TANF Work Program (TWP)

TANF Policy Manual

Division of Economic Assistance Eligibility SNAP – Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program UPCOMING SNAP UPDATES Applying for SNAP Current SNAP Recipients SNAP Rights and Responsibilities SNAP Replacement Benefits Reporting Stolen SNAP Benefits EBT Card SNAP Forms for Clients Elderly Simplified Application Project (ESAP) Mississippi Combined Application Project (MSCAP) Homelessness and SNAP SNAP for College Students SNAP For College Students ToolKit SNAP for Retailers D-SNAP SNAP Fraud TANF – Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Applying for TANF Current TANF Recipients TANF and Non-Parent Caretaker Relatives TANF Forms for Clients The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP) SNAP-Ed

Way2Go Debit Card

SNAP – Supplemental Nutrition Access Program

Child Care Help for Parents

Child Support

Help Paying for a Cell Phone

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To be eligible for TANF, a family must:

Have at least one child under the age of 18 living at home.

Have a monthly income that is at or below the gross monthly income limit for their household size (see table above).

Have no more than $2,000 in resources, like property or cash, excluding a personal home and car.

Meet other program requirements.

Families must meet both financial and non-financial requirements established in state law.

In general, families must include a child under age 18 and be residents of Mississippi.

Children under age 7 must comply with TANF immunization requirements, and children ages 6 to 17 must attend school and have satisfactory attendance.

Children age 18 that are included in the Assistance Unit (AU) because they are in school full-time, must have satisfactory school attendance.

Adults who receive TANF and who do not meet a work exemption are required to participate in work activities such as work experience, job search and/or others.

Your caseworker’s contact information will be on any notice (letter) that you receive from MDHS. You can also locate contact information for your local county office using the lookup box below.

If you need help with your Way2Go debit card, call 1-855-709-1079 or visit our Way2Go Card page.

Adults who receive TANF and who do not meet a work exemption are required to participate in work activities such as work experience, job search, job training, or other similar activities. Your caseworker will let you know what you have to do to meet your work requirements.

In Mississippi, TANF recipients can receive up to $100 per month in child support, depending on the amount of child support that the non-custodial parent pays.

TANF recipients must assign their child support rights to the State and cooperate in establishing paternity and obtaining financial and medical support. Mississippi has a child support pass-through policy that allows up to $100 of the child support collected each month to be given to custodial parents who receive TANF instead of being kept by the government.

A family can receive TANF benefits for no more than a total of 60 months unless the case includes only minor children or meets a hardship exemption.

You have the right to request a conference and/or fair hearing when you disagree with any decision on your application or case. You can contact the MDHS Administrative Hearings Division at 601-359-4921 or adminhearings@mdhs.ms.gov.

Need help with your SNAP or TANF case? Call our EAE Client Services team at 800-948-3050.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA FOR TANF • Deprivation- A child must be deprived of parental care and support of at least one parent as a result of absence, disability, or unemployment of one or both parents. Absence may be due to death, non-marriage, desertion, divorce, or illness. • Social Security Numbers (SSN) -A SSN must be provided for each person requesting TANF. • Citizenship- Each person must be a citizen of the United States or a qualified alien. • Income- The family’s income and the income of a stepparent with whom the child lives must be considered in determining whether the needs of the child are met. • Resources- The family must not own property (other than the home) or have cash or other resources exceeding $2000. • Child Support- All applicants and recipients of TANF must assign their child support rights to the State and cooperate in establishing paternity and obtaining financial and medical support. Failure to cooperate without good cause will result in termination of the family’s TANF benefit or denial of the application. • Disability- An ill or disabled parent will be required to have an examination by a licensed physician and the medical report reviewed by the State Medical Review Unit to determine whether the person meets the definition of disability. The examination and review are not necessary for parents receiving SSI, Social Security Disability, or 100% VA disability. • Unemployed Parent (TANF-UP)- Families in which both legal parents reside in the home and are able-bodied may be eligible for TANF by reason of unemployment. Number of Persons 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 100% Requirements (Net Monthly Income) 218 293 368 443 518 593 668 743 818 893 185% Requirements (Gross Monthly Income) 403 542 680 819 958 1097 1235 1374 1513 1652 Maximum TANF Grant 110 146 170 194 218 242 266 290 314 228 TEMPORARY ASSISTANCE FOR NEEDY FAMILIES (TANF) The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Program provides cash benefits for families with children under age 18 who do not have enough income or resources to meet their everyday needs. The monthly TANF benefit amount is based on the family’s size and income. 750 North State Street | Jackson, MS 39202 P.O. Box 352 | Jackson, MS 39205 www.mdhs.ms.gov