TAFDC

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This section includes advocacy materials, policy materials, decisions, and alerts and updates on the TAFDC program (Transitional Assistance to Families with Dependant Children), all arranged under subject-specific subcategories.

To browse additional TAFDC materials, scroll down the list of categories in the left hand column -- click on the TAFDC subcategory that is of interest. Or, use the search box above.

 

 

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Children's Clothing Allowance Fall 2019 Update

GBLS, MLRI
The TAFDC (welfare) clothing allowance this fall is $350 per child. The Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA) will deposit $350 on or close to August 30 for every child receiving TAFDC on August 30. You can apply for TAFDC in September and get the clothing allowance plus a regular…

TAFDC Program Brochure (TAFDC-PB)

DTA
Click the "go to website" link to find the TAFDC brochure on DTA's website, in English and Spanish. 

OLGT 2018-61: TAFDC – Clothing Allowance, September 2018

DTA
The Department will issue a nonrecurring clothing allowance to eligible TAFDC clients under the age of 19 for September 2018. This year the Legislature raised the amount of this benefit to $350 per eligible TAFDC client.  A payment of $350 (separate from the semi-monthly payment) will be…

OLGT 2017-68: TAFDC and EAEDC - Cash Cases with Potential Earnings

DTA
TAFDC and EAEDC clients must report any new income or a change in income over $100 a month to DTA within 10 days. DTA receives information about certain TAFDC and EAEDC clients with potential earnings from the Department of Revenue. In an ongoing effort to ensure program integrity and client…

OLGT 2017-77: TAFDC - Extension Disposition Reason for Exempt Clients

DTA
Extensions may be granted to clients who document a good faith effort to obtain employment and/or address barriers preventing employment and cooperate with the Department’s rules and regulations while receiving TAFDC. The goal of the extension is to provide temporary assistance…

OLGT 2017-80: TAFDC - Allowing the Rent Allowance Benefit for Certain Household Expenses

DTA
The Rent Allowance policy found at 106 CMR 705.910 states that TAFDC clients are eligible for a Rent/Mortgage allowance (hereafter referred to as rent allowance) of $40 per month in their TAFDC grant, provided they do not live in public, state or federally subsidized housing, and have rent,…

How to Help DTA Clients with Disabilities- Harper and Accommodations

GBLS
Thousands of people with disabilities turn to DTA for help each year.  Often, their disabilities can make it harder to get or keep the benefits they need and qualify for. Do you have clients who have trouble applying for benefits or completing a cash reevaluation or SNAP recertification because…

OLGT 2016-27: TAFDC – Teen Parent Eligibility Reason Change

DTA
The purpose of the Online Guide Update is to advise DTA staff about changes to BEACON functionality: A teen parent who is eligible as a pregnant client with no other dependent children will have a new Required status reason on the Work Requirements TAFDC page: Teen Parent -…

OLGT 2016-28: TAFDC – Self-Sufficiency Specialist (SSS) Narrative Tab Icon

DTA
The purpose of the Online Guide Update is to advise DTA staff about changes to SSS BEACON functionality and a procedural change: If an SSS makes an entry in the Narrative tab, the Narrative will be marked with a yellow circle icon with an SSS in the circle; and Prior to using the…

OLGT 2016-29: TAFDC – Pre-Benefit Job Search and Pathways to Self-Sufficiency

DTA
One of the Department’s goals is to assist all clients in moving toward economic self-sufficiency and an improved quality of life. For TAFDC work program required clients, ESP required clients as well as those who are eligible to volunteer to participate in an ESP activity,…

OLGT 2016-24: TAFDC - Changes to the Reevaluation Automation Process

DTA
The Department is making a number of changes to the TAFDC Reevaluation process. Enhanced automated processes have been designed to ensure the timely eligibility reviews of TAFDC cases. The automated TAFDC reevaluation process sending clients pre-filled Reevaluation forms 45 days before the end of…

OLGT 2016-23: Harper Adverse Action Pilot

DTA
As a result of the Harper settlement, DTA will conduct an Adverse Action Pilot for six months in three TAOs: Dudley Square, Worcester and Springfield Liberty. The pilot will allow DTA to examine the effectiveness of contacting clients who have pending negative case actions and…

OLGT 2016-22: TAFDC and EAEDC - Incomplete Disability Supplement Change

DTA
If an EAEDC client fails to return a completed Disability Supplement without good cause, the case must be closed by going to the AU Composition Results page and selecting the Disability Reason Category and Failure to Cooperate with the EAEDC Disability Determination Req Reason.…

OLGT 2016-01: TAFDC - Automating Dependents’ Graduation Status Update

DTA
In an effort to better track dependents age 18 who are not eligible due to not meeting the school attendance and graduation requirements for TAFDC, the  Department is automating the functionality of the Education page in the Assessed Person Nonfinancials workflow. To that end, a…

OLGT 2016-15: TAFDC – Chhanging the TAFDC Work Program Sancion Process

DTA
Certain work program required clients who are at a Level 3 or Level 4 sanction, receive good cause, have a meets compliance reason or an exemption that suspends the automatic work program sanction process for them. Currently, when any of these situations (reasons) expire, if a client is not enrolled…

OLGT 2016-20: TAFDC — Voluntary Withdrawals

DTA
Clients have the right to request their case be closed. However, before taking action on the request, case managers are reminded that they should ask the client why s/he wants the case closed.

OLGT 2015-08: Closing of the Centralized TAFDC Unit

DTA
Overview In an effort to standardize DTA’s business processes and to better serve our clients, the Centralized TAFDC Unit is closing on Friday, January 30, 2015. Purpose The purpose of this transmittal is to inform DTA staff of: the closure of the Centralized TAFDC Unit; the…

Hotline 12/14: TAFDC direct deposit exemptions

DTA
From the Hotline If you have any questions on this column or other policy and procedural material, please have your Hotline designee call the Policy Hotline at 617-348-8478. Q. 1. My TAFDC client has an active bank account that he hasn’t used in a few years. Is he required to have his…

PPER Email 2014-36: Increase in TAFDC Transportation Reimbursement Payments

DTA
Effective November 1, 2014, the Department has increased the maximum transportation reimbursement payment for eligible TAFDC clients to $80 per month. Eligibility for this reimbursement is being expanded to include individuals who are meeting their work participation requirement solely through…

Ops Memo 2014-09: Expunged and Offline EBT Benefit Restoration Requests

DTA
Overview Operations Memo 2014-8 explained new procedures for managing high balance EBT accounts. This Operations Memo describes the processes for clients to request that their offline or expunged benefits be restored and for the approval or denial of such requests. With BEACON Build 46.1,…

FYI January 2014: Direct Deposit Requirements for TAFDC and EAEDC Grantees

DTA
FYI Direct Deposit Requirements for TAFDC and EAEDC Grantees Remember that the Department requires participation in Direct Deposit for any TAFDC or EAEDC grantee who has an active bank account. Also, any TAFDC or EAEDC grantee who establishes a bank account is required to cooperate with the…

Hotline 10/13: Mandatory Vendor Payments; Reasonable cause and temporary setback/emergency option

DTA
Q. 1. A family receiving TAFDC is renting an apartment and the household is behind in their rent. As I was reviewing the BEACON pages concerning possible cash mismanagement of funds, the parents stated that they never signed a lease with their landlord. Should mandatory vendor payments be…

FYI September 2013: Fuel Assistance 2013 and Repayment History Letter

DTA
FYI Fuel Assistance 2013 The Fuel Assistance Program begins accepting applications for fuel assistance on November 1, 2013. TAOs will receive a supply of Fuel Assistance brochures in October for clients who are interested in applying for fuel assistance and in how the program works. The…

Ops Memo 2013-33: TAFDC, EAEDC, and SNAP: Statewide Implementation of the Work Number Employment Verification Service

DTA
Overview As of July 22, 2013 the Department will implement Equifax Workforce Solutions’ subscription employment verification service called “The Work Number” statewide. The Work Number (www.theworknumber.com) is a fee-for-service Internetbased resource for verification of…

Inspector General's Paper Chase Did NOT Find Fraud or Waste

MLRI
On January 30, 2013, the Office of the Massachusetts Inspector General issued a report called "Review of Eligibility for the Transitional Aid to Families with Dependent Children Program."  Although the report found gaps in the Department of Transitional Assistance record keeping for cash assistance…

Using the Amer. with Disabilities Act to Protect the Rights of Individuals in TANF Programs: Manual For NonLitigation Advocacy

National Center for Law and Economic Justice
From the introduction to the manual:  "This manual provides basic information for lawyers and advocates on how to use federal disability rights laws to improve access to welfare benefits for people with disabilities."  It does not address litigation issues, instead…

TANF and TAFDC in Massachusetts

Deborah Harris, MLRI
An overview of the federal TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) block grant as it is implemented in Massachusetts, including an explanation of the funding stream, state maintenance of effort (MOE) requirements, and what types of expenditures the state can use the TANF grant…