Low-income people have no boundary of suffering and struggle to meet their spending. Surely, they have lost their job and are passing sad moments without having enough income. For this, there are programs such as SNAP which stands for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, and TANF, which stands for Temporary Assistance for Needy families. These programs assist those people to get back on track and recover financial strengths.
The people who want to get such benefits need to qualify for the program with eligibility criteria. After that, the benefit amount is deposited to the card named an EBT card. As TANF funds are distributed through EBT cash benefits, this can be used to purchase at any store or website that receives an EBT card as a mode of payment. So we are going to discuss some issues on how to get cash benefits on an EBT card.
Content Outline
Background Of TANF
TANFstands for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, and it is also one of the federal programs. It provides funds to individual states. A cash benefit on an EBT card is provided to low-income families with children.
Cash benefit may be known to you as this may let you buy more food and go for a variety of living expenses. For this, there is a federally managed Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program. This program is federally funded, and different states have this program for low-income families. When people have different needs such as food, job training, transportation, and other living expenses, the funds may be available. Surely this fund is helpful to make sure the families in distress can recover from their predicament.
So cash benefit is known as TANF funds, and this is distributed through the EBT cash benefits card. This fund can be useable for purchase at any store or website that accepts EBT as means of payment. So the notion is that an EBT card is issued for using TANF funds, and this is not going to be a SNAP EBT card.
Qualifying Factors For TANF Or EBT Cash Benefit
Surely every government assistance program has certain eligibility criteria to let you go. So you need to first know what these eligibility criteria are. A program may focus on the specific requirement to make sure the right people get the right assistance program. In this same, you need to check out the program according to your state office. In addition to this, a different state may have different rules in place to assess eligibility. As part of this, income is the main consideration in assessing your eligibility, and it may vary according to different states’ rules and regulations. So here are some eligibility criteria to make sure you are going to be eligible for the TANF program.
- You must be a resident of the state where you are going to apply.
- You should be U.S. citizens, legal aliens, or qualified aliens for applying for TANF
- You need to have a child 18 or younger
- You may be pregnant
- You may be 18 or younger and qualify as head of household
Application Process For EBT Cash
It is important to reach the right place to apply for TANF. For this, you should study and research to make sure you are getting started in the right way. Every state may have a TANF program with a different name and you need to make sure you are going to TANF designed program. So, You need to reach out to the department of Social Service or Family Assistance for your state.
If possible, you may get help from the person who already has started to get TANF cash benefits. But what you can do is you should collect contact information, phone number, and website address in which you can start your application process. When you have got the website address of the TANF program, there is details information on the application process.
It is important to note that you should gather information before applying. For this, you get to know what type of information is required in every field of the application forms. More importantly, information should be provided as accurate and authentic to make sure you are fair and legal. Information may be checked and verified to assess your eligibility.
Ways To Get Cash Benefit On EBT Card
So, you may want to get a cash benefit on your EBT card as it is more accessible and useable in different stores and withdraw from the ATM. But TANF may be different in a different state, and you should get detailed information from the resident office. Additionally, the process may vary according to your state office. There is a link to the interactive map to get the TANF program near your location and you should follow the map.
When you are living in the state of California, you may get started by clicking on California in the above link. Multiple locations are close to you and you may reach for TANF funds. When you got the nearest location, you should visit the office or call over the phone to proceed with an application. You need to provide information on eligibility, such as housing, employment, income, and several dependents.
When all information is right and authentic, you will be approved for the TANF program, and you are going to ensure your EBT cash benefits. More importantly, it is important to contact the TANF representative to get more information to get started with the application successfully. As the program varies in different states, you should also know the accurate and exact way to go with the application.
Benefit Amount To Receive
The amount of cash benefit may vary according to state and location. Other factors determine the amount you are going to get. These factors are your income, family size, and employment status. When you are living in the state of Washington, and your family size consists of 3 members, you may get $569 per month according to 2020. TANF determines the amount from the calculation of your income reported and deducts it from the amount you receive. The amount may not be received if there is a change of income. It means your income has exceeded the poverty line according to your area, and you may not get the benefit and lose your eligibility.
There is also a duration of receiving EBT cash benefit, which may last for a maximum of 5 years. This is also part of losing eligibility when you have crossed 5 years determined by the program. More importantly, it is to be noted that losing eligibility and not receiving cash benefits may also depend on other factors. But the amount of cash benefits is on the rise every year, considering the family expenses and budget.
Rules On Use Of Your EBT Card
EBT card is loaded with benefit amounts and is useable for the purposes recommended by the program. The benefit amount can be available for paying your child support and taking out cash at any retail location or ATM point.
EBT card is similar to a Debit card and is accessible like that. There is a PIN (Personal Identification Number), and you need to use it for making any purchase or cash out. As there is a PIN, you must keep it private and secret to prevent fraud on your cash benefit.
As EBT card cash benefit is run by the government and there are certain rules and regulations that you need to follow and study to prevent any misuse. there is some location where your EBT card should not be used such as Liquor Store, Casino, gambling casino, gaming business, adult entertainment business, etc.
Frequently Asked Questions
So we are going to answer some questions that are frequently asked. Surely this can be helpful as well to know more.
What are Food stamps?
Food stamps are one of the food programs in the United States of America, and it enables low-income people to buy healthy foods. Surely there is a cash benefit, and so many people are familiar with this program. People need to qualify for this program, and they need to provide income information, family size, elderly and disability, and assets to assess eligibility. After being approved, the benefit amount is deposited into the Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) Card. The SNAP program ensures EBT cards are spent on eligible foods at the participating grocery stores.
I have been denied benefits through TANF. What can I do?
There are eligibility criteria and procedures to apply for the program, and you need to contact state and local agencies firstly. In case there is any disagreement about getting approved or denying benefits, you may file an appeal. For this, you may need to contact your state TANF director’s office.
In addition to TANF, are there any programs to address the needs of low-income individuals?
Surely there are federal programs to make sure low-income people can get help from the government instead of the TANF program. These programs are SNAP, Medicaid, Supplemental Security Income, Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, and many more.
Final Verdict
The government assistance program is available and it is important to find such program and assistance in the right way. When you have a low income and don’t go with your life, you need to seek such an assistance program. You should research and study and get started appropriately. In this case, your state and the local office of the program can help you know what eligibility criteria explain to you. Additionally, there may be different issues and factors in terms of the program in a different state as well. So, you should reach out to the state and local officials to go the right way.