United States Benefit

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families

Also known as: TANF, Welfare, Cash Assistance

TANF provides temporary financial assistance to pregnant women and families with dependent children. States design their own programs within federal guidelines.

At a Glance

  • Must have a dependent child under 18 (or 19 if full-timestudent expected to graduate before 19).
  • Household income must be below state-specific limits(varies significantly by state).
  • Countable assets must be below state limit(many states have eliminated asset tests).
  • Must be U.S. citizen or qualified alien who has beenin the U.S. for 5+ years (state exceptions ma...
  • + 2 more requirements below

Eligibility Requirements

Dependent Child

Required

Must have a dependent child under 18 (or 19 if full-timestudent expected to graduate before 19).

has_dependent_child = true

Exempt if any:

  • OR is_pregnant = true
  • OR has_child_under_18 = true

Income Limit

Required

Household income must be below state-specific limits(varies significantly by state).

household_income < state_tanf_limit

Asset Limit

Required

Countable assets must be below state limit(many states have eliminated asset tests).

countable_assets < state_tanf_asset_limit

Citizenship/Immigration

Required

Must be U.S. citizen or qualified alien who has beenin the U.S. for 5+ years (state exceptions may apply).

citizenship_status in [us_citizen, qualified_alien_5_years]

Work Requirements

Required

Adults must participate in work activities unless exempt.Single parents: 30 hours/week. Two-parent families: 35-55 hours/week.

meets_work_requirement = true

Time Limit

Required

Federal lifetime limit of 60 months of assistance(states may have shorter limits).

tanf_months_received < 60

Ruleset effective: 2024-01-01

Quick Info

Agency
HUD
Category
Income support
Last Verified
2026-01-13

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