Program Overview
The Florida Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) is a benefit program that provides assistance related to energy payments to needy families residing in the state of Florida. The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families was created by Congress under which the central government provides block grants to the states to be used for different benefits programs in the state of Florida and other states. In Florida, the program is administered by the Administration for Children and Families (ACF)
Program Objectives
The purpose of the program is to assist families from poor households to become self-sufficient. The eligible families are provided temporary assistance through money and employment. The benefits are provided to,
- Families with dependent children ( can be either a single parent or two parents)
- Pregnant women who qualify for the program
The program also assists in the form of cash payments to qualified needy families so that they can pay their household expenses. Through this program, people can
- Take care of their children’s expenses (children who are below 19 years of age and are dependent on their parents)
- Get hold of their lives through helpful workshops and seminars on work and marriage life.
- To encourage the household to have two parents
- To reduce and prevent the number of non-marital pregnancies in the state
The duration of the Florida TANF program is a maximum of 48 months. The goal is to temporarily provide needy individuals with assistance so that they can look for employment opportunities without worrying about household expenses.
Work Requirements
During the time the recipients are receiving the benefits, they will have to participate in work and training workshops arranged by the program. All the adults in the family must take part in the training programs other than those who have been exempted based on either their age or certain disabilities. The program provides training workshops related to job hunting, interview skills, communication skills, and job preparation.
Eligibility Requirements
There are certain requirements that an applicant must fulfill to qualify for the Florida Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program including,
- The applicant must be a citizen of the United States of America or a legal alien
- The applicant must be a citizen of Florida
- The applicant must have dependent children (19 years or younger)
- The applicant belongs to a poor household with low-income
- The applicant must meet the income level limit guidelines provided by the program
- The resource of the applicant must be within the limits described in the program guidelines
- The applicant has never received the Florida TANF benefits
Resources
Certain things are considered as resources that the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program takes into account while determining the eligibility of the applicants. Those are,
- Cash
- Savings
- Stocks and bonds
- Real estate
- Mortgages
- Car
- Property
Other Important Documents
The Florida Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program requires applicants to provide certain personal information and copies of documents to prove their eligibility. The copies of the following documents must be presented along with the application form at the time of submission,
- Personal Identification Number(PIN) of the applicants
- Employment and work status/history
- Social Security Number (SSN) and Florida ID of the applicant
- Copy of driver’s license
- Documents providing your residential status
- Attested affidavit
How To Apply
There are many ways to apply for the Florida TANF. This makes the application procedure easy and more comfortably accessible.
Apply through the local district office
Applicants who are interested in the Florida TANF program can visit the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) office in their locality to make a personal application. The representative of the TANF program will guide you through the program’s guidelines and policies to make the process quick and easy and it is mandatory to fill out the form to apply for the program benefits. After finding a nearby office, you can visit it to get guidance regarding the program eligibility and application procedures.
Once the form is filled and you have attached all the required documents, you can then submit the application form which will be further processed by the TANF official in the office. The selected applicants will be notified through phone or email and will get notified about the next level.
Apply Online
You can apply for the Florida TANF program by going online to the MyFLFamilies.com portal.
Apply Via Phone call
Individuals interested in the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families in the state of Florida can go to the TANF Program Contacts website. This will take you to the Office of Family Assistance where you can find the contact list of the TANF office in your area to apply for the benefits of the program via phone call.
The application form will be delivered to you either by mail or post. By calling the above numbers you can talk to highly qualified members of staff who can answer any queries you might have regarding the TANF program.
For Further Information
In case of further queries, you can visit the TANF page for Florida. The website provides detailed information related to the program including the eligibility criteria, application process, and any other help that might be required.
