Temporary Cash Assistance (TCA)
Last updated August 2026
Temporary Cash Assistance is Florida's monthly cash for families with children, and honesty helps here: the amounts are small and frozen in time. A family of three gets at most $303 a month, unchanged since July 1996. Apply at myaccess.myflfamilies.com, the same portal as SNAP.
The gates: gross income under 185 percent of poverty ($4,109 a month for three), net income under the payment standard, assets of $2,000 or less, and a licensed vehicle allowance up to $8,500. Pregnant women qualify in the third trimester if a doctor restricts work, otherwise in the ninth month.
Florida's clock is stricter than the federal one: 48 months in an adult's lifetime, not 60. Adults also work through the CareerSource network unless exempt, and missing work activities cuts the whole family, escalating from 10 days to three months. Child support cooperation is mandatory.
Now the doors people miss. Up-front diversion: a one-time $1,000 payment for an emergency, instead of monthly aid, if you agree not to apply for TCA for three months. Working your way off? After 6 months on TCA, a $1,000 severance exists when you leave for work. And relatives raising a court-placed child should ask about the Relative Caregiver Program: $242 to $298 per child monthly, no time limit, based only on the child's income.
If the numbers rule you out, SNAP reaches ten times higher on the same application, the kids likely qualify for Medicaid or KidCare, and 2-1-1 finds local emergency funds. Appeals get 90 days from the notice.
Phone 1-850-300-4323
Updated August 2026 Program details can change — confirm with the program directly.
Who qualifies
- Families with children under 18 (or under 19 if still in high school); gross income under 185 percent of the federal poverty level and countable assets of $2,000 or less
- Adults are limited to a lifetime total of 48 months of cash assistance; child-only cases have no time limit
You may qualify. The program makes the final decision.
How to apply
- 1
Apply at myaccess.myflfamilies.com, by paper to the Ocala mail center, or at a community partner site.
- 2
Facing a one-time emergency? Ask about up-front diversion, $1,000 once, before starting monthly aid. It requires skipping TCA for 3 months after.
- 3
Raising a relative's child placed by a court? Ask for the Relative Caregiver Program: $242 to $298 per child monthly, no adult time limit.
- 4
Send proof: ID, income, assets under $2,000, and the children in your home.
- 5
Cooperate with Child Support Enforcement; refusing without good cause denies the case.
- 6
Ask where you stand on Florida's 48-month lifetime clock at every review.
- 7
Leaving TCA for a job after 6+ months? Ask about the $1,000 severance. Denied? Fair hearing within 90 days.
What the application looks like
Common questions
How much is cash assistance in Florida?
Up to $180 a month for one person, $241 for two, $303 for three, $364 for four, unchanged since July 1996. Less if your shelter costs are under $50.
How long can I get TCA in Florida?
48 months in an adult's lifetime, stricter than the federal 60. Child-only cases have no time limit, and SSI recipients and caregivers of disabled family members are exempt.
What is the Relative Caregiver Program?
Monthly payments to relatives raising a court-placed child: $242 for ages 0-5, $249 for 6-12, $298 for 13-17, per child. Only the child's income counts, and there is no time limit.
What is up-front diversion?
A one-time payment of up to $1,000 for a family facing an unexpected emergency, taken instead of monthly TCA. You agree not to apply for TCA for three months afterward.
What are the income and asset limits?
Gross income under 185 percent of poverty ($4,109 a month for a family of three), net under the payment standard, and $2,000 in countable assets, with a vehicle allowance up to $8,500.
What happens if I miss a work activity?
Sanctions hit the whole family: at least 10 days of stopped benefits the first time, one month the second, three months the third. Tell your CareerSource worker early if something blocks participation; exemptions exist.
Not sure this is the right program for your situation?
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