Temporary Family Assistance / TFA (Cash Assistance)

Temporary Family Assistance, TFA, is Connecticut's monthly cash help for low-income families with children. It is the state's part of the federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, TANF, program. Most adults take part in Jobs First, which pairs the cash with employment services. You apply online through ConneCT at connect.ct.gov or at your local Department of Social Services office.

The income door depends on where you are in the program. New applicants must have earnings below 55 percent of the federal poverty level. Families asking for an extension may earn up to 100 percent of poverty. Once you are on TFA, your earned income is fully set aside up to 100 percent of poverty as a reward for working, while unearned income other than SSI counts dollar for dollar.

There is also an asset test. A family may keep up to $6,000 in total countable assets. One vehicle does not count if its value is under $9,500, or if it is used to transport a household member who has a disability, and the family home is not counted at all.

Watch the clock, because Connecticut caps how long a family can receive cash. Families with an employable adult face a 36-month state time limit, with up to two six-month extensions and, in limited cases, more. Families without an employable adult have no time limit. On top of that sits a 60-month lifetime cap, and months of assistance received in other states count toward it.

TFA is built around work. Employable adults must take part in Jobs First Employment Services activities. There are exemptions, including for a disability, being age 60 or older, caring for an infant under 1, or caring for a household member who has a disability.

TFA covers families with dependent children up to age 18, and pregnant women, and the family must live in Connecticut. Because the cash comes with a clock, stack every other kind of help. Apply for SNAP and HUSKY at the same time, and dial 2-1-1 for local funds that can bridge a rent or utility gap.