Financial Eligibility Requirements

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What are the financial eligibility requirements?

What are the resource limits?

What resources are counted?

What are the income limits?

What income is counted?

Are there special financial eligibility rules for noncitizens?

NOTE: Glossary words are highlighted. Click on any glossary word to see its definition. 

What are the financial eligibility requirements?

There are two types of financial eligibility requirements: resources and income.

• Resources are money, savings, and valuable things you own that you can use to pay for things you need.

• Income is money you are being paid, either earned (for example, wages from a job), or unearned (for example, VA benefits, unemployment insurance).

If you have too many resources or too much income, you will not be eligible for TANF. The benefits you receive from TANF are reduced the more income you have.

What are the resource limits?

Your resources are the money, savings, and valuable things you own that you can use to pay for things you need. Only certain resources are counted for TANF eligibility.

The value of all countable resources cannot be greater than $3500 per benefit group. If your countable resources are worth more than this amount, you cannot get TANF.

• The value of countable liquid resources may not exceed $1,500.
• The value of countable non-liquid resources may not exceed $2,000.

You cannot give away resources just so you will become eligible for TANF.

What resources are counted?

Certain resources are counted and certain resources are not counted in deciding your eligibility for TANF. The ISD adds together the countable resources of all members of your benefit group.

These resources are counted: cash bank accounts (savings and checking) cash value of life insurance policies stocks, bonds, negotiable notes, and similar assets any real estate you own other than your home lump sum payments resources of ineligible or disqualified household members your sponsor's resources, if you are a sponsored noncitizen

These resources are NOT counted: your home burial plots and funeral agreements household and personal possessions vehicles used for transportation by people in your benefit group  certain Individual Development Account (IDA) funds energy assistance and certain other public benefits resources excluded by federal law, including federal educational assistance resources of anyone who gets SSI value of livestock work related equipment inaccessible resources (resources you are not allowed to use) resources of non-household members

Your ISD worker can give you a complete list of countable and noncountable resources.

What are the income limits?

You must pass a gross income test and a net income test to qualify for TANF cash assistance.

Gross income test:

To qualify for TANF cash assistance, the total combined countable gross monthly income for your benefit group must be less than the TANF gross income limit for your benefit group size. The gross income limits are equal to 85% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines (FPG).

Note: To qualify for TANF support services only (no cash assistance), your gross countable income must be less than 100% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines (FPG). You do not have to pass a net income test to get support services only. Support services include child care and transportation.

TANF Gross Monthly Income Limits

Effective Oct. 1, 2009 - Sept. 30, 2010

Size of benefit group	Cash assistance income limits 85% FPG	Support services income limits 100% FPG
1	$768	$903
2	$1,033	$1,215
3	$1,297	$1,526
4	$1,562	$1,838
5	$1,828	$2,150
6	$2,092	$2,461
7	$2,357	$2,773
8	$2,622	$3,085
each additional person	+$265	+$312

Net income test:

The Standard of Need is the maximum monthly benefit you can get from TANF to pay for your basic needs such as food, clothing, shelter, utilities, and other personal requirements. To get TANF cash benefits, your net countable income must be less than the TANF Standard of Need for the size of your benefit group:

TANF Standard of Need

Size of benefit group	Standard of Need
1	$266
2	$357
3	$447
4	$539
5	$630
6	$721
7	$812
8	$922
9	$1013
10	$1104
each additional person	+$91

Your net countable income equals your gross countable income, minus certain allowed deductions. Allowed deductions may include business and self-employment costs, child care expenses, contributions to an IDA, and, in some cases, a portion of your earned income. Your ISD worker will explain the rules that apply to you and let you know how your net countable income is calculated.

What income is counted?

ISD counts both earned income and unearned income. Examples of earned income are wages from a job or earnings from self-employment. Examples of unearned income are interest from a savings account, unemployment compensation payments, and veterans' benefits.

You may have to count income from certain members of your benefit group even if they are not eligible for benefits. If you are a sponsored noncitizen, special rules apply. See Are there special financial eligibility rules for noncitizens? below.

Some types of income are not counted, such as SSI, utility and energy assistance, food stamps, and certain foster care payments you receive. Your ISD case worker will explain the income rules to you.

Are there special financial eligibility rules for noncitizens?

There are special rules for sponsored noncitizens who apply for TANF.

If you are a sponsored noncitizen:

• and you entered the U.S. on or after December 19, 1997
• and your sponsor signed an affidavit of support as a condition of entry

THEN the income and resources of your sponsor (and spouse, if living with the sponsor) are counted as if they were your own. This is called sponsor deeming.

Your sponsor's income and resources (minus certain deductions) are added to your own income and resources, whether or not your sponsor actually gives you any financial help. Your combined income must be within the income limits, and your combined resources must be within the resource limits, for you to be eligible for TANF.

Sponsor deeming does not apply to:

• asylees
• refugees
• persons paroled for at least a year
• certain Hmong or Laotian tribe members
• noncitizens whose deportation is being withheld
• certain Cuban/Haitian and Amerasian entrants
• conditional entrants
• and certain veterans and their families.

Certain battered noncitizens, and other noncitizens without basic food or shelter, are exempt from sponsor deeming for one year.

Sponsor deeming applies until one of the following:

• you become a U.S. citizen
• you have 40 credits (about 10 years) of qualifying work (may include spouse or parent credits)
• you are no longer applying for LPR status and you leave the country
• or your sponsor dies.

Sponsor deeming is complicated and the rules are subject to change. Your ISD worker will explain the deeming rules that apply to you.