Cash assistance for families: TANF, SSI and general assistance
The main cash program for families with children is TANF, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families. The federal government gives each state money, and the state runs its own program with its own name and rules. People who are 65 or older, blind or disabled may also get SSI from Social Security.
What TANF is
TANF replaced the old welfare program, Aid to Families with Dependent Children, in 1996. It is a block grant. The federal government sends a yearly grant to states, territories, Washington, D.C., and federally recognized tribes. It does not pay TANF cash to anyone directly. States use the money for monthly cash payments to families with children and low income, and for services such as job help and child care.
Each state or tribe sets its own rules for who can get TANF. You must live in the state where you apply. Washington State and Ohio, for example, also accept pregnant women. In Ohio, children living with guardians other than their parents may get child-only cash help.
1. Find your state's program
TANF goes by many names. California has CalWORKs. Ohio has Ohio Works First. Wisconsin has Wisconsin Works, called W-2. Minnesota has the Minnesota Family Investment Program. New Jersey has Work First New Jersey. The federal Office of Family Assistance lists each state's program and office. Start from cash assistance to find yours.
2. Apply
In Ohio, for example, you can apply online, by mail or fax, in person or by phone. Ohio asks you to fill in as much of the form as you can, but to include at least your full name, address and signature. If you cannot fill it out yourself, a friend or relative can help, or you can name an authorized representative in writing.
3. Do the interview and send proof
In Ohio, the county office mails you an interview date. The interview is by phone unless you ask to come in. The worker tells you which papers to send and gives you a checklist with a deadline. If you have trouble getting a document, ask for help before the due date. Ohio decides within 30 days of the date you turned in your application.
Benefits come on a debit card or by direct deposit. Some states also send paper checks.
4. Meet the work rules
Federal law requires states to make a parent or caretaker getting TANF work once the state decides they are ready, or after 24 months of help, whichever comes first. Each state decides what counts as work. In Ohio, most adults must take part in work activities such as on-the-job training, community service or job-related schooling. Adults there must sign a self-sufficiency contract to get benefits.
If you refuse required work, the state must cut or stop your cash, subject to good cause and other exceptions the state sets. A single parent of a child under 6 cannot be penalized if they prove they could not get needed child care.
Ohio and Washington State also require you to help collect child support from a parent who is not in the home. You can be excused in some cases, such as domestic violence.
The 60-month time limit
Federal TANF money cannot pay cash to a family that includes an adult who has already received it for five years. That is 60 months in total, whether or not the months were in a row. Months when you were not the head of the household or married to the head, such as when you were a child, do not count.
States can extend help past five years for up to 20 percent of their families, for hardship or for family violence. Washington State, for example, grants extensions to people who are disabled, caring for a child under 2 under certain rules, experiencing homelessness, or working at least 32 hours a week. Some states set a shorter limit. Ohio's is 36 months.
If you are denied
Federal law requires each state's TANF plan to explain how people harmed by a decision can be heard in a state appeal process. Read every notice carefully. In Ohio, notices include contact information for questions.
SSI: separate cash help for older and disabled people
Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is a federal program run by the Social Security Administration. It pays monthly to adults and children who have little or no income, little or no resources, and a disability, blindness, or are 65 or older. You can apply online, by phone or in person. Social Security then tells you if you qualify. People on SSI can also look into SNAP and Medicaid.
General assistance for adults without children
Some counties and states run their own cash help for adults who cannot get TANF, often called general assistance or general relief. In California, each county creates and fully pays for its own program, so benefits and rules vary across the state's 58 counties. You apply through your county social services agency. New Jersey runs Work First New Jersey/General Assistance for single adults and couples without dependent children. Ask your county social services office whether your area has a program like this.
Where it works differently
- County offices. California's CalWORKs is run by county welfare departments in all 58 counties, and you apply in the county where you live. In Ohio, the county Department of Job and Family Services handles applications.
- Time limits. Washington State uses the 60-month limit. Ohio stops Ohio Works First after 36 months, though a family can reapply after 24 months off if it has good cause.
- Program names. Each state runs its program differently and gives it a different name, so look for your state's name rather than TANF.
State by state
The official statewide page for each state and territory. For a local office near you, search your county or city above.
Sources
- HHS Administration for Children and Families: Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)
- HHS Administration for Children and Families: TANF program contact information by state
- USAGov: welfare benefits or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)
- 45 CFR 264.1: time limits on federal TANF assistance
- 42 U.S.C. 602: TANF state plans
- 42 U.S.C. 607: TANF work requirements and penalties
- Social Security Administration: Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
- Social Security Administration: who can get SSI
- USAGov: SSDI and SSI benefits for people with disabilities
- California Department of Social Services: CalWORKs
- California Department of Social Services: General Assistance or General Relief
- Ohio Benefits: cash assistance (Ohio Works First)
- Ohio Revised Code 5107.18: Ohio Works First time limit
- Washington DSHS: Temporary Assistance for Needy Families
- New Jersey Department of Human Services: Work First New Jersey
Checked against the sources above on Oct 16, 2026. GovDir is a guide, not legal advice. The agency that handles your case has the final say.