Temporary Assistance, including Cash Assistance, is short-term assistance for disadvantaged individuals, including children. Suppose you are incompetent to work, in addition, you cannot find a job. TA, including Cash Assistance, may be able to help you to some extent or pay you enough. There are two types of assistance. They are.
Family Assistance: “Family Assistance (FA) provides cash assistance to eligible needy families that include a minor child living with a parent (including families where both parents are in the household) or a caretaker relative. FA operates under federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) guidelines.
Under FA, eligible adults are limited to receiving benefits for a total of 60 months in their lifetime, including months of TANF-funded assistance granted in other states. Once this limit is reached, that adult and all members of his or her FA household are ineligible to receive any more FA benefits. The months need not be consecutive, but rather each individual month in which TANF-funded benefits are received is included in the lifetime count.
Parents and other adult relatives receiving FA who are determined to be able to work must comply with federal work requirements to receive FA benefits.
As a further condition of FA eligibility each person who applies for or is receiving FA is required to cooperate with state and local departments of social services in efforts to locate any absent parent and obtain support payments and other payments or property. Non-cooperation without good cause could result in lower FA benefits.”[1]
Safety Net Assistance: “Safety Net Assistance (SNA) provides cash assistance to eligible needy individuals and families who are not eligible for FA). SNA is for:
- Single adults
- Childless couples
- Children living apart from any adult relative
- Families of persons found to be abusing drugs or alcohol
- Families of persons refusing drug/alcohol screening, assessment or treatment
- Aliens who are eligible for temporary assistance, but who are not eligible for federal reimbursement
Recipients of SNA who are determined to be able to work must also comply with work requirements to receive SNA benefits.
Generally, you can receive cash SNA for a maximum of two years in a lifetime. After that, if you are eligible for SNA, it is provided in non-cash form, such as a payment made directly to your landlord or voucher sent directly to your utility company. In addition, non-cash SNA is provided for:
- Families of persons found to be abusing drugs or alcohol
- Families of persons refusing drug/alcohol screening, assessment or treatment
- Families with an adult who has exceeded the 60-month lifetime time limit.”[2]
You might be able to get assistance if you cannot pay your bills since you lost your job or are being paid less at your job. You might also have a medical emergency that unexpectedly you had to deal with. This help is called “Emergency Assistance” or a “One Shot Deal.”
Emergency Assistance can help you if:
- “You are experiencing homelessness or will lose your housing if you do not get help.
- Your gas or electricity has been shut off, or you got a notice saying that it will be shut off.
- You lost clothes, personal items, or furniture because of theft, a fire, or a natural disaster.
- You are affected by domestic violence.
- You have other issues that affect the health and safety of you or your family.”[3]
More Information:
- “You must have an interview to get Emergency Assistance or a One-Shot Deal.
- To get some types of Emergency Assistance, you may need to show proof that you will be able to pay that bill in the future, or that you will have help to pay it.
- Unless you receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI), you may be required to pay back some or all the Emergency Assistance in the future. HRA will let you know if you need to pay it back.
- If your income is more than a certain amount, you may be required to sign an agreement that you will pay back the Emergency Assistance.
- You may apply for Emergency Assistance even if you already received it before. If you were required to pay back an Emergency Assistance grant, but you did not pay it back, that may affect your eligibility to get a new one.
- After you give HRA all the required information for your Emergency Assistance application, they will make a decision as soon as possible. HRA will send you a notice if they need more information or documentation from you.”[4]
[1] Temporary Assistance | OTDA (ny.gov) [2] Refer Above Footnote. [3] Cash Assistance - HRA (nyc.gov) [4] Cash Assistance - HRA (nyc.gov)
