Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)
Legal Information
Information and resources about issues relating to Temporary Assistance for Needy Families in Pennsylvania.
Click on a resource category listed below to see information related to that category.
COMPASS - Apply for Public Benefits and Services from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania residents can apply for a variety of programs offered by the PA Department of Human Services, including public assistance, food stamps, health care coverage, energy assistance and other social service programs at this site
Benefits.gov
Benefits.gov is the official benefits website of the U.S. government whose mission is to increase citizen access to benefit information, while reducing the expense and difficulty of interacting with the government. It is a free, online confidential tool that helps you find government benefits you may be eligible to receive.
COMPASS - Apply for Public Benefits and Services from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania residents can apply for a variety of programs offered by the PA Department of Human Services, including public assistance, food stamps, health care coverage, energy assistance and other social service programs at this site
Benefits.gov
Benefits.gov is the official benefits website of the U.S. government whose mission is to increase citizen access to benefit information, while reducing the expense and difficulty of interacting with the government. It is a free, online confidential tool that helps you find government benefits you may be eligible to receive.
Federal Court Finder
Find a federal court location by location or court name, including appellate, district, bankruptcy, probation and pretrial office, or federal defender organization. Each District Court has its own local forms which are generally available on the Court website.
Temporary Aid to Needy Families (TANF)
Temporary Aid to Needy Families is a program that provides cash assistance to families with dependent children for a limited time while helping them become self-sufficient. This information on the TANF program is from Neighborhood Legal Services Association.
Temporary Aid to Needy Families (TANF) (Audio-MP3)
6/2/2008: Northwestern Legal Services provides a basic summary of Temporary Aid to Needy Families (TANF) Benefits in Pennsylvania, how to qualify, work requirements, how to obtain job-training or educational assistance, and information on how to apply for TANF. Audio recording with written transcript.
Agreement of Mutual Responsibility
Information from Northwestern Legal Services on the Agreement of Mutual Responsibility (AMR). How you can make your AMR work for you, defining goals, and what to do if your caseworker does not agree with your AMR.
A Guide to Public Benefits
Pennsylvania Legal Aid Network, Inc. provides this guide to some programs that are funded by the government to provide help to individuals and families during times of need.
Am I Eligible for Public Assistance?
Information from Southwestern Pennsylvania Legal Aid about your eligibility for cash assistance; medical assistance; food assistance; and utility assistance.
Benefits Available for Low Income Persons
A Summary of Benefits available through your County Assistance Office from Neighborhood Legal Services Association.
Cash Assistance - What You Need to Know
Information from Northwestern Legal Services regarding cash assistance and important information you should be aware of such as time limits, work requirements, special rules, and income and resource rules.
How to Get Child Care and Other Supportive Services When Your Family Gets Food Stamps, But Not Cash
Families that get SNAP (food stamps), but not cash assistance ("SNAP-only" households) can get many of same special allowances for supportive services (SPALs) to attend school or job skills training that cash assistance families get. This fact sheet from the Community Justice Project contains information on obtaining supportive services from the County Assistance Office if your household only receives Food Stamp Benefits
Self-Sufficiency Through Education and Training
Legal education brochure from Northwestern Legal Services on strategies for parents pursuing self-sufficiency and getting a plan for education and training into action.
Subsidized Child Care Program
Fact sheet from Northwestern Legal Services outlining the Subsidized Child Care Program operated by the Department of Human Services. (October 2018)
Child Care Subsidies
Information on the subsidized child care program that pays for part of the cost of child care for eligible families. This information is from the Youth Justice Project of Philadelphia, distributed through Community Legal Services of Philadelphia.
Impact of Criminal Record on Public Benefits in Pennsylvania
Chart from Community Legal Services of Philadelphia outlining the effect on the eligibility for public benefits for people with criminal records.
The KEYS Program - Things to Know
Information fact sheet from Northwestern Legal Services regarding the Keystone Education Yields Success (KEYS) Program in Pennsylvania.
Tips on Applying for Welfare Benefits
Helpful tips from Neighborhood Legal Services Association about filing an application for benefits from the Department of Public Welfare.
TANF (Cash Assistance)
Fact sheet from the Youth Justice Project providing information on the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program for cash assistance, including information for low-income parents under 18 years old.
Young Parents and Welfare Benefits
Fact sheet from the Youth Justice Project providing information about the types of benefits that might be available to young parents and pregnant teens.
How to Access Benefits During Coronavirus: SNAP (Food Stamps), Medicaid, TANF & LIHEAP
If you lost a job or your hours were cut because of coronavirus (COVID-19), you may be eligible for SNAP (food stamps), Medicaid, cash assistance (TANF) or heating bill assistance (LIHEAP).
Status of Various Benefit Programs through the Pennsylvania Department of Health and Human Services during COVID-19
Information about the status of public benefit programs during the COVID-19 Crisis.
TANF - Qualifications & Requirements
Information on Temporary Aid to Needy Families, or TANF, from Northwestern Legal Services, including how to apply and what benefits are available, and what qualifications must be met to be eligible for the benefit payments.
You Have the Right to Disagree with the Welfare Office
Information from Neighborhood Legal Services Association on filing appeals to decisions made by your County Assistance Office.
Domestic Violence and TANF Support Requirements
Information from the Family Law Section of the Philadelphia Bar Association about the requirement that families who receive cash assistance from the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) apply for child or spousal support unless excused for good cause. [PDF]
COMPASS - Apply for Public Benefits and Services from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania residents can apply for a variety of programs offered by the PA Department of Human Services, including public assistance, food stamps, health care coverage, energy assistance and other social service programs at this site
Cash Assistance
Information on Cash Assistance programs administered by the PA Department of Human Services.
Child Care Works Subsidized Child Care Program
Information from the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services about Child Care Works, Pennsylvania's plan for improving the quality and increasing the availability of safe, affordable child care for Pennsylvania's working families.
Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT)
The Pennsylvania Department of Human Services provides information on the EBT benefit delivery system which provides public assistance recipients with electronic access to their cash and food stamp benefits.
STAY CONNECTED with the Lifeline Telephone and Broadband Assistance Program
The Lifeline Program is a federal government benefit that provides eligible low-income consumers a monthly discount on their phone or internet bill. The benefit can be used for voice (telephone), Broadband internet Access Service (or BIAS, usually called internet service), or a combined telephone/internet service product from a landline or wireless provider.