What Do You Need To Know
The Virginia Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) is a benefit program for families residing in Virginia. The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families was created by the Congress under which the central government provides block grant to the states to be used for different benefits program in the state of Virginia and other states.
Program Goals
The purpose of the program is to assist families from poor household to become self-sufficient. The eligible families are provided temporary assistance through money and employments. The benefits are provided to,
- Families with dependent children (can be either a single parent or two parents)
- Pregnant women who qualify for the program
The program also assists in the form of cash payments to qualified needy families so that they can pay their household expenses. Through this program, people can
- Take care of their children expenses (children who are below 19 years of age and are dependent on their parents)
- Get hold of their lives through helpful workshop and seminars on work and marriage life.
- Along with that, the Virginia Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) assist pregnant women with out-of-wedlock children and it also takes measures to prevent such incidents in Virginia. The program also takes steps to encourage families with two parents.
The duration for the Virginia TANF program is a maximum of 60 months. The recipient will receive the benefits of the program for no more than 60 months after which they will stop receiving it. The goal is to temporarily provide needy individuals with assistance so that they can look for employment opportunities without worrying about household expenses.
During the time the recipients are receiving the benefits, they will have to participate in work and training workshops arranged by the program. All the adults in the family must take part in the training programs other than those who have been exempted based on either their age or certain disabilities. The program provides training workshops related to job hunting, interview skills, communication skills, job preparation.
Are You Eligible?
There are certain requirements that an applicant must fulfill in order to qualify for the Virginia Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program,
- The applicant must be a citizen of the United States of America or a legal alien
- The applicant must be a citizen of Virginia
- The applicant must have dependent children (19 years or younger)
- The applicant belongs to a poor household with low-income
- The applicant must meet the income level limit guidelines provided by the program
- The resource of the applicant must be within the limits described in the program guidelines
- The applicant has never received the Virginia TANF benefits before
What is considered as a Resource?
Certain things are considered as resources which the Virginia Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program take into account while determining the eligibility of the applicants. Those are,
- Cash
- Savings
- Stocks and bonds
- Real estate
- Mortgages
- Car
- Property
Other Important Documents
The Virginia Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program requires the applicants to provide certain personal information and copies of documents to prove their eligibility. The copies of the following documents must be presented along with the application form at the time of submission
- Personal Identification Number(PIN) of the applicants
- Employment and work status/history
- Social Security Number (SSN) and ID of the applicant
- Copy of Driver’s license
- Documents providing your residential status
- Attested affidavit
How To Apply
To apply for the Virginia Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program kindly visit the Application page. You will find the online application form on the portal which you can access through the online account. In case you are new, you will be required to create a new account on the portal before filling the application. This page also guides you about other benefit programs available in Virginia. This makes the whole application process easy and effortless.
For Further Information
To learn more about the Virginia Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program visit the Virginia TANF program page. The website provides detailed information related to the program including the eligibility criteria, application process and any other help that might be required.
You can visit the nearby local county if you want to apply in person for the Virginia TANF benefits. You will be provided with an application which you can fill out and submit through an agent working in the office. It is important to note that before going to your local county office you should have copies of all the required documents to make sure your application is complete.
You can use the Local social service agency page to locate an office nearby you.