The Massachusetts Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA) administers TANF under the name of “Transitional Assistance for Families and Dependent Children” (TAFDC). Information on this and other programs can be found on DTA's website at www.mass.gov/orgs/department-of-transitional-assistance.

In Massachusetts, an individual may not be included in a TAFDC grant for the same months they are eligible for SSI. SSI monthly payment amounts reduce dollar for dollar by the individual's share of a TAFDC grant, until the State removes the individual from the grant. SI BOS00830.405E provides instructions for verifying the individual's share of the TAFDC grant. SI BOS00830.405I provides instructions for verifying TAFDC and post-entitlement termination date.

From November 1, 1995 until April 24, 2019, a family cap applied in Massachusetts. In most cases, an additional child born to a TAFDC Assistance Unit (AU) more than ten months after the initial application date were not added to the TAFDC grant nor did the additional child cause an increase in the grant amount.

Beginning April 25, 2019, Massachusetts changed the law and the family cap no longer applies to an additional child born to a TAFDC AU more than ten months after the initial application date. The change in law was effective retroactively to January 1, 2019. DTA offices contacted the affected households. Implementation of the change included retroactive benefit payments, when due.

See SI 00830.403A.6 for information on Sanctions.

The policy of double counting of income does not apply if the SSI recipient has a TAFDC overpayment. The TAFDC overpayment belongs to, and is recovered from, the family unit not the individual recipient. Do not alter recovery efforts from the record if a TAFDC overpayment occurs. The amount of TAFDC income counted to an individual in a household with a TAFDC overpayment is unaltered, as if there were no recovery action from TAFDC.

When State policies change, some TAFDC recipients may be eligible for retroactive payments. How these payments affect SSI individuals and those in their household will depend on many factors: the payment amount, which individuals are on the grant, and when the payment is received.

For more information on retroactive TAFDC payments, see SI BOS00830.405J

TAFDC and Medicaid recipients assign their child support rights to the State as part of their obligation to cooperate with the Department of Revenue Child Support Enforcement Division (DOR-CSE) in child support enforcement efforts. In Massachusetts, the first $50.00 per month of child support collected is “passed through” to the family. See SI BOS00830.405K for more information on child support pass-through payments and verification requirements.

Once a year, the Massachusetts Legislature may authorize a clothing allowance for all eligible TAFDC recipients under the age of 19 who are active as of September 1 or who become eligible during the month of September. Since the benefit is based on need and state funded, it is excluded from income as Assistance Based on Need (ABON). See SI 00830.175.

As of September 2023, the clothing allowance is $450.00. Children receiving SSI and ineligible non-citizen children are not eligible for a clothing allowance. Children who become eligible after September 1 will receive the clothing allowance payment on the Friday following the third Tuesday of either September, October, November, or December, depending on the date approved.

DTA notices clearly state the names of people in the household who qualify for TAFDC benefits and those who do NOT quality for TAFDC benefits, including the reason why. TAFDC notices document any income used to calculate the grant amount; from whom, the type, amount/dates and amount used in calculating the grant.

Households that receive SNAP will have a separate section in the notice with information regarding how the SNAP amount is calculated. Individuals residing in public or subsidized housing are not eligible for "Rental Allowance". Those in a private housing setting will receive a "Rental Allowance". Rental allowance information does not appear in TAFDC notices unless there is a change in housing for the TAFDC household.

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  EBC Notice With Cash Calc

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  EBC Notice with Cash and FS Calc

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  Related Benefit Notice

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  Notices with the words "RETRO" in the title

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  Notices with a Title in all capital letters

DTA notices indicate whether the AU has exempt or non-exempt status. Rental allowance is determined when comparing the grant amount to the rental allowance chart in SI BOS00830.405H. When the family grant amount agrees with one of the payment standard in the charts shown in SI BOS00830.405H, use the chart to derive the individuals share for each month of SSI eligibility.

In general, all months in the review period require verification. Specifically, check notices immediately before, during and immediately after the dates within any review period. Use the filter option to select a date range for notices for the SSI period of review. Be aware of retroactive payments based on the implementation date. For treatment of income based on retroactive payments, see SI BOS00830.405J.

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  Effective with July 1, 2018: Non-Exempt status no longer applies. Implementation began November 2018.

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  Effective with January 1, 2019: CAP no longer applies. Implementation began April 2019.

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  Effective with January 1, 2021: Temporary COVID -19 Relief payment increase of 10%. Implementation began January 2021.

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  Effective with July 1, 2021: Continuing overall increase of 20% to the benefit levels for the majority of clients. Implementation began July 29, 2021.

Massachusetts makes two TAFDC payments monthly to each household or assistance unit (AU). The head of household, who is applying for/receiving assistance for the AU, is the grantee. The date of each payment depends on the last digit of the grantee's SSN.

NOTE: It is possible for an SSI recipient, when removed from the AU, to be included in only the first TAFDC check in the month and not the second check.

The table below gives the cyclical check dates. Changes in TAFDC benefit amounts and terminations are effective on the day prior to a cyclical check date. An SSI recipient can be included in the first TAFDC check in the month of removal from the AU and not the second check.

EXAMPLE: If the last number of the grantee's SSN is 4, a termination date of 04/06/19 would mean the individual was included in both payments in March but was not included in either payment in April. A termination date of 04/21/19 would mean the individual was included in the first payment in April but not included in the second payment in April.

Massachusetts uses an incremental method to determine the TAFDC grant amount for a family. The amount of the grant is increased or decreased, as the number of people in the family increases or decreases. The head of household, who is applying for or receiving assistance for the AU, is the Grantee.

Assistance begins as of the date of application for TAFDC or the date the applicant meets all eligibility requirements, provided this date does not precede the date of application. Prorated benefits are for the first month of eligibility.

Under the incremental method, determine an individual's share by calculating the difference between the amount of the TAFDC payment actually made to the family and the TAFDC payment due had the individual not been included in the grant.

Under a capped grant, when the amount of the grant including the individuals is the same as the amount without the individual, the individual's share of the TAFDC grant is zero.

To identify the TAFDC grant amount, access the DTAConnect portal.

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  Search by one of the four choice options

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  Select: Name, Agency ID, or SSN for the Grantee

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  Select the "Documents" tab (frequently requires screen refresh)

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  Select "DTA Notices"

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  Search for the types of DTA notices that may affect SSI eligibility and payments in SI BOS00830.405E.2

Use the supplemental instructions for DTAConnect Access/Login, Navigation and Verification, provided by CDPS for more detailed instructions to find the TAFDC Grant information from the appropriate notice.

When the State computes the TAFDC grant on an incremental basis, follow these steps to determine how much income an individual derives from TAFDC (i.e., the individual's share):

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  Start with the amount of the TAFDC payment the family is due.

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  Subtract the amount of TAFDC payment due if the individual had not been included in the grant. Use charts in SI BOS00830.405H.

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  The result is the SSI individual's share of the grant.

EXAMPLE: John Smith, a disabled child, files for SSI. John is a member of a TAFDC household that includes Smith's parent and two ineligible children. The State informs you that the family's TAFDC grant is $593 per month and the grant without John would be $491 per month. John's share of the TAFDC grant is $102 ($593-$491).

See SI 00830.403C.4. for special rules for calculating an individual’s share when there are two or more SSI claimants in the same TAFDC household.

Beginning July 1, 2018, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts no longer used a bi-furcated grant structure. Exempt and Non-exempt grant amounts were differentiated based on household or Assistance Unit (AU) size and the type of housing. You can find rate charts at www.mass.gov/service-details/check/tafdc-eligibility-and-how-to-apply.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Commonwealth's Fiscal Year 2021 General Appropriations Act included provisions that increased the benefit level for TAFDC by 10%, effective January 1, 2021. The TAFDC rates during the pandemic period are below:

The Commonwealth's Fiscal Year 2022 budget included a continuing overall increase of 20% to the benefit levels for the majority of clients. Assistance units eligible for the grant increase for TAFDC in the month of July 2021, received an automatic retroactive payment for the difference of the grant amount received. Implementation began with notices dated July 29, 2021. Updates will occur for all eligible active and closed cases.

Standard Rate Chart:

The Commonwealth's Fiscal Year 2023 budget included an increase to the benefit levels for TAFDC clients effective October 1, 2022.

Standard Rate Chart:

When coding TAFDC grant amount information for initial SSI claims, type “F” income is a continuing amount through the final SSI allowance input. Control the case for follow-up on DTAConnect for a period of 10 days following final adjudication. See SI BOS00830.405I2 for actions after 10-day follow-up.

When coding TAFDC grant amount information for Post-Entitlement events, review DTA notices for any changes in monthly grant amounts for the entire review period. Use the Filter option to select a date range for notices for the SSI period of review.

1. a. 

   Verification Access

   Access DTAConnect to verify TAFDC information for all SSI claims.

   If DTAConnect shows information discrepant with the rate charts in SI BOS00830.405H, contact DTA directly. Use the supplemental instructions for DTAConnect Access/Login, Navigation and Verification, provided by CDPS, to find DTA contact procedures.

2. b. 

   SSI Claims System Access

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     SSI Claims System - Record documentation on the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families screen.

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     Non-MSSICS Claims - Record documentation of TAFDC verification on a SSA-5002 and fax into the official electronic folder (eView/NDRed). Input the individual's incremental share as type “F” income in the UM field per SM 01005.180-SM 01005.187.

3. c. 

   Information to Document

   1. Record the following information on the File Documentation Notes section of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families screen in the SSI Claims System or SSA-5002:

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     Name of the agency (DTA) whose records were accessed,

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     System (DTAConnect) used for access,

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     Date of access,

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     Family grant amount,

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     Number of individuals on the grant for each month of SSI eligibility (AU size), and,

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     DTAConnect screen where this information was located; e.g., Documents/DTA Notices/EBC Notice with Cash (and FS) Calc.

   2. When obtaining verification of information orally, document the following on the File Documentation Notes section of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families screen in the SSI Claims System or SSA-5002:

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     Source of information; e.g. direct phone contact,

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     Agency name,

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     Date of contact,

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     Family grant amount, and

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     Name and phone number of the individual contacted

Massachusetts does not allow an individual to receive TAFDC concurrently with SSI. If the individual is included in the first check in the month of termination but not the second, the final entry for type “F” income will be different from prior months. Termination information is on the DTA Notice titled EBC Notice With Cash (And FS) Calc.

When an SSA field office (FO) inputs an SSI allowance for a TAFDC recipient in Massachusetts, DTA receives electronic notification of this event. The agency then updates its database and posts a termination date for the individual's eligibility to TAFDC benefits. Generally, a Limited Issue for the individual with a Selection Indicator of F will occur approximately six months after final adjudication of the SSI allowance to ensure the income changes appear on the SSR record correctly.

1. a. 

   Verification Access

   Access DTAConnect to verify TAFDC information for all SSI claims.

   If DTAConnect shows information discrepant with the rate charts in SI BOS00830.405G, contact DTA directly. Use the supplemental instructions for DTAConnect Access/Login, Navigation and Verification, provided by CDPS, to find DTA contact procedures.

2. b. 

   SSI Claims System Access

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     SSI Claims System - Input the termination date for the TAFDC income on the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families screen.

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     Non-MSSICS Claims - Record documentation of TAFDC termination verification on a SSA-5002 and fax into the official electronic folder (eView/NDRed). Input the individual's incremental share as type “F” income in the UM field per SM 01005.180-SM 01005.187. Terminate the type “F” income on the date the individual is removed from the TAFDC grant.

     IMPORTANT: Do not remove TAFDC income from the SSR based on the representative payee or recipient's allegation alone.

3. c. 

   Information to Document

   1. Record the following information on the File Documentation Notes section of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families screen in the SSI Claims System or SSA-5002:

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     Name of the agency (DTA) whose records were accessed,

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     System (DTAConnect) used for access,

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     Date of access,

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     Termination date of eligibility on the grant, and,

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     DTAConnect screen where this information was located; e.g., Documents/DTA Notices/EBC Notice with Cash (and FS) Calc.

   2. If you cannot verify TAFDC termination on DTAConnect, contact DTA directly. Use the supplemental instructions for DTAConnect Access/Login, Navigation and Verification, provided by CDPS, to find DTA contact procedures.

   When obtaining verification of information orally, document the following on the File Documentation Notes section of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families screen in the SSI Claims System or SSA-5002:

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     Source of information; e.g. direct phone contact,

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     Agency name,

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     Date of contact,

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     Termination amount, and

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     Name and phone number of the individual contacted

DTA will inform individuals by notice of any retroactive payments due. Important notices sent by DTA often contain titles in all capital letters. When reviewing DTA Notices in DTAConnect, look for notices with the following title to indicate a retroactive payment:

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  Related Benefit Notice

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  "RETRO PAYMENT" in the notice title

1. a. 

   Non-Exempt Status

   Effective with July 1, 2018, DTA no longer uses a bi-furcated system in determining grant amounts. DTA removed Non-exempt status to determine payment eligibility. The current grant system only uses eligibility of a Rental Allowance for its payment structure. Implementation of the conversion began November 2018 for AU's that previously qualified under non-exempt status. Because the exempt payments were higher than non-exempt payments, it required retroactive payments to the AU.

2. b. 

   Family Cap Status

   Effective with January 1, 2019, DTA could no longer have a family cap for an additional child born to a TAFDC Assistance Unit (AU) more than ten months after the initial application date. The State was required to contact AU's that either had a family cap imposed after January 1, 2019 or for any case closed between January 1 and April 25, 2019. Implementation to correct household grants began April 2019. DTA mailed notices to affected households to complete a mandatory re-evaluation. No retroactive benefits were paid until the grantee completed the review.

3. c. 

   COVID-19 and Fiscal Year 2022 Budget Changes

   Effective with January 1, 2021, DTA implemented a 10% increase in benefit levels in response to COVID - 19 pandemic. The increase did not involve retroactive payments. The Fiscal Year 2022 overall increase of 20% to the benefit levels of TAFDC became effective July 1, 2021. Notices dated July 29, 2021 contained information on changes and retroactive payments.

SI BOS00830.405C.2. also sites important changes that affected TAFDC payments.

Access DTAConnect to determine the following regarding retroactive payments:

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  Date issued

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  Amount of the payment

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  AU size before and after the change in payment

Use the supplemental instructions for DTAConnect Access/Login, Navigation and Verification, provided by CDPS, to properly develop retroactive payments.

1. a. 

   Calculating the Share per Individual

   If the AU size changes from 0 to 1 or remains an AU size of 1 after the change in payment, apply the entire retroactive payment income to the individual named eligible on the grant.

   If the AU size is 2 or greater, then divide the income from the retroactive payment equally between all individuals in the AU who are eligible on the grant.

2. b. 

   Documentation of Retroactive Payments resulting from the conversion of Rate Charts or removal of family CAP.

   Retroactive payments follow the same guidelines for documentation as initial and termination verification. See SI BOS00830.405I.1.

Treat all retroactive payments as countable unearned income when received.

1. a. 

   Apply the infrequent or irregular exclusion for retroactive income payments

   Treat retroactive payments as irregular income. Follow guidance found in SI 00810.410 for additional information. Review the claim for any other income exclusions used for the individual under the infrequent or irregular income exclusion policy. If not otherwise assigned to unearned income for the individual, apply the $60 Per Calendar Quarter unearned income exclusion for any retroactive payment.

2. b. 

   Documentation of Retroactive Income Exclusions

   1. SSI Claims System

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     Record this amount in the column "Other Deduction Amount" on the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families screen in the SSI Claims System.

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     Record the exclusion reason on the File Documentation Notes section on the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families screen in the SSI Claims System.

   2. Non-MSSICS Claims

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     Record documentation of the income exclusion payment (with any TAFDC verification needed) on a SSA-5002 and fax into the official electronic folder (eView/NDRed).

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     Input the individual's incremental share, after the excluded income, as type “F” income in the UM field per SM 01005.180-SM 01005.187.

In Massachusetts, the first $50.00 per month of child support collected is "passed through" to the family. Massachusetts does not provide excess pass-through or gap payments. The additional child support collected, and retained by a State, on behalf of the SSI recipient, is reimbursement for TAFDC payments and not income to an SSI recipient. These funds are what the non-custodial parent owes to the State for the financial support the State has provided for the child (TAFDC).

$50.00 is the maximum amount paid each month to a TAFDC household in Massachusetts as child support pass-through payments. This amount does not change if more than one absent parent is paying support, or more than one child in the TAFDC household is eligible for child support, or the current support payments are more than $50.00.

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  If there are no current monthly support payments collected by DOR-CSE, the TAFDC household does not receive a payment.

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  If the monthly support payment collected was less than $50.00, the amount sent to the TAFDC household will be less than $50.00.

1. a. 

   DEFRA Payment Made

   TAFDC issues DEFRA notices titled CHILD SUPPORT PAYMENT NOTICE when child support pass-through payments are due. These notices are in the Documents tab under DTA Notices in the DTAConnect system. Use the Filter option to select a date range for notices for the SSI period of review. Open and review notices to determine the date and amount of the DEFRA payment.

2. b. 

   Only One Child is in the Grant Household

   If, at the time the DEFRA payment was due, the TAFDC household contains only one child, consider the DEFRA payment to be child support income to the child. (See SI 00830.425C2b)

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     Accept the individual's allegation that a payment of $50.00 or less pass-through of child support is received AND

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     Record the payments per instructions in SI 00830.420E for SSI Claims Systems claims and SI 00830.420F for non-MSSICS claims.

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     Use the DEFRA notice for verification of the amount received and in which month to apply the income.

   NOTE: 

   If a child is an SSI recipient in the State of Massachusetts, then the child is no longer eligible for TAFDC benefits. A parent has the right to request direct payment from the local child support enforcement agency of the SSI child’s share of any child support payment when the SSI child is no longer receiving TAFDC benefits. This action is not mandatory, but beneficial to the child, as it may provide more income to the child. Inquire about a parent's request for direct payment and develop per SI 00830.420.

3. c. 

   More Than One Child is in the Grant Household

   If there is more than one child in the TAFDC household, a pass-through child support payment is not income to the SSI recipient when it is:

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     A regularly recurring payment of $50.00 or less,

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     Made by the State Agency responsible for issuing the payment, and

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     In addition to the regular TAFDC payment.

   Because the State of Massachusetts does not provide excess pass-through or gap payments above the $50.00 amount, follow the assumption discussed in SI 00830.425D 2.

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     On the Temporary Assistance for Needy Family screen in the SSI Claims System, record in File Documentation Notes "Support is not income and the assumption in SI 00830.425D.2 applies".