U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Family Assistance — administered by states and tribes
GRANTTANF is the programme most people still call "welfare": cash and services for families with children on a low income. The federal government block-grants the money to states, and states design and run their own programmes — so the name, the benefit amount, the work requirements and the eligibility rules are all different where you live, and can be startlingly low. Money you receive is not repaid. The commonest misunderstanding is that TANF is one national programme with one set of rules; it is fifty-plus different programmes sharing a federal funding stream.
Generally for families with dependent children; income and asset limits, work-participation requirements and time limits are set by your state or tribe. You apply in the state you live in. Childless adults are usually excluded entirely. Find your state office through the HHS TANF programmes-by-state directory linked from this page, or your county social services office.
Apply at the official source →← more like this · all programmes
Not financial or legal advice. Program terms change — verify eligibility, amounts, and deadlines with the administering agency before acting.