Black Health
TANF · Connecticut

Connecticut TANF (Temporary Family Assistance)

Run by the Connecticut Department of Social Services.

The number

Connecticut TANF (Temporary Family Assistance): Maximum monthly TFA for a family of 3, FY 2024 is $801.

Primary source: https://portal.ct.gov/dss/economic-security/temporary-family-assistance
Apply for Connecticut TANF (Temporary Family Assistance) 1-855-626-6632 Connecticut Department of Social Services

Quick facts

Application channel
Online
Average processing time
45 days
Maximum monthly TFA for a family of 3, FY 2024
$801

Connecticut TANF (Temporary Family Assistance) in Connecticut

Connecticut TANF (Temporary Family Assistance) is the Connecticut implementation of TANF, the federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families block grant created by the 1996 PRWORA. The program is run by the Connecticut Department of Social Services. Unlike SNAP or Medicaid, TANF is not a federal entitlement — the state gets a fixed annual block grant from HHS and decides who qualifies, how much the monthly benefit is, what work requirements apply, and which time limits run.

The maximum monthly TANF cash benefit for a family of three in Connecticut is $801 in FY 2024. The federal floor rules every state must respect: a 60-month lifetime limit on adult receipt (states may set shorter limits and many do); 30-hour work-or-work-prep requirement for single parents (20 hours when a child is under six); cooperation with child-support enforcement and paternity establishment. State income limits run far below SNAP or Medicaid — most fall under 50% of the federal poverty guideline for a household of three.

Apply online at https://connect.ct.gov/ or by calling 1-855-626-6632. Federal processing time under 45 CFR 206.10 is 45 days for the initial application. Most states require an in-person interview that includes a Work First / TANF Employment orientation, where a case manager assigns job-search hours and may refer you to a short-term workforce-training slot. Bring photo ID, Social Security numbers, birth certificates for any covered children, proof of household income and assets, proof of housing costs, and any child-support orders. The PRWORA 5-year bar on most lawfully present non-citizen adults applies federally; some states fund a state-only TANF analog for barred immigrant families.

Connecticut's Temporary Family Assistance (TFA) imposes a 21-month lifetime limit (with 6-month extensions for hardship), the shortest among states. Maximum monthly benefit for a family of three is $801 in FY 2024.

For Black families in Connecticut

About 28% of TANF families nationally are Black per HHS ACF Characteristics and Financial Circumstances of TANF Recipients FY 2021. The deeper story is what researcher LaDonna Pavetti calls TANF's missing children: in 1996 AFDC reached 68 of every 100 poor families with children, but by 2022 TANF reached only 21. Block-grant erosion and state diversion of TANF dollars to non-cash uses drove the gap.

Connecticut's maximum monthly TANF cash benefit can be compared against the federal poverty guideline for a household of three ($2,152 / month in FY 2025) to gauge how close the cash floor lands to a survival income. CBPP's TANF state policy tables at cbpp.org/research/family-income-support track every state's benefit level, time limit, and sanction policy. The National Women's Law Center pushes for federal minimum-benefit floors as part of TANF reauthorization, which has been on continuing-resolution status since 2010.

Connecticut's Temporary Family Assistance (TFA) imposes a 21-month lifetime limit (with 6-month extensions for hardship), the shortest among states. Maximum monthly benefit for a family of three is $801 in FY 2024.

Where to get help

If you want help with the application or want to walk in and have someone sit with you through the forms, three places in Connecticut can do that for free:

  • Federally Qualified Health Centers in Connecticut — every FQHC has certified application counselors on staff and cannot turn you away for inability to pay. They cross-enroll Medicaid + WIC + SNAP at the same visit.
  • Connecticut Medicaid — if you qualify for Medicaid you are automatically income-eligible for WIC under federal adjunctive eligibility rules (7 CFR 246.7).
  • Connecticut Medicaid — TANF receipt is a categorical qualifier for Medicaid. Confirm enrollment in both at the county human-services office.

Other safety-net programs in Connecticut

WIC in Connecticut SNAP in Connecticut

References & primary sources

Data refreshed: