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AFDC vs TANF

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Roscleo

Guest
Ok I have a quick ? and some of you may think I am crazy for not knowing this. I am trying to collect as much info as possible and I need to know what a person would get on AFDC vs what would someone get on TANF I know that you cannot get TANF if you are getting child support. But if you get AFDC do they give you money monthly to live on or do they just give you food stamps and medical. On our summons it stated the Plaintiff was getting AFDC in the amount of 382$ a month.
I am not talking about anyone else on this site this is strictly my own situation
 


tigger22472

Senior Member
I can't tell you for sure but from my only from my own experience. When my ex and I split up the first time I went to see about getting housing, food stamps and AFDC. Here's what I was told and I swore that would be the last time I dealt with them. On the housing the waiting list was no less then 18 months. I was living in a three two bedroom house with my parents, my two children and my sister(the house was actually 3 bdrms. but couldn't use the other one). I was told that I would have to PROVE what food I bought for just me and my kids and that if a case worker came out and looked I had to have a separate shelf... blah blah blah in the fridge. Then we got to the AFDC.. I was working.. my husband wasn't. I was told I could get like 200 and some dollars but ANYthing I made came out of that so if I made more then that a month I didn't get anything. I would think child support would be considered income when it comes to the government giving assistance.
I'm not trying to rag on anyone here because Yes I have been on welfare before but it seems so many times the guys trying to make ends meet by working their tails off are JUST over the guidelines and can't help but I could quit my job and get it.
 

TNBSMommy

Member
I agree with you, Tigger.... however with food stamps here, all I had to do was have a letter from my mom(where I was living at the time) stating I did not eat with her, and I was able to get food stamps. So it is quite a bit easier to get them here, I guess....
 

Grace_Adler

Senior Member
oohhh I know, I know this one!! LOL!!:D
AFDC-now known as work first, stands for aid for dependent children. It is now called work first because it is designed to help families get jobs and get off of AFDC. You're only supposed to get it for 2 yrs. max. They may have special circumstances in some situations though.
TANF-Temporary Aid for Needy Families.
TANF means someone is getting or recieved AFDC and in CS cases if your case is TANF it means they got AFDC and you have to pay it back because what they are saying is they got assistance while the NCP should have been paying. I don't think you are supposed to get AFDC if you recieve CS. Also what they refer to as back child support.
Yes they give you actual money and they have ways of determining what to give. I think based on the size of family and income and bills you have..utilities and CS payments. Food stamps and medicaid are not the same. They are not considered TANF. You have to file for everything seperate and with different caseworkers.
At least this is the way I understand it.
Also tigger you are absolutely right. Can't make ends meet and just over the guidelines. They make you go through hoops to get anything.
However if you quit your job you are not allowed to recieve AFDC or Food Stamps for 6 months I think is the correct time.
Anyway..hope that helps.
 
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ReadyToMoveOn

Guest
Hope this helps!

I noticed that you are in California..

Last year, I had to go apply (yet again) for AFDC (which changed its name to TANF then changed again to CalWorks, at least that is what the intake worker told me! ;) ).

I was living with an elderly relitive that was terminal with cancer. All I needed to do was show her utility bills (phone, gas, elect, etc) and have a letter from her stating how much rent I paid, what portion of the bills I paid, as well as stating that there was a seperate refridgerator in the garage where my food was kept seperate (there was a seperate fridge, that statement was NOT fraudulent).

With in a week, once I turned in copies of the birth certs, ssc's, etc, I was issued benefits.

I recieved cash, fs & MediCal for 4 months then after my grandmother passed away, I moved in with my fiance. Its been over a year, and altho I am working, I am still recieving MediCal for myself as well as my 5yr old son.

Hope this sorta helps you.

ReadyToMoveOn
 
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Ashlee1443

Guest
i tend to get all the abbreviations confused as well, but i am aware of a few regulations regarding governement assistance. my previous support order, before modification, was $68 monthly from bio dad. i applied for benefits shortly after applying for child support since bio dad was "beating around the bush", and good thing i did, as it took 5 months to get a dime from him...it took 45 days for my application(s) to process before i actually recieved the benefits. food stamps was not an option for me, as i lived with my parents, and their income was calculated there...i did qualify for medicaid, which has helped tremendously, and will remain a huge help until i graduate and can provide for my son appriopriately. i qualified for the work first program, which was a check for $254 a month, i believe that's the limit here in NC for this benefit. i recieved the check monthly until my support from bio dad started coming in. then, i had one option--don't quote me on this because i'm not sure whether or not this is standard procedure or not--but my caseworker told me that being that i could not recieve the work first check as well as child support, that i had the option of continuing my work first benefit until the end of my 24 months, and have the child support checks re-directed to the state. of course, i chose work first, being that it was more acceptable than my support order at the time. just a little insight...dss has always bumfuzzeld me....but, it certainly helps where needed, and as long as the benefits aren't abused. good luck in finding out what you need to know....
 
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grandpabri

Guest
Roscleo said:
Ok I have a quick ? and some of you may think I am crazy for not knowing this. I am trying to collect as much info as possible and I need to know what a person would get on AFDC vs what would someone get on TANF I know that you cannot get TANF if you are getting child support. But if you get AFDC do they give you money monthly to live on or do they just give you food stamps and medical. On our summons it stated the Plaintiff was getting AFDC in the amount of 382$ a month.
I am not talking about anyone else on this site this is strictly my own situation
OK, here is the deal. AFDC does not exist anymore. It was replaced at the federal level with the TANF program on August 22, 1996. The California state program, CalWORKs, went into effect for most counties on January 1, 1998.

When you sign up for CalWORKs (also for AFDC when that program was in effect) you have to assign child support rights to the state. This means that the state becomes entitled to the child support for your child, rather than the CP. California elected to "pass-through" the first $50 of CS received per month to the CP.

It might be easier to explain all this over the phone. I am right next door (Santee). If you want to send me your number or email, my email is [email protected].

Talk to you soon
 

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