Each year, the Legislature may appropriate a nonrecurring clothing allowance for all eligible TAFDC clients under the age of 19 who are active as of September 1 of that year.
Children receiving SSI and ineligible noncitizen children are not eligible for a clothing allowance.
If a clothing allowance is appropriated, all TAFDC clients under age 19 who are active on September 1 or become TAFDC-eligible during the month of September are eligible for the full clothing allowance, as appropriated by the Legislature, per eligible child. Based on the date approved, clients who become eligible after September 1 will receive the full clothing allowance payment of the appropriated amount per eligible child on the Friday following the third Tuesday of one of the following months:
Benefits are deposited in the TAFDC grantee’s bank account (if on direct deposit) or transferred to their EBT card. Clients will be sent a notice informing them of the clothing allowance and their amount, on or about the date the clothing allowance becomes available. Notice.
The Need and Payment Standards increase for the month of September each year a clothing allowance is appropriated. Refer to http://www.mass.gov/dta/eligibility.
An eligibility test will be performed for all applicants who are approved for TAFDC after September 1 using the lower August Need standards. If the applicant is ineligible using the lower standards, a second test of eligibility will be performed using the higher Need standards. If the applicant passes this second test, a payment for the full clothing allowance per eligible child under age 19 will be issued. The following informational message will appear on the Interview Wrapup EBC Results page for these cases:
“This AU is not eligible for TAFDC using the regular Standard of Need, but is eligible for a Clothing Allowance in the amount of $XXX.XX.”
When a clothing allowance is paid, the date and amount paid to a grantee is found in the Benefit History tab.
For the benefit month of October, the Need and Payment Standards return to the regular amounts.
Clothing Allowance Policy and Procedures