Most TAFDC clients and certain former clients who have an approved Employment Development Plan (EDP) and an active activity will receive transportation payments, for costs incurred for travel to and from the activity, if Department resources permit. Transportation payments should include the cost of transporting children to child care. An eligible TAFDC client will receive $80 per month.
See Transitional Support Services – TAFDC to learn about transportation stipends for former clients.
Eligible clients include active clients or clients ineligible due to sanction in an active TAFDC assistance unit, with an active EDP and active transportation-eligible activities. Clients participating in community service only are not eligible for this payment.
Important |
You must issue the transportation payment through a Related Benefit for clients whose EDPs are not approved until after the first cyclical benefit issuance. |
Clients who have reached the end of his/her 24-month time-limited benefits are eligible for a transportation payment when s/he had an active EDP and active activity at the time of closing.
When completing an EDP with a client, you must inform the client that s/he will receive a monthly payment of $80 for transportation costs.
After an EDP and activity have been established and active, terminating the activity will terminate the EDP.
Important |
You must terminate an activity once the end date of the activity is in the past. Clients with an EDP and an activity whose end date is in the past will not receive a Transportation Payment. |
Activities that Qualify for Transportation Payments
Basic Education (including high school equivalency)
College (2-Year and 4-Year)
Employment Ready (including Massachusetts Office for Refugees and Immigrants (MORI))
Employment Training and Education
Employment Supports
Enhanced Employment Supports
Full Employment Program (FEP)
Young Parents Program (YPP)
Non-ESP funded programs (approved)
Employment
DTA Works
Combination of work activities that include an ESP component and/or community service. However, a client participating in Community Service only is ineligible for a transportation payment.
A client with an active EDP and an active activity will receive a transportation payment on the same day as the first cyclical issuance of his/her benefit.
In the event that a client’s EDP is not approved until after the first cyclical issuance of the month, you must issue the first month’s transportation payment by issuing a Related Benefit as soon as possible.
Follow these steps:
Go to the Program Administration workflow
Open the Related Benefit page
Select Transportation from the Type drop-down list
Enter $80 in the Amount field
Enter the date when the Related Benefit period begins. You can select a date from the popup calendar
Enter the date when the Related Benefit period ends. You can select a date from the popup calendar
Important |
For the begin and end dates, you must select the first and last dates of the month for which the payments are being made. Selecting the incorrect dates could result in the client losing a transportation payment for one month. |
Click Save
Click Next to save your entries or changes and go to the next page in the workflow
Click Finish to save your entries or changes and to exit the page and the workflow
If a client’s TAFDC case is closed, and s/he did not receive a transportation payment for a month which s/he is eligible, email the Benefit Issuance Unit at “DTA-DL-Benefit Issuance” to have the payment(s) issued.
MBTA Youth Pass Program
The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) developed the MBTA Youth Pass Program. This program provides affordable access to public transportation for low-income youth and young adults. Youth Pass cardholders have the option of either a reduced price LinkPass for $30 a month or a pay as you go 50% reduced fare rate. This allows access to all MBTA subway and bus lines at the reduced fare rate; however, the card does not allow access for the Commuter Rail.
The list of participating cities and towns is limited. To be eligible, clients must reside in one of the participating cities or towns and meet MBTA’s eligibility criteria. At this time, only clients who reside in:
Beverly
Boston
Cambridge
Chelsea
Danvers
Essex
Gloucester
Hamilton
Ipswich
Lynn
Lynnfield
Malden
Manchester by-the-Sea
Marblehead
Middleton
Nahant
Peabody
Quincy
Revere
Rockport
Salem
Saugus
Somerville
Swampscott
Topsfield
Wenham, and
all actively enrolled North Shore Community College students not serviced by other participating cities/towns are eligible for participation in the MBTA Youth Pass Program.
Eligibility criteria, the list of city partners and information on the enrollment process can be located on the MBTA’s website: www.mbta.com/youthpass.
Transportation Payment Procedures
Transportation Policy and Procedures