TANF will help families with cash assistance, child care, medical help, preparing for work, and finding a job. But TANF is also very different. TANF is a work program, not an entitlement program. TANF has strict rules about what you must do to receive your benefits. Unlike the former welfare system in which the federal government administered funds, TANF allows block grants to be given to the states and then the state determines the program s specifics.
States can allow counties to administer programs.
Federal law stipulates that the maximum time limit for receiving aid is 5 years. In other words, you can get public assistance for only 5 years in your entire lifetime. You can't start over if you move to another state. The rule is the same everywhere. The five year limit applies to the combined efforts of the entire household.