Code of Maine Rules › 10 - DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES › 144 - DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES - GENERAL › Chapter 301 - SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (SNAP) RULES › FS-600's › 600 - CERTIFIED HOUSEHOLDS › Section 144-301-600-FS 666-5 - Transitional Food Assistance (TFA)

Current through 2024-29, July 17, 2024
Transitional Food Assistance (TFA)
Transitional Food Assistance (TFA) benefits are a fixed
						monthly amount of Food Supplement benefits that are provided for up to five
						months to certain families whose TANF cash assistance has ended. TFA
						eligibility is based on the TANF closure so the household must have received
						TANF or TANF/PaS cash assistance within the past 30 days and Food Supplement
						Program benefits within the past 60 days to be considered for TFA eligibility.
						The household does not have to lose eligibility for regular Food Supplement
						benefits to become eligible for TFA, however, the household cannot receive TFA
						and regular Food Supplement benefits at the same time.
Eligibility for Transitional Food Assistance
						(TFA)
All included members in an open Food Supplement
						household, that includes at least one member from a TANF financial assistance
						group at the time the TANF closes, are eligible for TFA.
Approved TANF closure reasons are:
1. Gross or net income over limits;
					 or
2.  Increase in work hours,
					 transitional services.
Households eligible for TFA will receive a TFA Start
						Letter, which contains information about who is eligible for TFA, the amount of
						the benefit, how the benefit was determined, and the length of the TFA period.
						The letter will also explain the process for reporting household changes for
						those receiving TFA. Households will be notified that they are not required to
						report any changes in circumstances until the time that they must apply for
						recertification. Finally, the letter will notify families that their benefit
						allotment can be changed if the household experiences a decrease in income, an
						increase in expenses or an increase in household size that could lead to a
						higher Food Supplement allotment.
Households are not eligible for TFA if TANF cash
						assistance closed in part or solely due to any of the following:
1. a sanction, being a fugitive felon, or
					 Intentional Program Violation;
2. a
					 transfer of assets or property to qualify for assistance;
3. failure to cooperate with quality control
					 or child support;
4. failure to
					 provide verification required to determine eligibility;
5. not residing in Maine;
6. a case head has left the household.
Households in which all members are ineligible for the
						Food Supplement Program are also ineligible for TFA.
Individuals ineligible or excluded from the Food
						Supplement Program at the time that TFA is initially determined will remain
						ineligible for the duration of the TFA period.
Determining the Transitional Food Assistance (TFA)
						Benefit Allotment
The TFA benefit amount is based on information already
						known at the time the TANF ends. No further contact is required with the
						household until the end of the TFA period.
The TFA benefit amount is determined by using the Food
						Supplement Program budget for the last month that TANF cash was issued and
						deducting the TANF grant that the household is no longer receiving.
The resulting net income is used to calculate the TFA
						benefit amount.
The TFA benefit amount is frozen for the duration of the
						TFA period regardless of any changes to the household's circumstances. See
Transitional Food Assistance Requirements
and
Changes
						During the Transitional Food Assistance (TFA) Period
below.
EXCEPTIONS:
Only under the following
						circumstances are TFA benefits recalculated during the TFA period:
1. federally mandated updates to Food
					 Supplement Program allotments and deductions in October;
2. recoupment; and
3. if a member of an TFA household moves out
					 and either reapplies on their own or is reported as a new member in another
					 Food Supplement household.
Transitional Food Assistance (TFA)
						Period
The TFA benefit period begins the first month following
						the last month TANF financial assistance was received and continues for five
						consecutive months, unless during the TFA period the household:
1. opens for TANF cash;
2. reapplies for regular Food Supplement
					 Benefits; or
3. requests that TFA
					 close.
The recertification period for Food Supplement Program
						will be reset to match the last month of TFA at the time the household is found
						eligible for TFA. See FS 666-8,
Shortening a Certification
						Period
.
Households will be mailed a special review form the end
						of month four of the TFA period. Households must recertify for regular Food
						Supplement benefits by completing the review form during TFA month five to have
						eligibility for regular Food Supplement benefits redetermined. During the
						recertification, all changes that were reported during the TFA period, and any
						new information, will be used to determine ongoing Food Supplement Program
						eligibility. If the household fails to complete and submit the review form or
						reapply, TFA automatically terminates on the last day of month five.
Transitional Food Assistance (TFA) Work
						Requirements
There are no work registration requirements or ABAWD work
						requirements during the TFA period.