Financial Help for Immigrant Families

What help may be available to me from the Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA)?

●Transitional Assistance for Families with Dependent Children - Provides cash assistance for families in which a parent or close relative (grandparent, aunt or uncle, older sibling or first cousin) is caring for one or more children.

● Emergency Aid to the Elderly, Disabled, and Children - Provides cash assistance for families in which a more distant relative or a friend is caring for one or more children. Also provides cash assistance for disabled or elderly adults.

●MassHealth - Pays for most health care and prescriptions for families getting cash assistance under TAFDC or EAEDC or not getting cash assistance but who have low income.

●SNAP (formerly called Food Stamps) - Provides low income families an EBT (bank money machine) card to use in grocery stores to buy food.

● Emergency Assistance - Provides temporary shelter for low income families with one or more children under the age of 21. Emergency Assistance is provided by a separate agency, the Department of Housing & Community Development, but this agency has workers in DTA offices to take applications for shelter.

●Child CareReferrals – Authorizes a “voucher” that pays for child care so parents or caretakers can work, go to school, look for work, or perform community service. DTA only provides child care referrals for families receiving TAFDC. Other families can get vouchers directly from Child Care Choices of Boston, but they face a long waiting list.

What about my immigration status?

If you are a parent or caretaker of a child who is a U.S. citizen or who has an eligible immigrant status:

●You can apply for TAFDC or EAEDC, along with SNAP/Food Stamps and MassHealth, for only the child regardless of your immigration status.

●You can apply for benefits for the child without providing your own social security number or immigration information.

If I am the parent of an eligible child, how will the benefits for my child be calculated?

●Whether or not you are eligible, your income and assets will be considered in determining if members of your family are eligible, even if you decline benefits for yourself.

If I am not the parent, can I get benefits for myself? What if I don’t want to?

●If you receive cash benefits (TAFDC or EAEDC)for a child, but you are not the child’s parent, you have the choice to get TAFDC cash assistance for both yourself and the childor for only the child.

●If you decide to receive TAFDC or EAEDC only for the child and not for yourself, you do not have to give information or proof about your income and assets.

●Even though you are not the parent, you must be included in the application for SNAP/Food Stamps for a child under 18 in your care. You must provide information about your income and assets in the application.

How do I apply for these benefits?

●Apply at the DTA office that covers where you live. The offices in Boston are:

Dudley SquareOfficeNewmarket Square Office

2201 Washington Street1010 Massachusetts Avenue

Roxbury, MA02119Boston, MA02118

(617) 989-6000(617) 989-2200

●You have the right to an interpreter if the DTA worker does not speak your language and you cannot completely understand or speak English.

●If an interpreter is not available in the office to meet with you, the worker should use an interpreter by telephone.

●You have the right to start the application process on the first day you go in.

What if I have more questions or a problem with DTA?

●For free legal help and advice, contact your local legal services agency. In the Boston area, contact Greater Boston Legal Services at:

197 Friend Street

Boston, MA02114

Tel.: (800) 323-3205

Revised 12/10