TAFDC September Clothing Allowance

What is the TAFDC September Clothing Allowance?

The Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA) pays a $400 clothing allowance for children in late August or September. Families get $400 for each child in the family who gets Transitional Assistance for Families and Dependent Children (TAFDC).

In 2022, DTA will make the payments for children already getting TAFDC on August 26, 2022.

Can my child get the clothing allowance?

Only children who get TAFDC get the September clothing allowance. Children who get SSI cannot get the clothing allowance. If your child cannot get TAFDC, he or she cannot get the clothing allowance.

I am a teen parent. Can I get the clothing allowance for myself?

If your family gets TAFDC because you are a dependent child, you will get the $400 clothing allowance. You can also get the $400 clothing allowance for each child you have, as long as they get TAFDC.

How do I get the clothing allowance?

If you get TAFDC now, you do not have to do anything to get the clothing allowance. In late August or September, DTA will pay your family $400 for every child in the family who is less than 19 and gets TAFDC. 

When do I get the clothing allowance?

For  every child who already gets TAFDC:

• DTA will make the $400 payment on August 30.
• DTA will deposit the $400 in the family’s EBT account or bank account.
• DTA will send a notice to households telling them about the payment.

Families who apply before the end of September and are approved will get the full clothing allowance benefit in the fall.

What if we do not get TAFDC at all, can we get the clothing allowance?

If you apply for TAFDC and get approved for September, you will get the clothing allowance. The income limits for TAFDC go up for the month of September. You may be able to get TAFDC for September, even if you could not get TAFDC before.

Can you get the clothing allowance for a child who is not getting TAFDC?

No. DTA does not pay the clothing allowance for a child who is not on the TAFDC grant.

• DTA does not pay the clothing allowance for a child getting SSI.
• DTA does not pay the clothing allowance for a child who is not getting TAFDC.

For more information, contact:

• Deborah Harris, Massachusetts Law Reform Institute, , 617-357- 0700 x 313, or
• Naomi Meyer, Greater Boston Legal Services, [email protected], 617-603-1621.