Many Americans hold the common notion that if a person or family qualifies for one assistance program, they are ineligible for another. Due to this oversight, many eligible households do not receive all of the aid that is available to them.
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families are two programs that are comparable and are funded by the federal government but handled by the states, respectively.
The good news is that the two programs are fundamentally different, and you can receive both at the same time if you qualify. There are distinctions between how the benefits of the two programs are dispersed, the kinds of things benefits can buy, and how long you can receive each aid package.
In some areas, you can use the same application form to apply for Medicaid, TANF financial help, SNAP/food stamps, and even financial aid.
SNAP Benefits vs. TANF Benefits
SNAP benefits, formerly known as food stamps, assists low and no-income households with the cost of purchasing food.
A household can consist of one person living alone or several people, related or not, living together and regularly doing grocery shopping and cooking together. Despite being a federal program, state governments handle its local office administration.
Low-income families with dependent children can become self-sufficient with the aid of TANF subsidies. According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, states are given block grants by the federal government to fund the program.
Income determines who is eligible for the TANF program. You must be unemployed or underemployed, have a kid under the age of 18, be pregnant, or be a child under the age of 18 in order to qualify.
READ MORE: SNAP Benefits: How Can I Pass The Interview When I Apply for the Program?
Where to Use SNAP, TANF Benefits?
Use your benefits to buy dairy goods, bread, cereals, snack foods, non-alcoholic beverages, fruits, vegetables, meat, poultry, fish, seeds, and plants that will generate food for the household to eat.
Among the things you can’t purchase with SNAP benefits are alcoholic beverages, nicotine goods, cleaning supplies, paper products, cosmetics, vitamins, prescriptions, supplements, live animals, and pet feeds.
TANF payments can be utilized for a larger range of necessities for the home. TANF funding can be used to pay for rent and mortgage payments, domestic appliances, laundry services, personal hygiene items, internet, and phone service, as well as uninsured medical expenses and supplies.
Both SNAP benefits and TANF benefits recipients receive payments through electronic benefit cards that can be used to make purchases of goods and services. With your TANF EBT card, you can withdraw cash. Cash withdrawals from ATMs are not permitted under the food stamp program.
READ MORE: Louisiana SNAP Benefits: Here’s Where You Can Get Food Stamps Discounts in December!
