Hamilton County Job & Family Services Cash Assistance

http://www.hcjfs.hamilton-co.org

Cash Assistance

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Please note: All applications will take 30 days to process
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Please allow 30 days for processing of all public assistance cases. Due to a large amount of applications and re-certifications most cases will take the full 30 days to process. We greatly apologize for this inconvenience and are working diligently to reduce this backlog.

What is cash assistance?

Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) is the federal program that funds many cash assistance programs across Ohio.
The dollars provide a monthly payment (through EPPICard debit card or direct deposit) to low-income families with minor children at home.

In Ohio, the TANF program is called Ohio Works First (OWF). OWF provides temporary support to families while parents work their way toward becoming self-sufficient.

Families may receive cash assistance for 36 months (which does not have to be consecutive). That assistance can be extended if circumstances warrant. There are two types of extensions:

Good Cause: Must be off assistance for two years and meet certain work-related criteria.
Hardship: Must meet at least one out of 10 criteria. About half the families on hardship extensions have four or more children under the age of 14.

Who is eligible?

Eligibility is based on the family's income and the number of people living in the home. In addition, adults must be working or involved in an approved work activity for at least 30 hours per week.