Am I eligible for Tribal TANF?

Tribal TANF is for low-income tribal families with children, where at least one parent is unemployed. Because each Tribe is in charge of its own TANF program, the exact eligibility requirements depend on which Tribe’s service area you reside in. However, there are some general requirements that are fairly consistent across Tribes:

You are unemployed or about to become unemployed;

You or another member of your household is able to provide proof of enrollment in a federally-recognized American Indian Tribe or Alaska Native village;

You live on or near a federally-recognized Indian reservation (many Tribal TANF offices offer services to individuals who reside in counties near their reservation); and

You have at least one child 18 years old or under living in your home;

You are low-income.^[3411]

NOTE: Even if you are enrolled in a federally-recognized Tribe, some Tribal TANF offices require that at least one child of the family also be able to prove tribal membership or that they are a descendant of a federally recognized Tribe.

Even if you do not meet the criteria listed above, you may still be eligible if:

You are the third trimester of your pregnancy and are able to verify the child’s native status;

You are the guardian/caretaker of a needy Native American minor;

You are related to a dependent child and have care and control of a dependent child, you may still be eligible.

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   Benefits.gov, Tribal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, https://www.benefits.gov/benefits/benefit-details/627; Southern California Tribal Chairmen’s Association, Tribal TANF, https://www.sctca.net/tribal-tanf. ↑