Apply For West Virginia TANF

This page provides the West Virginia TANF eligibility requirements. Applicants must meet both state and federal guidelines for the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program. Individuals who apply for TANF must meet the monetary and non-monetary state guidelines, complete work-related activities, provide paternity information about the children in the household and report as required by the state.

West Virginia residents who qualify for welfare are required to furnish information such as citizenship, income, resources, and age. Only household members who are eligible can receive West Virginia welfare benefits. Read on for more information about applying for TANF. If you have additional questions or issues about this program, then contact TANF West Virginia.

WV Works

West Virginia's Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Program is WV WORKS. It is based on the goals of assisting economically dependent and at-risk families to become self supporting, enhancing the well-being of children, and on assisting families near the poverty level to remain self-sufficient.

WV WORKS provides monthly cash assistance to eligible families. Most people who receive a monthly WV WORKS check also receive SNAP and Medicaid, but these are not guaranteed based just on receipt of a check.

Applying for Benefits

Applications for all categories of assistance may be made at DHHR's local office. You should apply at the office in the county in which your reside. The DHHR locations can be found in the County Office Directory, if you are not sure of the location.

There are many factors that effect whether or not you are eligible to receive benefits from DHHR. The most common ones are: number of people in your family, income, assets, specific expenses. Although the Worker who processes your application may ask for more information, you need to take the following information with you when you apply. Having these available will speed up processing your application.

Social Security cards for all family members who want to receive benefits and who have them
If someone is employed, all the pay stubs you received in the 30 days before the date you apply
Proof of the amount of unearned income you receive, such as, unemployment benefits, social security payments, child support, veteran's benefits, contributions from other etc
Proof of the value of your assets. Some of the items we consider to be assets are: checking/savings accounts, Christmas Club accounts, insurance policies, cars, motorcycles, trucks, other vehicles, trust funds, CD's, cash on hand, stocks, bonds, real estate (except your homestead property and household furnishings), business equipment, mutual funds, etc
Proof of the amount of medical expenses you normally have, whether you have paid them or not

TANF Eligibility

There are 2 steps to the eligibility process. Step 1 is a gross income test. The family's gross income must be below an amount that varies by family size. If this income test is passed, certain other deductions are applied to the income to determine the amount of the benefit. These are: 40% of earned income; child care expenses; and a portion of redirected child support. There is 1 incentive payment paid monthly based on case circumstances, a child support incentive/pass-through payment when child support is redirected to the Bureau for Child Support Enforcement.

In addition to financial eligibility, the client is required to perform 2 additional tasks before final eligibility is determined. Orientation to WV WORKS may be done in a group or individually. Applicants are required to attend orientation to learn about available activities and services and for an explanation of the 60-month lifetime limit for receipt of benefits. In addition, each adult or emancipated minor is required to negotiate a personal responsibility contract. This contract is an agreement between the applicant and DHHR which identifies goals, objectives and actions that must be taken in order to become self-sufficient. The personal responsibility contract may be renegotiated at any time; it is an ever-changing document. Within the first 45 days a home visit will be completed by the WV WORKS Case Manager. Failure of the active recipient to adhere to the personal responsibility contract, without good cause, results in application of a sanction to the household. Sanctions are as follows:

1st sanction = 1/3 reduction in the total check amount for 3 months
2nd sanction = 2/3 reduction in the total check amount for 3 months
3rd and any subsequent sanction = case ineligibility for 3 months

Support service payments are available to active participants or those preparing to participate in a work activity. These same payments are available to former recipients for 6 consecutive months after case closure as long as the family income does not exceed 150% of the federal poverty level. This period of eligibility is available for a six-month period following case closure. There are lifetime limits on the amount of support service payments, but payment may be issued based on need, for the following items: clothing, tools, equipment, driver's license, chauffeur's license, commercial driver's license, professional license, relocation expenses, transportation, vehicle repair, vehicle insurance, DUI expenses, and other incidental expenses relating to participation in an approved work activity. The following bonuses are paid based on case circumstances:

$100 one-time High School Diploma Achievement Bonus is paid when the TASC exam is passed or obtains a High School diploma
$250 one-time Self-Sufficiency Achievement Bonus is paid for retaining full-time paid employment and maintaining WV residency during each of the six months following WV WORKS closure
$250 one-time Vocational Education and Employment Achievement Bonus is paid when a vocational training graduate obtains employment within 90 days of graduation

More specific information about eligibility requirements is available from the local office in the county in which you live. Information about acceptable work activities, special programs and employer incentives is available below at this same site.

West Virginia Employment Search

Part of the requirement, while on the TANF program, is finding a job to help sustain your financial needs. West Virginia provides an online job site for you to search for employment. You can view the job site by clicking here.

Apply Online For West Virginia TANF

If you have questions about applying for TANF benefits, or you want to see if you can apply for TANF Georgia online, then visit the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families website here.