Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and Special Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
Many individuals who receive other means-tested federal and state entitlements may also receive Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and/or SNAP. Created by the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (P.L. 104-193), TANF replaced the Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC). The objective of the program is to promote work, responsibility and self-sufficiency. The SNAP Program helps low-income people meet their nutritional needs. Both programs are means-tested; meaning that an individual’s eligibility and amount of benefit is determined by income. Thus, any earnings a person may have could negatively impact the amount of benefit the person receives, creating a disincentive to work proper planning is not completed.