Help strengthen New Mexico’s Family Cash Assistance Program
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families/New Mexico Works provides a small amount of cash assistance and work supports to very low-income families with children. It is funded through a federal block grant and administered by New Mexico’s Human Services Department. Only 40% of eligible families access the program because of unnecessary and punitive rules and requirements that make it difficult to enroll and stay enrolled in TANF. In October, HSD proposed rule changes to TANF that will begin to modernize how the state administers this program. However, to truly support NM families, HSD needs to go further.
We need your help. Speak out at a public hearing November 14 and submit public comments asking HSD to make TANF work for New Mexico’s families!
Support positive changes in the proposal that would:
Stop punishing families that have a good reason for not meeting work requirements.
Ensure that families receive up to $200 of the child support funds collected on their behalf.
Exempt subsidized income in determining TANF benefit eligibility.
These positive changes resulted from our collective advocacy efforts earlier this year – including releasing a series of videos of parents speaking out and exposing the cruel and unnecessary barriers their families faced in the TANF program.
Tell HSD to also make these critical changes:
HSD can stop the practice of reducing or eliminating the children’s portion of the cash grant when their parents do not meet a program requirement.
HSD can stop retaining and disregard 100% of the child support funds collected on behalf of families that participate in TANF. This would allow child support funds to go to the children they are meant for without reducing the families’ cash assistance amount.
Cash assistance like TANF helps parents afford basic needs like food, diapers, bills and bus fare. Join the fight to make cash assistance more accessible to New Mexico’s parents and children.
Make your voice heard!
Speak at a virtual public hearing on November 14, 2022 at 9AM.
How to join: By GoTo Meeting: https://meet.goto.com/587458453 By Telephone: 1-646-749-3122 Access Code: 587-458-453
Submit written comments with subject line “RE: Proposed Amendments to Cash Assistance Programs” by November 14, 2022 at 5:00PM by email to HSD-isdrules@state.nm.us or by mail to: Human Services Department PO Box 2348 Santa Fe, NM 87504-2348
Help strengthen New Mexico’s Family Cash Assistance Program
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families/New Mexico Works provides a small amount of cash assistance and work supports to very low-income families with children. It is funded through a federal block grant and administered by New Mexico’s Human Services Department. Only 40% of eligible families access the program because of unnecessary and punitive rules and requirements that make it difficult to enroll and stay enrolled in TANF. In October, HSD proposed rule changes to TANF that will begin to modernize how the state administers this program. However, to truly support NM families, HSD needs to go further.
We need your help. Speak out at a public hearing November 14 and submit public comments asking HSD to make TANF work for New Mexico’s families!
Support positive changes in the proposal that would:
These positive changes resulted from our collective advocacy efforts earlier this year – including releasing a series of videos of parents speaking out and exposing the cruel and unnecessary barriers their families faced in the TANF program.
Tell HSD to also make these critical changes:
Cash assistance like TANF helps parents afford basic needs like food, diapers, bills and bus fare. Join the fight to make cash assistance more accessible to New Mexico’s parents and children.
Make your voice heard!
Speak at a virtual public hearing on November 14, 2022 at 9AM.
How to join:
By GoTo Meeting: https://meet.goto.com/587458453
By Telephone: 1-646-749-3122 Access Code: 587-458-453
Submit written comments with subject line “RE: Proposed Amendments to Cash Assistance Programs” by November 14, 2022 at 5:00PM by email to HSD-isdrules@state.nm.us or by mail to:
Human Services Department
PO Box 2348
Santa Fe, NM 87504-2348
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