Draft:Massachusetts Department of Transitional Assistance

Mission

The Massachusetts Department of Transitional Assistance, under the Executive Office of Health and Human Services is committed to promoting "the health, resilience, and independence" of Massachusetts' citizens.. Specifically, the DTA aims to empower low-income individuals and families through direct economic assistance, food assistance, as well as workforce training opportunities.

Clients Served

The Department of Transitional Assistance provides benefits to 1 out of every 6 people in the state, including vulnerable populations of children, the elderly, and people with disabilities. As of August 2023, the TAFDC program served 40,044 cases, and 104,209 clients. This was a 1.5% increase from the previous month. Boston makes up 13.6% of all the state's welfare clients. A Transitional Assistance Office helps residents who live in nearby areas to manage the delivery of their services. Of communities in Massachusetts, Lawrence has the highest number of food stamp recipients in Massachusetts as a percentage of all households at 43.7%, or 11,000 people. Springfield is second at 37%, or 20,000 people.

The Department of Transitional Assistance's main operation is administering the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). On their website, as well as their in-person offices, those who are SNAP eligible can apply for benefits, load their EBT card, and receive assistance in case of interruption of benefits. Newly, those who receive SNAP benefits can shop for food online through certain providers.

The DTA has a variety of employment assistance and career planning resources for SNAP eligible individuals. These paths to employment take into account potential barriers to employment such as disability, being a parent, and not having a degree. For example, the Competitive Integrated Employment Services provides skill development programs to individuals looking to start a new career. This program is very flexible and considers a variety of potential obstacles with scheduling and attendance. Another program, Empowering to Employ, is a partnership between DTA and the Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission (MRC) to streamline the finding of meaningful employment.

The Massachusetts Department of Transitional Assistance also provides cash benefits through the Transitional Aid to Families with Dependent Children (TAFDC) and Emergency Aid to the Elderly, Disabled and Children (EAEDC) acts. These benefits include monthly cash benefits to help pay for necessities such as rent and utilities, as well as health insurance.

The DTA can be reached by phone, by their app, or their website. They also have multiple offices across the state.

History

More generally, the first food stamp program was created in the United States in 1939 as a way to sell out surplus agriculture. In 1961, the federal government took control of a larger scale food stamp program under President Kennedy. President Johnson transitioned the program into an income assistance program, allowing families and individuals who qualified as low-income to receive a number of credits back after they had made a grocery purchase. Through the 1970s, the program was expanded in both scope and funding, culminating in the 1977 Democrat-pushed bill that axed the purchase requirement, expanding eligibility.

In Massachusetts, 1935 marked the state's first mandated welfare program, under the legislation of the Aid to Dependent Children (ADC) program. A Congressional order, states had to match the benefits for anyone who met the federal eligibility rules. The ADC program was shifted to be inclusive of not only children, but families with dependent children. 61 years later, the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 changed the welfare legislation; now, states could deny aid to any low-income family. Additionally, in 1995, the Massachusetts Department of Public Welfare became named transitional Aid to Families with Dependent Children, under state plan Chapter 5. Under Chapter 5, Massachusetts' welfare plan changed dramatically, limiting assistance to two-years, and imposing a work requirement. Since the renaming, the Department of Transitional Assistance has seen some legislation towards a more liberal giving of benefits; in 2019, the welfare family cap was repealed. The Legislature has also raised the grant level, though, after adjusting for inflation, these grants only pay half of what they paid in 1988.

In 2005, the Massachusetts Department of Transitional Assistance began utilizing electronic benefit transfer (EBT) in the administration of their SNAP program.

Following a series of devastating tornados in 2011, the Obama administration commended the Massachusetts Department of Transitional Assistance for their outstanding work in helping residents who had been hit by the tornados. The USDA also said it was "impressed by the level of coordination and sophisticated systems that were developed in a matter of days to prepare for this operation, as well as the degree of customer service given to disaster victims seeking food assistance."

During the Covid-19 pandemic, food stamp payments were bolstered by an emergency federal funding program, which, in Massachusetts, boosted the normal $324 monthly SNAP payment by an additional $151. The emergency program expired in March 2023, causing the DTA to implement strategies to help beneficiaries adjust to the reduced benefits.

In March 2023, Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey helped the DTA deal with the $1.5 million of stolen benefits. Thieves used skimming devices on ATMs to steal beneficiary information, as well as phishing campaigns to steal benefits. The DTA has since responded with a series of anti-fraud initiatives

More recently, initiatives have been taken to close what is called the "SNAP gap," referencing the 700,000 individuals in Massachusetts who are eligible, but not enrolled in SNAP benefits. The SNAP gap leaves federal funding on the table, as well as allows for the continuation of food insecurity. The Massachusetts DTA was allotted nearly $4 million dollars in the 2021 Massachusetts state budget for efforts to increase SNAP participation in the state. A report completed by the DTA hypothesized that it was likely a lack of information and transparency that prevented these people from receiving benefits.