A form for people getting TANF Benefits to use if they can't meet TANF requirements because of domestic violence or sexual assault, and would have a difficult time safely getting the documents DHHS usually uses to verify this. 

An easy tool to figure out if a household may be eligible for TANF benefits in Maine, and if so, estimate the benefits they may be eligible for. Use the Maine TANF Benefits Estimator Tool today!

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) is a program for low income families with children. It provides cash benefits each month, and may also help you pay high housing costs. TANF is funded by the federal government, but each state sets up a program with rules specific to that state. This article only applies to TANF in Maine. We have put… More

SSI benefits are the benefits from the Social Security Administration (SSA) that come on the 1st of the month. If SSA finds that you have gotten too much money in your SSI benefit, they will send you a Notice of Overpayment.

Immigrants who are not official U.S. citizens may be eligible for Supplemental Security Income, or SSI, if they meet certain qualifications.  SSI can help people who are elderly or disabled, and have little or no income.

Maine DHHS is offering this online tool My Maine Connection as another way to apply for benefits.  You may still apply in person, if you prefer, or over the phone (in programs that allow phone applications).  But this is now the most streamlined way to apply. 

This year, you won’t have to worry about losing your benefits if you get a big tax refund. Starting in 2011, any tax refunds you get will not affect most public benefits, or how much you get! Under the law passed in December 2010:

Statewide Help The federal Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) provides assistance to low-income households for their energy bills.

The Transitional Transportation Program helps working parents pay for transportation for 12 months after they can no longer get TANF because of earnings from a job. If you get PaS benefits, instead of TANF, the same rules apply to you.

If the Social Security Administration (SSA) finds that you have gotten too much money in your Social Security benefit, they will send you a Notice of Overpayment. Social Security overpayments can happen for many reasons. Sometimes it is because you didn’t report something that could affect your eligibility, like how much you worked despite your… More