BOSTON, MA (July 29, 2024) – The Massachusetts FY 25 budget includes a 10 percent increase in cash assistance benefits for both TAFDC and EAEDC programs starting April 2025, marking another historic step forward for families in Deep Poverty. 

This increase means that the maximum TAFDC grant for a family of three will go from $783/month to $861/month, and the EAEDC grant for an older adult or a person with disabilities will increase from $401/month to $441/month.  Even with these increases, grants are still well below half of the federal poverty level – known as the Deep Poverty level – which is $1,076 a month for a family of three in 2024. 

The Lift Our Kids Coalition, with 160 members across the Commonwealth, has been advocating for regular increases to cash assistance grants, including supporting An Act to Lift Kids Out of Deep Poverty (Decker, DiDomenico), which raise grants until they reach the Deep Poverty level and provide for annual cost of living adjustments. Since 2020, the Legislature has increased grants levels incrementally through the annual budget process. To the dismay of the Lift Our Kids Coalition, the Governor in January 2024 eliminated a much-needed 10% grant increase that was scheduled to go into effect in April 2024.

“I applaud the Senate budget’s and Conference Committee’s inclusion of a 10 percent increase in cash assistance,” said Senator Sal DiDomenico, lead sponsor of the Senate bill to raise cash assistance grants. “I want to thank the Senate President, Chair Rodrigues, and Representative Decker for their work on another historic step toward lifting up and supporting low-income families. I am committed to continuing our work and pushing for further bold action to ensure that no child lives in Deep Poverty.”

“I am happy that with the signing of the FY25 budget many families in poverty will see another increase in cash grants next April,” said Representative Marjorie Decker, lead sponsor of the House grant increase bill. “While these increases don’t move people out of poverty or Deep Poverty, they do give families additional resources that help them put food on the table, buy diapers, and buy shoes that fit their children. Every increase we make is a policy choice to help alleviate the suffering of families who live in poverty, and I will continue to work towards and advocate for increases that will lift our families out of Deep Poverty. I am grateful to the House of Representatives and my Senate colleagues for continuing to support this important work in the FY25 budget.” 

“As a mother who struggled to make ends meet when I relied on cash assistance, I know how hard it is when you can’t feed your children healthy food, face frequent shutoffs of electricity and phone service, and can’t look for a job or go to school because you have no money for transportation,” said April Jennison, Co-Director of the Coalition for Social Justice, a leading member of the Lift Our Kids Coalition.  “We are grateful to our legislative champions and the Conference Committee for recognizing the need to raise cash assistance benefits. Even with this increase, grants are far too low to cover basic needs.”

In addition to increasing grants next April, the Budget also raises the annual children’s clothing allowance from $450 to $500 for each child receiving TAFDC this September.  The clothing allowance increase means that a family with two children will get $100 more in September than they would have gotten last year.

The Lift our Kids Coalition – 160 member organizations – salutes the Senate President, the Speaker, and the Ways and Means Chairs for making this important further progress towards addressing the state’s woefully low welfare grants. We are grateful to Senator Sal DiDomenico and Representative Marjorie Decker for spearheading the effort to end Deep Poverty in Massachusetts.  Thanks to our legislative leaders, cash assistance grants continue to be raised and we can look forward to a future when no child is consigned to live in Deep Poverty.