ATLANTA – Georgians hit hardest by Hurricane Michael can apply for assistance to support their families under a temporary program supported by the Administration for Children & Families (ACF) and the Division of Family and Children Services (DFCS).
DFCS will implement a Disaster Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Program (DTANF) in 20 Georgia counties to support families as they continue to recover from the storm. Those determined eligible for assistance will receive one lump sum payment for the family size that will equal the sum of four months benefits.
Georgia has never implemented a DTANF program in the state’s history and may be the first state to do so.
The program extends assistance to low-income families who have suffered a loss of housing because of a natural disaster, in this case, Hurricane Michael. There were over 33,000 applications submitted for Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) individual assistance and some of those families are also potentially eligible for DTANF.
Families who live in covered counties can apply for assistance beginning as early as March 4. Applications may be picked up at their local county DFCS office or applicants may call
1-833-GA-DTANF (1-833-423-8263) to request an application to be mailed directly to them. The phone lines will be open from 7:30 a.m.- 4:30 p.m. daily.
To qualify for DTANF, Georgians must meet the following criteria:
• Provide proof of application for FEMA Individual Assistance
• Reside in one of the 20 counties declared for FEMA Individual Assistance at the time of the disaster
• Provide photo identification and proof of residency at the time of the disaster
• Household includes minor children under the age of 18 (or 18 and in school)
• Meet TANF basic eligibility
• Gross income under 300 percent of Federal Poverty Limit (FPL) for household size at the time of the disaster
Eligibility for the program requires an interview. Completed applications must be mailed to: Disaster TANF, P.O. Box 161388, Atlanta, Georgia 30321 and must be post marked by March 15. Applications received after this date will not be accepted.
Current TANF recipients who opt to receive DTANF will have their current TANF case closed for a minimum of four months.

The DTANF application period will run March 4-15 for residents of the following counties: Baker, Crisp, Decatur, Dougherty, Early, Grady, Lee, Miller, Mitchell, Seminole, Terrell, Thomas, Worth, Calhoun, Clay, Laurens, Randolph, Sumter, Tift and Turner.

For more information on the DTANF program, visit www.dfcs.georgia.gov or call 1-833-GA-DTANF or 1-833-423-8263.