The Massachusetts Senate Ways & Means budget proposal for FY 2027 provides no increase for TAFDC cash assistance grants for families with children or for EAEDC grants for older adults and people with disabilities.   

Sen. Sal DiDomenico’s Amendment #532 would raise TAFDC and EAEDC grants 10% starting in October 2026. 

The Senate Ways & Means budget would leave the maximum TAFDC benefit for a family of three stuck at $861/month.  The EAEDC grant for one person would remain at only $441/month. These amounts are far below the Deep Poverty level, which is half the federal poverty level. Our lowest-income families, older adults, and people with disabilities urgently need increased cash assistance to meet their basic needs.  They did not get any increase in FY 2026, and they cannot wait another year. 

Sen. DiDomenico’s amendment does not add new money to the proposed budget.  Because TAFDC and EAEDC caseloads have dropped, the appropriations proposed by Senate Ways & Means are enough to cover the increases to cash assistance and restoration of the clothing allowance. 

There are several other budget amendments which remove harmful barriers and improve the cash assistance programs: 

• Amendment #531 (Sen. Kennedy) adds $7 million to hire DTA caseworkers. More staff is urgently needed so that DTA can answer clients’ calls and process paperwork. With current staffing levels, DTA has been unable to adequately serve people in need, resulting in many losing benefits.
• Amendment #551 (Sen. Rausch) allows pregnant persons to qualify for TAFDC benefits based on non-medical verification of the pregnancy early in pregnancy while they are waiting for their first medical appointment.  Earlier access to cash assistance will better support maternal and infant health.
• Amendment #815 (Sen. Lewis) repeals the punitive “Learnfare” law that cuts TAFDC cash assistance to children who are struggling with school attendance issues.
• Amendment #817 (Sen. Creem) increases the amount of child support sent to children receiving TAFDC from $50/month to $100/month for one child and $200/month for two or more children.  More child support should go directly to children instead of being kept by the government.

Deep poverty hurts our communities.  It causes health and emotional damage, toxic stress, impaired school performance, and homelessness and housing instability.  We must not forget the needs of our lowest-income households.  

Please ask your Senator to co-sponsor budget amendment #532, as well as #531, #551, #815 and #817, to move Massachusetts closer to ending Deep Poverty.