For some Maine families, upcoming increase to TANF benefits could be a lifeline

Legislation signed by Maine Gov. Janet Mills in April will provide a 20% increase to monthly benefits under TANF, or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families. (Photo courtesy of Maine Equal Justice)

For Ashley McLaughlin, an extra $50 a month could mean the Bangor mother no longer needs to donate plasma to afford her 7-year-old son’s medication not covered by insurance. 

Five years ago, McLaughlin’s son, Leon, was diagnosed with leukemia. He finished treatment two years ago, but it left him with other health problems that require full-time care, leaving McLaughlin unable to work. 

Although they receive disability benefits for Leon, McLaughlin said they also rely on a cash assistance program called TANF, or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families. Currently, she receives $350 a month, but thanks to a bill passed by the Maine Legislature earlier this year, that will increase by $70 starting in October. 

Bangor resident Ashley McLaughlin and her 7-year-old son, Leon. (Photo courtesy of Ashley McLaughlin)

“It’s a little bit of a burden lifted off my shoulder,” McLaughlin said of the pending increase. 

She’s hoping that it will be enough for her to stop donating plasma. 

LD 1877 was first introduced in May 2023. However, the bill was carried over and amended before Gov. Janet Mills signed it into law in April. Originally, the bill proposed a greater increase, but now will provide a 20% boost to TANF benefits starting Oct. 1.

Rep. Michele Meyer (D-Eliot), who introduced the bill, worked with a team of parents who were former TANF recipients to craft the bill. They wanted to work on legislation that would get more income to those who need it, explained Allina Diaz, a community organizer for Maine Equal Justice, an advocacy group and civil legal aid provider that worked with the families. 

“What this team wanted to see was an impactful increase,” Diaz said, adding that they hoped to provide enough additional money that a family could afford something concrete that they couldn’t previously, like a car payment. 

The increase will be funded through a TANF block grant provided by the federal government for the state to administer the program, according to Lindsay Hammes, press secretary for the Department of Health and Human Services. 

As of September 2023, more than 13,600 families — which translates to nearly 46,500 adults and children — in Maine received TANF benefits, according to data from the Congressional Research Service.

Monthly benefit allotments are determined by each state, but Maine currently has the lowest of any New England state. In July 2022, Maine’s maximum monthly benefit for a single parent caring for one child was $469, well below its regional neighbors who provide between $580 and $670 a month. New Hampshire surpasses them all, allocating $915 a month.

Maine hasn’t had a meaningful increase to its monthly TANF benefit since 2017, when it was raised 20% with yearly adjustments pegged to the cost of living. 

“If I could work full time, if I could do what I wanted with my life, it would be so much easier to provide for my family,” McLaughlin said. 

But since that’s not possible for her right now, having the assurance of extra income through TANF “means a lot.”

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