---
kind: "section"
citation: "45 C.F.R. § 260.31"
title: "45"
number: "260.31"
heading: "What does the term “assistance” mean?"
url: "https://uscodex.org/cfr/45/260.31"
---

# §260.31. What does the term “assistance” mean?

- (a)
  - (1) The term “assistance” includes cash, payments, vouchers, and other forms of benefits designed to meet a family's ongoing basic needs (i.e., for food, clothing, shelter, utilities, household goods, personal care items, and general incidental expenses).
  - (2) **It includes such benefits even when they are—**
    - (i) Provided in the form of payments by a TANF agency, or other agency on its behalf, to individual recipients; and
    - (ii) Conditioned on participation in work experience or community service (or any other work activity under [§ 261.30](/cfr/45/261.30.md) of this chapter).
  - (3) Except where excluded under [paragraph (b)](#b) of this section, it also includes supportive services such as transportation and child care provided to families who are not employed.
- (b) **It excludes—**
  - (1) **Nonrecurrent, short-term benefits that—**
    - (i) Are designed to deal with a specific crisis situation or episode of need;
    - (ii) Are not intended to meet recurrent or ongoing needs; and
    - (iii) **Will not extend beyond four months.**
  - (2) Work subsidies (i.e., payments to employers or third parties to help cover the costs of employee wages, benefits, supervision, and training);
  - (3) Supportive services such as child care and transportation provided to families who are employed;
  - (4) Refundable earned income tax credits;
  - (5) Contributions to, and distributions from, Individual Development Accounts;
  - (6) Services such as counseling, case management, peer support, child care information and referral, transitional services, job retention, job advancement, and other employment-related services that do not provide basic income support; and
  - (7) Transportation benefits provided under a Job Access or Reverse Commute project, pursuant to section 404(k) of the Act, to an individual who is not otherwise receiving assistance.
- (c) **The definition of the term assistance specified in paragraphs (a) and (b) of this section—**
  - (1) Does not apply to the use of the term assistance at [part 263](/cfr/45/part263.md), [subpart A](/cfr/45/subpartA.md), or at [part 264](/cfr/45/part264.md), [subpart B](/cfr/45/subpartB.md), of this chapter; and
  - (2) Does not preclude a State from providing other types of benefits and services in support of the TANF goal at [§ 260.20(a)](/cfr/45/260.20.md?p=a).

## Notes

### Authority

Authority: 42 U.S.C. 601, 601 note, 603, 604, 606, 607, 608, 609, 610, 611, 619, and 1308.

### Source

Source: 64 FR 17878, Apr. 12, 1999, unless otherwise noted.