Arkansas Transitional Employment Assistance (TEA) Application Information

Arkansas Transitional Employment Assistance is a federal program created for low- or very low-income families with children under the age of 19. This program is created to help families in need to overcome difficult times, such as unemployment, with regular monthly payments. Besides financial help, TEA also offers programs which are created to help members of needy families to find a job they are already trained for, or to train them for a new professions.

The main goal of the Transitional Employment Assistance is creating an environment that will help families in need to become economically self-sufficient. Also, this only refers to families with children under the age of 19 for the State of Arkansas. Besides having a time limit on benefits that this program provides, it also makes eligible families fulfill various tasks which are required for unemployed persons to obtain a job and a steady monthly income. By the time a family becomes self-sufficient, TEA provides with monthly income which is a very helpful thing during the transitional period. Besides getting financial help, TEA also provides families with transportation assistance as well as child care services.

Also, Arkansas Work Pays is similar program which is created to give assistance to families which are already using TEA program or which have just finished using it. This is also another program which is created to give certain financial help on a monthly basis and it's created for very low-income families. The goal of Arkansas Work Pays program is to promote dedication to a certain job. You can increase your monthly financial assistance by keeping your job and getting promotions. You will get to use professional help which is there to help you find a better job or to increase chances to get a promotion at a job you've already got.

Transitional Employment Assistance can be used for a period of 24 months, maximum. The level of monthly payment is determined by the size of the family, financial resources as well as by the age of the children. Level of possible income could change during the year, so you can always stay up to date with the newest information by clicking here. For example, the maximum monthly payment for a family of three in the State of Arkansas is $204 (or $2,448 annually).

You and you're family will also need to fulfill a list of requirements during the use of TEA program. This means that you'll be able to use TEA programs' services and financial aid in a maximum period of 24 months (even more if you're a large family with small children) if you comply with certain policies. Unemployed family members will need to engage actively in searching for a new job. You'll get the needed help and training which is created to help you get hired fast. You can get sanctions or even a termination if you don't successfully finish certain training courses. If you're having a teenager, one of the programs' policies is for both parents to live at home (for families with two parents), as well as policy which requires children to successfully developed their learning skills and achieve certain grades at school. All of these policies could be found in a document which you'll need to sign prior to engaging into TEA program, which is called Personal Responsibility Agreement.

Eligibility Requirements

In order to apply for Transitional Employment Assistance program you'll need to meet the following requirements:

  • You need to be a U.S. citizen or legal alien/li>
  • be a permanent resident of the State of Arkansas
  • qualify as a low-income family
  • be responsible for at least one child under the age 18. You don't have to a biological parent, since you can also be a legal guardian

You should also know who could be generally considered to be a user of TEA program and those are:

  • Children under the age of 18, which are not currently using SSI programs
  • Parents (one or two) who are currently living in the home and taking care of one or more children, which aren't using SSI programs
  • Step-parent, which is living in the same home with the child and which isn't using SSI programs
  • Siblings living in the same household with the rest of the family. These siblings need to be under the age of 18 and they also shouldn't be currently using any SSI programs
  • Sibling which could be an adult caretaker, who is also living in the same home. TEA covers only one of such relative

Previously mentioned SSI programs are different kinds of Supplemental Security Income programs which are created to financially help persons in need.

Transitional Employment Assistance Application Instructions


If you wish to check whether your family is eligible for submission into TEA program, the best way is to visit your local Department of Human Services. This is where you'll get all of the needed information and this is where you can also go to if you're having a certain questions or problems after you've sent an application. You should also know that after you've signed up for participation in the TEA program, you might be invited to an interview which is sometimes needed before the final approval by the Department of Human Services. After you have successfully brought all of the needed documents and filled out needed application, your request should be approved or denied no later than thirty days.

Even though some of the documents that you'll need to collect in order to sign up for TEA program might be a little bit different for your particular case, these are the documents which you'll generally need in order to apply:

  • Birth certificate, which is needed as a proof of your identity and age.
  • Birth certificates of your children, which are need as a proof of their identities, your relation to them and their age.
  • Social Security numbers for all of the adult members of your family.
  • If you are a single parent, you also need a document which will prove that the other parent is deceased or not living with you.
  • Income information, which could be pay stubs or government checks.
  • Documents which will show the monthly expenses of your household like mortgage or rent receipts.
  • Proof of immunization for all pre-school age children.
  • If you're not a U.S. citizen you'll also need a proof of your immigration status.

You should be also prepared to bring any other requested documents and this varies from one case to another since there are many different situations with different families.