One of the lesser-known services administered by Maryland’s Department of Human Services must be the clearly titled Refugee Transitional Cash Assistance program. Funding comes from the federal government and allows those who are eligible to receive a little bit of financial help as they work towards gaining stability in their newly adopted country.

At the most basic definition, you will qualify for this program if you have been officially deemed to be a refugee, asylee or victim of trafficking, for less than 12 months; are not a full-time student; don’t qualify for any other benefits; and have little or no income or assets. It perhaps goes without saying that you also need to be living in Maryland and plan to continue to do so.

The actual amount of monthly benefit, as listed in the Code of Maryland’s Regulations (COMAR), is up to $247 for a household of one. A family of four with no other income could receive $664. As with regular Temporary Cash Assistance, there’s a work requirement, or at least the requirement that you seek employment, and the expectation is very much that you soon won’t need it at all.

The application process is handled by the local DHS offices in a number of counties but a significant few have a Public/Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement, and the process is handled by local Resettlement Agencies. Those counties involved in the PPP are as follows: Anne Arundel; Baltimore; Carroll; Harford; Howard; and Washington. Baltimore City also participates.

You can see where you would need to apply here: Refugee Transitional Cash Assistance – Maryland Department of Human Services