Refugee Income
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This section includes information about income provided to refugees.
Policy
Refugee Income types are monies provided to eligible qualified noncitizen applicants, after the qualified noncitizen arrives to the United States (U.S.).
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The date of eligibility for Refugee Income types is based on the date of arrival in the United States, except for any of the following qualified noncitizens whose eligibility is based on the date the immigration status is approved:
●Asylees
●Cuban and Haitian entrants
●Victims of severe trafficking
Refugee Income payments are from federal, federally aided, or state public and private partnership (PPP) programs, and include any of the following:
●Matching Grant Program Income
Matching Grant (MG) program income is countable for NA.
The MG program is an intensive service and early employment program provided to refugees during their first four months of residence in the United States. Availability of the MG program is limited based on funding.
MG payments are provided by a private non-profit voluntary agency(g). During the MG program four-month time limit, MG participants are not eligible to receive CA or Refugee Cash Assistance (RCA) benefits.
NOTE When only one mandatory participant of a budgetary unit applying for CA is approved for the MG program, the budgetary unit(g) is required to determine whether to continue with the CA application process or accept the MG program income.
The MG program is a temporary alternative to CA and RCA. Participants in the MG program are required to meet certain employment criteria and enroll within 31 days after their date of arrival or eligibility.
The MG program provides all of the following:
●Employment services
●Financial assistance
●Shelter expense assistance
The MG program may help any of the following newly arrived, or approved, qualified noncitizens attain immediate self-sufficiency:
●Afghan Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) holders
●Amerasians
●Asylees
●Cuban and Haitian entrants (CHE)
●Refugees
●Ukrainian refugees
●Victims of severe trafficking
●Reception and Placement Grant
Reception and Placement (R&P) grants are not countable for NA or CA.
R&P grants are intended to assist with the initial resettlement expenses for any of the following qualified noncitizens:
●Afghan SIV holders
●Amerasians
●Refugees
●Ukrainian refugees
The payments are provided through a U.S. Department of State or Department of Justice R&P program. Payments are limited to a maximum of $900.00 per refugee to assist the refugee during their first 30 to 90 calendar days in the United States. R&P grants help with immediate needs such as security deposits for housing, transportation, clothing, and food.
Refugees may receive the R&P grant from a voluntary agency (VOLAG) or under any of the following programs:
●One of the following Afghan Placement and Assistance (APA) programs:
Sponsor Circle Program
Institutional Partner Program
●Uniting for Ukraine (U4U) Sponsorship Program
●Welcome Corp Sponsorship Program (WC)
●Refugee Cash Assistance Payments
Refugee Cash Assistance (RCA) payments are countable for NA and not countable for CA.
RCA is temporary assistance available through the Refugee Resettlement Program (RRP) and funded by the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR). This payment is for newly arrived single or married refugees with no dependents. Refugee participants with dependents may qualify to receive RCA during the ORR eligibility period when all of the following apply:
●The budgetary unit is ineligible for TANF or TPEP due to income or the expiration of the TPEP six-month limit.
●The budgetary unit expenses exceed the budgetary unit’s income.
RCA budgetary units are Basic Categorically Eligible (BCE) for NA. (See BCE for information on Categorical Eligibility)
VOLAGs determine eligibility and issue RCA payments. For information on the voluntary agencies, see RRP Referrals.
Payments are not guaranteed and are issued retroactively after the participant complies with the program requirements for the month the payment is intended. Payments are not issued for any month the participant fails to complete the compliance requirements.
Refugees are potentially eligible to receive up to 12 months of RCA benefits. The 12 months starts from the date of the refugee's entry into the United States. The arrival month is included in the 12-month count. The payment timeframe ends when one of the following occurs:
●First day of the 14th month after entry into the United States.
●The budgetary unit has sufficient income from other sources to cover their monthly expenses.
NOTE Refugee participants receiving the Matching Grant payments are not eligible to receive CA or RCA benefits. (For more information, see Matching Grant Program Income)
●TANF Differential Payments
TANF Differential payments are countable for NA and not countable for CA.
A TANF Differential payment is temporary assistance available through RRP and funded by ORR. This payment is for refugee budgetary units receiving CA from FAA.
VOLAGs determine eligibility and issue TANF Differential payments. The VOLAG contacts FAA to confirm the CA benefit application has been approved before approving the TANF Differential payments. The FAA Refugee Unit offices determine NA, CA, and MA eligibility for all newly arrived refugee budgetary units. For information on VOLAGs, see RRP Referrals.
When the budgetary unit is not registered with a VOLAG, RRP assigns the budgetary unit to a VOLAG for TANF Differential Payments after the TANF or TPEP benefits have been approved.
Payments are issued retroactively after RRP verifies the current TANF or TPEP payment allotment. When the CA benefit allotment changes due to a reported change, the TANF Differential payment is adjusted before issuance.
Refugees are potentially eligible to receive up to 12 months of TANF Differential payments. The 12 months starts from the date of the refugee's entry into the United States. The arrival month is included in the 12-month count. The payment timeframe ends when one of the following occurs:
●First day of the 14th month after entry into the United States.
●The budgetary unit has sufficient income from other sources to cover their monthly expenses.
NOTE Refugee participants receiving the Matching Grant payments are not eligible to receive CA or RCA benefits. (For more information, see Matching Grant Program Income)
Countable income is used to determine an income budget. (See Income Budgeting to see how FAA determines the income budget.) FAA needs to know about income that is both countable and not countable to determine whether a budgetary unit’s expenses are exceeding their income. (See Income Eligibility for more information about how FAA uses countable and not countable income.)
Verification
The participant has the primary responsibility for providing verification. (See Participant Responsibilities – Providing Verification for additional policy.)
NOTE The Refugee Resettlement Program (RRP) is the primary source of information for Refugee Cash Assistance (RCA) and TANF Differential payments. The participant only has verification of the approval and what the anticipated amount may be. The participant is unable to verify when a payment is anticipated to be received
For NA, income is required to be verified for all of the following before eligibility is determined:
●When reported on a new application, during the interview of a new application, or changes reported before the eligibility determination of a new application.
●For changes reported after an eligibility determination of a new application (e.g., a renewal application, mid approval contact, etc.) and any of the following apply:
The source of the income has changed.
The income is questionable(g) or unclear(g).
The reported income amount has changed by $51 or more.
The previous verification in the case file is more than 59 calendar days(g) old.
For CA, all income is required to be verified before determining eligibility.
Examples of verification that can be used for Matching Grant (MG) income include, and are not limited to, any of the following:
●Signed statement from the agency or payer providing the income
●Voluntary agency(g) Agency Letter of Understanding
●Voluntary agency (VOLAG) MG Notification Letter
●VOLAG assistance payment records
●RCA Public Private Partnership (PPP) Verification Google chat
●Email correspondence from a VOLAG case manager or RRP
Legal Authorities
AAC R6-12-501-503
A.R.S 46-292-P01
7 CFR 273.4
7 CFR 273.9(b)(2)(v)
7 U.S.C. 2014(d)
45 CFR 400.102
45 CFR 400.2
45 CFR 400.56
45 CFR 400.59
45 CFR 400.60
45 CFR 400.66
last revised 10/27/2025 effective 09/02/2025