Tribal TANF services are provided to families with one or more household members having proof of tribal enrollment (such as a member’s card) in a Federally-recognized Indian Tribe.

Enrolled Member of a service population means that the person has tribal membership in a tribe that is being served by one of the 3 Tribal TANF programs. The tribes will be able to verify their tribal membership.

Here is a breakdown of counties served by each of the Tribal TANF Programs. Please note that in some instances multiple tribes serve the same county, so while one county shows exclusions, the excluded tribe on one county may be included by another Tribal Nation as indicated below:

Cherokee Nation Tribal TANF Program:

1. All Native Americans of federally recognized tribes in:

   • Adair
   • Cherokee
   • Craig
   • Nowata
   • Sequoyah
   • Washington

2. All Native Americans with some exclusions

   • Mayes – excluding Muscogee Creek Nation
   • Rogers – excluding Muscogee Creek Nation
   • Muskogee County – all Native Americans in the Cherokee catchment area excluding the Muscogee Creek Nation
   • Tulsa County – all Native American in the Cherokee catchment area excluding the Muscogee Creek Nation
   • Delaware – all Native Americans in the Cherokee catchment area
   • Ottawa – all Native Americans in the Cherokee catchment area

3. Cherokee members only:

   • McIntosh County
   • Wagoner County

Muscogee (Creek) Nation Tribal TANF Program:

1. All Native Americans of federally recognized tribes in:

   • Creek County
   • Hughes County
   • Okmulgee County
   • Okfuskee County

2. All Native Americans with some exclusions

   • McIntosh – excluding the Cherokee Nation
   • Wagoner – excluding the Cherokee Nation
   • Muskogee County – all MCN are included for entire county along with all other Native Americans in the MCN catchment area excluding the Cherokee Nation
   • Tulsa County – all MCN are included for entire county along with all other Native Americans in the MCN catchment area – excluding the Cherokee Nation
   • Seminole County – excluding Seminole

3. The following represent MCN request of MCN members only:

   • Rogers County
   • Mayes County

Osage Nation Tribal TANF Program:

• All Native Americans of federally recognized tribes in Osage County only

Tribal TANF Frequently Asked Questions:

Q1. Does the county worker have to verify membership of a client?

No. If they state they are Native American and of the correct tribal affiliation refer them to the Tribal Office for Tribal TANF. The Tribal Office will be the one’s responsible for verifying tribal membership.

Q2. Do all household members have to be Native American or have membership?

Yes. Tribal TANF serves assistance unit(s). In the case of child only cases, the assistance unit will only consist of the child(ren). There may be more than one assistance units in one household. However, the assistance unit must consist on at least one enrolled member of a Federally Recognized Tribe.

Q3. Will there be a data exchange with the Tribal Office for income verification for other use in determining eligibility for OKDHS programs?

The worker will need to contact the TTANF office to verify income and the TTANF will contact worker to verify DHS benefits. There is no electronic system at this time.

Q4. How will we track 60 month receipt of TANF, either OKDHS or Tribal? Will they be eligible to go to another entity after they receive their 60 months TANF eligibility?

We will receive information from the Tribal Office in order to track the 60 months, as well as, share information with the Tribal Office for TANF months at OKDHS. The 60 months works just like across state lines. Clients cannot exceed 60 months TANF benefits from any source. TTANF months will be marked as TT.

Q5. Does the client have the choice of receiving State TANF or Tribal TANF?

No. If Tribal TANF is available in the county in which the client resides they must receive Tribal TANF.

Q6. What about child care? Who will provide the child care on these cases?

They can choose to be served for child care benefits by their own tribe or from OKDHS. Tribal children can be served by either the Tribal or the state program, but not both.

Q7. Does the Nation have a copayment on their child care?

The client will need to contact Tribal Child Care to determine copay.

Q8. Does the client have to have the actual membership card or can they provide verification they have applied for membership in a federally recognized tribe?

Yes and No. The client does not have to have the actual card. They can show that they have applied for membership, but the Tribal office will decide if they want to accept that application or require the person to wait for approval.

Q9. Can we take the client’s word that they are not enrolled in a Federally Recognized Tribe?

No. If the client identifies as Native American they must be referred to the TTANF office. We will need the denial letter from TTANF stating that there are no enrolled members in the household.

Q10. Will the tribe be paying a participation rate similar to the one paid by the state?

They do have a participation allowance but we do not have the information as to the payment.

Q11. If the payee has a drug felony conviction within the last 3 years, they are not eligible to receive Tribal TANF except for the children. Are they eligible for State TANF?

No. The household is eligible even though the payee isn’t. They would not be eligible to receive State TANF.

Q12. Do Supported Permanency cases need to be referred to TTANF?

Yes. Supported Permanency is a child only TANF case paid at a higher rate. If the child is an enrolled member of a Federally Recognized Tribe living in the TTANF catchment area they must be served by TTANF. If case is open it must be closed and family referred to TTANF. If case is pending it must be denied and case referred to TTANF.

Q13. How is Tribal TANF considered for the SNAP program?

Tribal TANF is counted for SNAP as unearned income since it is a federally-aided public assistance program. Refer to policy 340:50-7-29 (c)(1).

Assistance payments.  The worker counts payments from a federally-aided public assistance program, such as Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), or assistance programs based on need, such as State Supplemental Payments, as unearned income.  When such payments are received by a third party, they are counted as income for the person to whom it is legally owed.

NOTE: The Intake Tab (also Household Members) in FACS is the location where you will record for each household member if they have ever received Tribal TANF. (YES/NO).