TDHS Sending Out Extra Payments Before Christmas

Some Tennessee families are about to see an early Christmas present compliments of the state of Tennessee. The Tennessee Department of Human Services announced on Monday that they are providing extra support to thousands of families who receive monthly cash assistance through the state’s Families First program. Households with a case in the Families First Program as of December 1, will receive a one-time additional payment of $500 on their existing Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards. This one-time payment will be available beginning Thursday, December 1st.

TDHS says the payment will provide extra support for nearly 24,000 children in the state ahead of the holiday season.

TDHS and its Office of Inspector General is also warning recipients of the recent increase in attempts to defraud EBT cards. Families First recipients are encouraged to be aware of EBT card skimming and phishing schemes. The state says only use card reading devices that do not appear to have been tampered with, paying attention to whether the machine has unusual damage, signs of glue marks around the card reader, an unusual keyboard, loose parts, and other unusual signs that you might see on the card reader.