Cash Assistance

The Ohio Works First (OWF) program is a federally funded program that provides time limited cash benefits to help families and pregnant women in need. This program has an income limit however, you can have a job and still be eligible. In Ohio the initial time limit is 36 months.

The program provides employment support and training to help people find jobs. Everyone who receives OWF will be required to complete community service, work assignments or training activities. These activities may include helping at a church, helping at an office, GED classes and/or computer classes. OWF activities are managed at the OhioMeansJobs of Clermont County. Visit the OhioMeansJobs of Clermont County web site.

If you are the non-parent relative of a child who is living with you or you have legal custody of a child who is living with you, the child may be eligible for OWF and your income will not count. You must provide verification of the relationship (birth certificates) or legal custody and you will not be required to participate in a work activity.

Ohio Works First is a work program. Families receive assistance by spending a minimum of 20 to 35 hours per week (depending on circumstances) working, in school, or in some cases, volunteering at a location that will help them gain work experience for the future.

Benefits are distributed through the EPPIcard, which can be used like a debit card, or through direct deposit into the individual’s bank account.

Families may be eligible for the program for up to 36 months, which may be non-consecutive. Ultimately, Ohio Works First allows families to work toward financial stability.

Ohio Works First is also known as cash assistance or Federal Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF).


Frequently Asked Cash Assistance Questions:

  1. What is OWF?
    Ohio Works First (OWF) provides cash benefits to needy families. OWF is a time-limited program – adults are only eligible for 36 months of OWF in their lifetimes. Benefits are issued via Direct Deposit or on an EPPICard, which works like a debit card.
  2. If my child is under 18 and in school, are their earnings excluded?
    If the child is under 18 and in school, the earnings are excluded. If the child is not in school, excluding summer breaks, all earned income will be included when determining eligibility.
  3. What are OWF Time Limits?
    A customer can be eligible to receive OWF for a period of up to 36 months. Months do not have to be counted consecutively (ex: a participant could receive OWF for a 10-month span over the course of a year and still be eligible to participate in the program for up to 26 additional months).  Once the 36-month timeframe has expired, the customer may submit an application for an OWF Hardship Exemption or OWF Good Cause Extension.
  4. What is a Work Activity?
    Participants receiving OWF cash assistance are required to sign and comply with a self-sufficiency contract and plan that requires the customer to participate in an assigned work activity.

Application Requirements:

Eligibility for Ohio Works First is based on the family’s income and the number of people living in the household:

Typically, to qualify for cash assistance a family must meet the “gross monthly income test,” which means that their monthly income (both earned and unearned) before taxes is below a certain level. The gross monthly income for a family of three is currently $851, but this increases annually.

OWF Assistance Group Size Initial Eligibility Test Payment Standard
1 $608 $363
2 $822 $495
3 $1036 $608
4 $1250 $749
5 $1465 $877
6 $1679 $976
7 $1893 $1,091
8 $2107 $1,210
9 $2321 $1,329
10 $2535 $1,449
11 $2750 $1,566
12 $2964 $1,687

Program Eligibility Requirements:

There are certain individuals that are not eligible. That list includes:

Other individuals may also not be eligible, but are not included in the list above.

Visit here for the step by step process on how to apply, the interview, gather and returning verifications, and checking the status of your application, when you apply for cash assistance. 


Additional Resources:

For additional questions regarding Cash Assistance, email us at clermontcasebank3@jfs.ohio.gov.

Learning, Earning, and Parenting Program (LEAP) encourages teenagers receiving TANF/OWF to complete secondary education or GED.

OWF Hardship assists individuals that have exhausted 36 months of cash benefits that experience economic hardship due to circumstances beyond their control.

Submit an application online or download an application here

Need to check the status of your case or application? 

Missed your scheduled appointment? 

Missed Scheduled Intake: You may call 1-844-640-6446 the next between day between 8am – 9am to request your missed intake phone appointment.  This must occur within 60 days of your application date.

Missed Scheduled Review: You can call in the next business day between 9:30am to noon, you may call 1-844-640-6446, select the appropriate prompts, let the operator know you are calling for a missed review.


Need to report a change?

Not only do you need to your report your change(s), within 10 days, you need to verify the change(s) as well. You may report and verify the change in the lobby, via phone, fax, email or mail. Our drop box remains accessible 24 hours a day and all documents will be processed in date order. Our lobby is open 8:00am – 4:00pm so that you may access hard copy forms. You may also report and verify changes to clermontcasebank3@jfs.ohio.gov.

Visit our Forms page here for change reporting forms. Please allow up to 10 business days for processing.