Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) on Monday announced reforms are coming to some welfare benefits, restricting them from being spent on “unnecessary” items.
DeSantis, who is viewed as a possible 2028 presidential contender, said he is working with the Trump administration to amend the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families State Plan, spurring changes to what welfare recipients can spend their Temporary Cash Assistance benefits on. Once implemented, the move would bar funds from being spent on items ranging from vaping products to pornography.
Recommended Stories
Florida is the first state in the nation to take such action, according to DeSantis.
“Florida has become the first in the nation to set guardrails on our TANF State Plan to stop these taxpayer-funded benefits from being used to purchase inappropriate, luxury, and non-essential goods and services,” the Republican governor said in a statement.
“Taxpayer-funded assistance should help families put food on the table, keep the lights on, purchase clothing, provide for their children and overcome barriers on the path toward independence,” he added. “We will continue supporting Floridians who genuinely need assistance, while working to improve accountability and transparency so that these programs operate as intended.”
The governor’s office said the average household on TCA receives around $250 per month. The welfare program is for needy families with children under the age of 19 and for certain pregnant women. Adults are limited to a lifetime total of 48 months of cash assistance.
DeSantis’ reforms for TCA are aimed at curbing fraud and would not reduce the amount of assistance eligible families receive, but rather ensure the welfare benefits are used for necessities such as groceries, clothing, and medicine, he said.
TCA benefits, which are issued through an EBT card, would no longer be allowed to be spent on tobacco, nicotine, and vaping products; drugs and intoxicants; pornography, video games, entertainment tickets, theme park admission, and entertainment subscriptions; tattoos, spa services, tanning, and other luxury services; and psychic and fortune-telling services.
Florida already has restrictions on what TCA benefits can be used to purchase, including a prohibition on EBT card use for alcohol purchases and transactions at adult entertainment establishments, pari-mutuel wagering facilities, slot machine facilities, commercial bingo establishments, and casinos or gaming facilities. DeSantis’s latest policy expands those controls to additional items and services at eligible retailers, according to the governor’s office.
BUDGET RED INK THREATENS TO SPIKE INFLATION AND UNEMPLOYMENT
DeSantis said state officials are working with the Trump administration on the proposed changes, telling reporters a formal request to Washington is expected soon. The matter has not yet been finalized, as officials said the state’s TANF plan is still being amended.
“We’re working on amending the state plan right now, and then we’ll work closely with our federal partners on identifying timelines and some of those implementation details,” Interim Secretary for the Florida Department of Children and Families Kate Williams said. “So, more to come, but we’ll make sure that that’s closely communicated with retailers and recipients as well.”
