Refugee Cash Assistance (RCA)

Refugee Cash Assistance (RCA) is sponsored by Massachusetts Office for Refugees and Immigrants (ORI). RCA provides a monthly cash grant to eligible participants of the Massachusetts Refugee Resettlement Program (MRRP) who do not have dependent children and are seeking employment. This program helps individuals gain financial assistance while they search for work.

Refugee Assistance Payments Refugee Assistance Payments Refugee Cash Assistance (RCA) RCA is a monthly cash grant provided to eligible participants without dependent children, of the Massachusetts Refugee Resettlement Program (MRRP) while they seek employment. The program is administered by the Office for Refugees and Immigrants (ORI).

Refugee Cash Assistance Program - Standard of Assistance Table Recurring payments received by individuals enrolled in the Refugee Cash Assistance program (RCA) are countable for SNAP and EAEDC programs. These payments must be entered on the Other Income page in BEACON under Assistance Payments. RCA payments are paid in semi-monthly checks.

Clients receiving Refugee Cash Assistance (RCA) payments are not eligible for TAFDC. Matching Grant Program (MG) The Matching Grant program is a public-private partnership employment program administered by local resettlement agencies and the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR). It provides cash and in-kind contributions, and employment supports to qualifying, recently arriving noncitizens that are authorized to work in the US.

The intent of the program is for the qualified noncitizen to become economically self-sufficient through employment without accessing other cash assistance programs. Treatment of Matching Grant income for SNAP purposes is based on the details of the award letter from the resettlement agency administering the payments: Recurring payments that are paid directly to the client are countable .

These payments must be entered on the Other Income page in BEACON under Assistance Payments. Recurring or nonrecurring vendor payments, paid to a third-party vendor such as a property owner on behalf of the client, are noncountable . One-time, nonrecurring payments are noncountable .

Recipients of the Matching Grant program are not eligible for TAFDC or EAEDC. Clients applying for or receiving EAEDC based on a disability are not to be encouraged to apply for the Matching Grant program. Clients applying for EAEDC who are able to work and could be eligible for the Matching Grant program must apply, as part of the application for other benefits requirement.

This includes those who: are a noncitizen who has recently arrived in the US, do not have a disability or health condition that prevents them from working, and have a noncitizen status that allows them to work. If the client receives the Matching Grant program income, EAEDC must be closed/denied.

Because there is no specific closing/denial reason available in BEACON for this new program, to deny or close the TAFDC or EAEDC you must: obtain a voluntary withdrawal or if unable to obtain or the client declines to complete a voluntary withdrawal you must: send a VC-1 for proof of the income and enter the income as countable for TAFDC or EAEDC and when the Interview Wrapup is completed, the case will be denied/closed for the income.

If the client does not submit verification of the income and you were unable to obtain a voluntary withdrawal, deny/close the TAFDC or EAEDC for Failure to submit required verifications under Noncooperation on the AU Composition Results page.

Additional Refugee Assistance Payment Programs (Back to Index) The table below represents various other types of payments received by refugees or other qualifying noncitizens and are administered by refugee resettlement agencies. Countable income from Refugee Assistance Payment programs must be entered on the Other Income page in BEACON under Assistance Payments. Please see table for details pertaining to each payment type.

(Countable or Noncountable) (Countable or Noncountable) Reception and Placement Program One-time cash grant for assistance needs One-time donation from community agencies and private individuals Refugee Support Services (RSS) Recurring cash-grant designated for emergency or long-term housing assistance If the verification provided by the client stipulates that the grant is designated for shelter expenses and directly paid to the property owner, reported grant must be deducted from total shelter amount reported during application or reevaluation.

Afghan Placement and Assistance (APA) program Alternative Resettlement Pathways Afghan Emergency Assistance Program (AEAP) Haitian Resettlement Assistance Program (HRAP) Massachusetts Resettlement Support Program (MRSP) These payments can either be a one-time payment, a recurring payment, or a vendor payment. Treatment of this income is conditional on the details of the award letter from the agency administering the payments.

One-time, nonrecurring payments are noncountable . Recurring payments that are paid directly to the client, are countable . Recurring or nonrecurring vendor payments, paid to a third-party vendors such as a property owner, are noncountable For details see Contribution Income Q1 .

Pierre and their spouse, Sheila, are SNAP applicants who are present in the US as refugees. Pierre states during the application interview that they receive $531 per month in Refugee Cash Assistance (RCA) Payments from MRRP. Pierre also receives an additional $1200 monthly cash grant from Refugee Support Services (RSS) designated for rent.

This amount is paid directly to the landlord. The grantee reports that they are responsible for $1500 a month in rent. How should we treat the payments that this client is receiving?

A1 . The RCA payments in the amount of $531 must be entered in BEACON as countable income on the Other Income page under Assistance Payments. RCA payments are considered countable for all DTA programs.

Since the $1200 monthly cash grant is designated for housing and is being sent directly to the landlord, this income is deemed noncountable. Therefore, it must be deducted from the rent amount of $1500. The balance of $300 must be entered in BEACON as the client’s rent amount.

Q2 . Armand is a Cuban-Haitian Entrant applying for SNAP. They state during the application interview that they receive $428 per month in RCA payments from MRRP.

Armand also reports that they have received a one-time cash grant in the amount of $500 from the Reception and Placement Program, upon their arrival into the US, last month. How should the worker enter the reported income into BEACON? A2 .

In this scenario, RCA payments in the amount of $428 are countable and must be entered on the Other Income page under Assistance Payments. The nonrecurring lump sum cash grant of $500 is considered excluded income and must not be entered on the Other Income page, but it must be addressed in the narrative. Q3 .

Jouly, their partner, Valmy, and their daughter, Chloe, are TAFDC applicants who are present in the US as Cuban-Haitian Entrant. Jouly states during the application interview that they receive $600 per month in HRAP Payments from MRRP. Jouly also receives an additional $1000 monthly cash grant from RSS designated for rent.

This amount is paid directly to the landlord. The grantee reports they are responsible for $1800 a month in rent, and they are living in private housing. How should we treat the payments that this client is receiving?

A3 . The monthly HRAP payments in the amount of $600 is to be entered in BEACON on the Other Income page under Assistance Payments as noncountable for TAFDC purposes, and countable for SNAP purposes. Since the $1000 RSS monthly cash grant is designated for housing and is being sent directly to the landlord, this income is deemed noncountable income for TAFDC and SNAP.

Therefore, it must be deducted from the rent amount of $1800. The remaining $800 must be entered in BEACON as the client’s rent amount and the subsidized housing indicator must be marked “no”. Q4 .

Saed, who recently arrived in the US from Afghanistan, has applied for EAEDC as an elderly noncitizen. They report that they received a one-time welcome payment of $1500 from a Reception and Placement Program.

Additionally, Saed indicated they receive a direct monthly APA payment of $1000 that is intended to cover their full rent of $900 per month and $100 toward their heating bill and has provided verification of this income and its intent. How should these two sources of income be treated for EAEDC? A4 .

The $1500 one-time payment would not be countable for EAEDC. The $1000 monthly APA payment which covers the entire rent, and a portion of their heating expense is also noncountable for EAEDC (see Noncountable Income EAEDC ) .

Howe v er, if the client submits an EAEDC Medical Provider Statement indicating they have a disability that prevents them from working and will last 1 year or more or result in death, and they are subsequently approved for SNAP, the income for SNAP purposes would be entered according to SNAP rules for contribution income. Last Update: May 28, 2026 Mass. gov is a registered service mark of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.