Overview

The Connecticut Department of Social Services (DSS) is pleased to announce the launch of the Direct Cash Transfer (DCT) Pilot Initiative, an effort designed to support and evaluate innovative programs that provide direct cash assistance to individuals and families.

Section 342 of Public Act 25-168 allows the Department of Social Services to disregard any income received from an approved DCT pilot for many of its programs, including SNAP, Temporary Family Assistance (TFA) and Medicaid. Section 343 of Public Act 25-168 also allows the department to disregard any direct rental assistance received under a pilot program for SNAP, Medicaid, and all cash programs. This provision helps ensure that participants can fully engage in these pilots with minimal risk to their existing benefits.

A list of approved programs participating in the DCT Pilot initiative is available here and will be updated as new programs are approved.

Organizations interested in joining the DCT Pilot Initiative are welcome to send an inquiry to DCTPilot.DSS@ct.gov. Once your inquiry is received, DSS will follow up with a request for more details about your proposed program. Please be prepared to share key information such as your program’s goals, target population, funding sources, and plans for evaluation.

To be considered for participation in the Direct Cash Transfer Pilot, programs must meet all of the following requirements:
1. Provide cash assistance to participants as part of a program that is aligned with their organization’s mission.
2. Have funding sources that are not exclusively government-based.
3. Payments to recipients must be non-taxable.
4. Limit participant benefits to no more than 36 months.
5. Provide a detailed evaluation plan that measures the program’s impact on participants’ economic stability.

If you are an individual or family interested in learning more about these programs, we encourage you to visit the websites of participating organizations to explore how to get involved.

We look forward to supporting innovative approaches that promote economic stability and opportunity for Connecticut residents.