Dear South Dakota GOP: Jesus said, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ Pay heed! Best, Retiring Guy

 

Photo and headline:  South Dakota Searchlight, 10/14/2025

Makenzie Huber reports:

The Department of Social Services reduced TANF benefits by 10% during the summer, affecting families’ September benefits and beyond. Recipients were expected to lose anywhere from $32 to $136 a month in benefits, depending on the size of their family. The average household was expected to lose $51 a month. The department has not yet released a monthly TANF data report since the benefit reduction took effect. 

The state will save about $1.5 million annually. It distributed $15.3 million in TANF benefits last fiscal year.

The move is part of a larger plan to gradually reduce benefits each year to the minimum state contribution needed to receive federal funding. That’s about a 35% reduction, or $180 less per month for the average household, according to department officials. The average household’s monthly benefit payment last year was $518.06. 

TANF is a federal-state program most commonly used to provide financial assistance to low-income families with children, on the condition that the caregiver searches or trains for a job.

 

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