# 2025-10985: Federal Data Matching Checks Whether TANF Recipients Still Qualify

2025-10985, Privacy Act of 1974; Matching Program, is a Federal Register notice from Health and Human Services Department, Children and Families Administration published 2025-06-18, effective 2025-07-19; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-11-03).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2025-10985
- As of: 2026-11-03
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Document number: 2025-10985
- Title: Privacy Act of 1974; Matching Program
- Type: Notice
- Agencies: Health and Human Services Department; Children and Families Administration
- Citation: 90 FR 26052
- Published: 2025-06-18
- Effective: 2025-07-19
- Comments close: not stated
- Significant: no
- Touches household money: yes
- Regulation identifier numbers: none
- Last updated: 2026-11-03

## In one line

Federal Data Matching Checks Whether TANF Recipients Still Qualify

## Summary

The Department of Health and Human Services is restarting a program that helps states check if people getting Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) benefits are eligible by matching their info with new job and wage records. This program starts around July 19, 2025, runs for 18 months, and helps stop errors and fraud in TANF benefits. If all goes well, it could be extended for another year without extra costs.

## Abstract

In accordance with the Privacy Act of 1974, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Office of Child Support Services (OCSS) is providing notice of a re-established matching program between HHS/ACF/ OCSS and state agencies administering the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program. The matching program compares state TANF agency records with new hire, quarterly wage, and unemployment insurance information maintained in the National Directory of New Hires (NDNH). The outcomes of the comparisons help state agencies to establish and verify eligibility for applicants and recipients of TANF benefits, reduce TANF benefit errors, and maintain program integrity.

## Effects PRIA read

- TANF–NDNH Matching Restarts July 19, 2025: mixed, medium. You may have your TANF application or case checked against new hire, quarterly wage, and unemployment insurance records starting about July 19, 2025. The matching runs for 18 months through January 18, 2027, and may be renewed for one additional year if no changes are made and the parties certify c…
- Matches Used to Find Duplicate or Out‑of‑State Cases: cost, medium. State TANF agencies will use match results to check whether someone is getting TANF in more than one state or lives in another state. If a match shows duplicate participation or out‑of‑state residence, the state agency will receive that information to act on it.
- Work Activity and Contact Info Updated from Matches: benefit, low. State TANF agencies may use the new hire, wage, and unemployment information to update a recipient's reported work activities and contact information. These updates come from data returned by the National Directory of New Hires (NDNH).
- Matches Must Be Verified Before Adverse Actions: benefit, low. Before a state can suspend, terminate, reduce, or finally deny your TANF benefits based on a match, the agency must verify the match findings as required by the Privacy Act (5 U.S.C. 552a(p)).

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## Sources
- [2025-10985 on federalregister.gov](https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/06/18/2025-10985/privacy-act-of-1974-matching-program)
- [2025-10985 as published (PDF)](https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2025-06-18/pdf/2025-10985.pdf)

## Related
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- [All Federal Register documents](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2025-10985 (as of 2026-11-03).