On March 21, 2025, the Administration for Children and Families in the Department of Health and Human Services posted in the Federal Register an announcement from the director of the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) that ORR is shortening of the Refugee Cash Assistance (RCA) and Refugee Medical Assistance (RMA) eligibility period from 12 months to four months of assistance. The shorter eligibility period will apply to participants who become eligible for ORR benefits 45 days after publication of the notice. 

The eligibility period has changed over the years, most recently from eight months to 12 months in 2022. ORR says the change to four months is based on the level of appropriations they expect to receive from Congress and the number of refugees who were admitted to the United States in recent years. However, the Trump administration completely shut down the refugee program on January 20, 2025, thus no refugees are currently being admitted. 

Impact: Refugees already receive modest only a very low level of benefits to help them adjust to life in the United States, and this reduction in benefits will make that more difficult for many refugees who are new arrivals and adjusting to a new country and in many cases, a new language. If fewer refugees can qualify for assistance, they and their families will struggle to put food on the table, access medical care, and find housing, which will in turn put further strain on the communities where they live and work.