When You Have No Caseload or Records To Submit
If your program has no caseload or other records to report for a month or quarter, follow the steps below. Do not follow these steps if you have records to report but plan to submit them at a later date.
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What To Do
| If... | Then... |
|---|---|
| A required file has no records for any month in the quarter | Download the applicable example file, update its header as explained below, and submit it through TDP. The example contains only a header and trailer because there are no data records to include. |
| Your program had no caseload for one or more months, but not the entire quarter | Email the TANF Data Team at TANFData@acf.hhs.gov. Include your state, territory, or Tribe; fiscal year & quarter; reporting section; and the month or months with no caseload. Note that we are exploring more convenient solutions for partners to report periods with no caseload directly in TDP in the future. |
Example Files
The fields in each example follow the Transmission File Header and Trailer Record Layout. Use the state or territory example or the tribal example, as applicable, and update the fields identified below.
Example for a state or territory
The SSP_active_FY26Q1_empty.txt represents an SSP Active Case submission for California for FY2026 Q1. It contains only a header and trailer record.
The header record is: HEADER20254A06000SSP1 D
| Header value | What it represents | What to do |
|---|---|---|
20254 |
Calendar quarter for FY2026 Q1 | Replace it with the calendar quarter for your submission. |
A |
Reporting section |
Enter A for Active, C for Closed, G for Aggregate, or S for Stratum, as defined in the Transmission File Header and Trailer Record Layout.
|
06 |
California’s state FIPS code |
Replace it with the value under STT_CODE for your state or territory.
|
000 |
Tribe code |
For a state or territory submission, leave this field as three blank spaces or enter 000, as permitted by the record layout.
|
SSP |
Program type |
Enter SSP when submitting SSP data or TAN when submitting TANF data.
|
Example for Tribes
The Tribal_TANF_active_FY26Q1_empty.txt represents an Active Tribal TANF submission for the Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians for FY2026 Q1. It contains only a header and trailer record.
The header record is: HEADER20254A00234TAN1 D
| Header value | What it represents | What to do |
|---|---|---|
20254 |
Calendar quarter for FY2026 Q1 | Replace it with the calendar quarter for your submission. |
A |
Reporting section |
Enter A for Active, C for Closed, or G for Aggregate.
|
00 |
State FIPS code |
Enter 00 or two blank spaces, as permitted by the Transmission File Header and Trailer Record Layout.
|
234 |
Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians’ tribe code |
Replace it with the three-digit value under STT_CODE in the Tribal TANF program list.
|
TAN |
TANF program type | Do not change this value for a Tribal TANF submission. |
Confirming Your Submission
After TDP processes your file, confirm it was accepted by:
- Reviewing the Submission & Error Reports section for the reporting period below where you submitted the data
- Checking the data submission notification email sent after your file(s) have been processed. For more information about reminder emails, see About Email Notifications
If the file contains validation errors, review the available error report and correct and submit the file as needed.
Guidance for 477 Tribal TANF Programs
Beginning with Fiscal Year 2025, 477 Tribal TANF programs that choose to submit the new 477 Statistical Report are not required to continue submitting quarterly Tribal TANF reports through TDP.
If your program submits the 477 Statistical Report:
- You may disregard automated quarterly Tribal TANF submission reminders from TDP
- Email the TANF Data Team at TANFData@acf.hhs.gov to confirm that your program is submitting the 477 Statistical Report. This helps the team confirm that your quarterly TDP submissions are not missing.