Conference TANF Agreement Requires States to Increase Work Participation by 69 Percent, but New Funding Meets Only a Fraction of New Costs


 

Publication Date: January 2006

Publisher: Center for Law and Social Policy

Author(s): Mark Greenberg

Research Area: Social conditions

Type: Report

Coverage: United States

Abstract:

The budget conference agreement includes a mandate that states meet a 50 percent Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) work participation rate in order to avoid federal penalties. The bill forces states to make an unpalatable choice: increase work participation rates by an estimated 69 percent or cut the number of families receiving assistance—or both. What’s more, the bill provides states with new funds that amount to less than $70 per new participant per month.