Introduction
Research Questions
- What counts as work and how are federal work requirements applied?
- Which TANF families qualify?
- How do states meet the work requirements?
- What are the implications for state and federal policy?
- What are the challenges in a recession and the gaps in our knowledge?
A central component of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program is its emphasis on work. Adult TANF recipients, with some exceptions, must participate in work activities as a condition of receiving cash benefits. This brief, published in 2012, discusses the federal work requirements and state strategies for meeting them.
It especially focuses on state strategies following:
- Passage of the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 (DRA);
- The Great Recession that began in December 2007; and
- The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA).
The DRA effectively increased required work participation rates for most states, but the Great Recession led to the highest unemployment rates in decades. States had trouble meeting work participation requirements. The ARRA increased funds for emergency and basic assistance, subsidized jobs programs, and short-term assistance to support work activities. States’ reactions to the confluence of these events present new lessons for TANF.
Purpose
This publication provides an in-depth analysis of the work requirements under the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program and the challenges states face in meeting these requirements. It examines the evolution of federal work requirements since the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 (DRA) and the impact of subsequent economic downturns, including the Great Recession. The brief also highlights state strategies to comply with federal TANF work requirements, particularly considering increased unemployment and changes introduced by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA).
Key Findings and Highlights
- Most states have been able to meet the revised participation rate requirements enacted by Congress under the DRA.
- States have adopted multiple strategies to meet the participation rate requirements, such as creating more unpaid work opportunities, keeping working families on the caseload longer, and moving some families into solely state-funded programs outside of TANF.
- The ARRA helped states meet work requirements by giving them the flexibility to finance new worker supplements, subsidized jobs, and work supports.
Recommendations
To address remaining gaps in knowledge, future research could explore:
- How client participation in work activities is reported
- On-the-ground strategies for moving TANF recipients into work
- Whether state diversion programs divert applicants with genuine need from the TANF program
- The characteristics and circumstances of families moved from the TANF caseload into solely state-funded programs, the types of services they receive, and how long these families remain on the separate caseload
Related Documents
Citation
Hahn, H., Kassabian, D., & Zedlewski, S. (2012). TANF Work Requirements and State Strategies to Fulfill Them. OPRE Report #2012-15, Washington, DC: Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Glossary
ACF: Administration for Children and Families
ARRA: American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009
DRA: Deficit Reduction Act of 2005
OPRE: Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation
SSI: Supplemental Security Income
TANF: Temporary Assistance for Needy Families
Files
- PDF TANF Work Requirements and State Strategies to Fulfill Them (203.25 KB)