TANF-ACF-PI-2013-02 (Reporting on TANF Work Measures after Enactment of the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 (DRA))

TO: State agencies administering the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program and other interested parties.

SUBJECT:  Reporting on TANF Work Measures after Enactment of the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 (DRA)

REFERENCES: TANF-ACF-PI-2002-01, TANF-ACF-PI-2004-01, TANF-ACF-PI-2006-01, TANF-ACF-PI-2007-01, TANF-ACF-PI-2012-01.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this Program Instruction is to request that states submit data necessary to calculate the work measures previously reported under the High Performance Bonus (HPB) and advise them of the submission timetable for FY 2013.  The previous PIs requesting this information and providing the relevant submission timetable are set forth in the reference section above.

BACKGROUND: The TANF program was reauthorized under the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005. The statute eliminated the funding for the HPB under section 403 (a)(4). Nevertheless, the Department is required under section 413(d) to annually rank state performance in moving TANF recipients into private sector employment. As per our previous Program Instructions, we are requesting that states continue to transmit monthly files of all adult TANF recipients necessary to calculate the work measures performance data. While we do not have the authority to require states to submit data for the universe of all adult TANF recipients, we strongly encourage states to do so.  To the extent that some states do not provide the requested information; we will extract the matching information from the TANF Data Report. This may result in calculation of the work performance measures based on sample data, which would provide us less precise information on states’ performance and would likely show a lower performance level than universe data.

ACTION: We are requesting that states collect monthly data on all TANF adult recipients for FY 2012 and electronically transmit it to ACF on a quarterly basis. States that have separate TANF-MOE files on these programs are also requested to transmit similar files on these programs.

EFFECTIVE DATE: Immediate

SUBMISSION DATES: Quarters 1 and 2

(Oct. – Dec. 2011) and (Jan. – Mar. 2012) - July 19, 2013

Quarters 3 and 4

(Apr. – June 2012) and (July – Sept. 2012) - August 16, 2013

Submittal specifications remain the same. Reporting requirements and the layout for transmitting the necessary data are described in TANF –ACF PI- 2002-1 dated February 7, 2002 and can be found at:

/sites/default/files/ofa/tanf_high_performance... (PDF)

This same file layout has been continuously in effect since FY 2002 and currently has an OMB approval expiration date of 12/31/2014.

In order to meet the requirements of the 1974 Privacy Act (5 USC section 552a), states must transmit these files using “CyberFusion”, “ConnectDirect” or “File Transfer Protocol” (FTP). States that use FTP can download a software program that will encrypt the SSNs of recipients

INQUIRIES:  Inquiries should be directed to the appropriate Administration for Children and Families (ACF) Regional Program Manager.
 

/s/
Earl S. Johnson
Director
Office of Family Assistance