TANF: What Does It REALLY Do For Needy Families?

(TheDailyCurrents.com) – The U.S. social safety net has numerous programs administered by local, tribal, state, and federal agencies. These programs offer numerous assistances, including cash assistance, nutrition assistance, health assistance, social insurance, and shelter assistance, to tens of millions of needy Americans each year.

Each assistance area has different programs that target certain group of people. One of the programs run under the cash assistance area is the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF). TANF is a federal program that allocates funds to states and territories to help needy families.

Under this program, states receive block grants or a set amount of money to provide families with financial assistance or cash and services to support them. Some state-run programs funded by TANF include childcare assistance, work assistance, and work assistance. By being a block grant, the state has a lot of flexibility in using the funds for other services besides cash assistance. These other services include childcare, job preparation, and family planning.

The Establishment of the TANF Program

TANF, commonly referred to as the cash welfare and cash assistance program, was established in 1997. It originated from a program known as Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC). AFDC was formed in 1935, and its main role was to provide cash assistance to families with children in poverty.

AFDC faced numerous challenges, including increased spending and growing caseloads. The federal government could not solve the issues that faced AFDC, and due to this, numerous states sought waivers to strengthen the work requirements in the 1990s.

In 1996, the TANF was created under the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity ACT (PRWORA), and it was part of the government’s effort to Ending Welfare as We Know it. TANF gave the states broad flexibility to run their programs, including making decisions about the program, making rules determining who is eligible for the program, and deciding on the range of services to be included in the program.

How Does the State Government Use Federal TANF?

As a federal statutory requirement, the state must spend some of its funds or Maintenance of Effort (MOE) to receive TNAF. Some of the main ways or purposes through which the state government is required to use the funds from TANF include:

• Helping families in need so that their children can be raised well in their own homes or the homes of a close loved one
• To reduce pregnancies among unmarried couples
• Promote the establishment and maintenance of two parent’s families
• Minimize the dependency of needy parents by helping with job preparation, marriage, and work

Eligibility Requirements for TANF Program

To be eligible for TANF, applicants must meet the following requirements:

• Be a resident of the state they are applying in
• Be a U.S. citizen, legal alien, or qualified alien
• Be unemployed or underemployed and have low income
• Be pregnant
• Have a child of 18 years of age or younger
• Be the house of your household. This includes individuals who are below 18 years

Those who meet the above eligibility requirements can apply at their local social security agency or contact their state TANF office to learn how to make their applications.

How Long Can You Stay On TANF?

The time limit for TANF assistance is 60 months (5 years). States have their time limit policies, but most have set limits of 5 years on TANF and MOE funds. The TNAF program does not allow states to offer cash assistance for longer than 60 months to a family with an adult recipient. In some rare cases, states can go beyond the set limit for up to 20 percent of beneficiaries, depending on the neediness.

The program does not set a time limit on “child-only families” or on those families fully funded through the state MOE funds.

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