Welfare Reform TANF Work Requirements and the Family

Welfare Works: No Turning Back  Purpose  To increase employment and education for adults currently receiving welfare assistance.  Also, to ensure applicants are being notified of resources available and decrease the cycle of families receiving welfare assistance.

Introduction  Welfare has been a topic of recent discussion lately. Usually when a person is place on welfare (or government assistance) there is a stigma that they are lazy and not willing to go out and look for a job.  Much of the stigma has been caused by the pre-reform welfare system of lifetime recipients.  Many people are unaware of the guidelines that have been put forth by the United States government in terms of benefit disbursement.

Introduction  In order to understand out campaign, one must understand the literature of the welfare reform bills. The following slides will discuss:  Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996(PRWORA)  Basics  Requirements

Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996(PRWORA)  Basics  This act instituted TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families)  Placed a time limit on receiving benefits:  Must obtain work within two (2) years of receiving benefits  Lifetime limit of five (5) years of receiving benefits  Welfare is no longer an entitlement or permanent program

Work Requirements for TANF  Recipients must work as soon as job ready/24months  Failure to work can result in reduction/termination of benefits  Single Parent Family  30 hour weekly average work activity for Single parent  20 hour weekly average work activity with children under 6  Two Parent Family  35 hour weekly average work activity  55 hour weekly average work activity with federal child care assistance (Office of Family Assistance, 2009)

Federal Work Requirements All Families (Single-parent) 30 hours per week, averaged monthly  20-hour minimum in core activities  Up to 10 hours in non-core activities Two-Parent 35 hours per week, averaged monthly (individually or combined)  30-hour minimum in core activities  Up to 5 hours in non-core activities Single Parent with child under six 20 hours per week averaged monthly  A single custodial parent or caretaker relative with a child under six meets the WPR by participating 20 “core” hours per week

Work Activities  Unsubsidized/subsidized employment  Work experience  On-the-job training  Job search/readiness assistance  Community service  Providing childcare for individuals performing community service (Office of Family Assistance, 2009 )

Work Activities  Vocational educational training  Job skills training related to work  Education directly related to employment  Secondary school attendance (Office of Family Assistance, 2009)

Identified Problems

Proposed Solutions

Media Tools  Welfare Reform Blog

Government Representatives Contact Information