Welfare Reform
TANF Work Requirements and the Family
Presented by Rose Maxon, Jennifer Davis, Timothy Green, Sylvia Jones, Lorenzo James and Jennipher Nieves
Welfare Works: No Turning Back
Purpose To increase employment and education for
adults currently receiving welfare assistance.
Ensure applicants are being notified of resources available and decrease the cycle of families receiving welfare assistance.
Introduction
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 Act of 1996 (PRWORA) Basics
This act instituted Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)
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
Federal 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)
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)
WELFARE REFORMWhat is the Issue?
You Decide
“And what the American people hope -– what they deserve -– is for all of us, Democrats and Republicans, to work through our differences; to overcome the numbing weight of our politics. For while the people who sent us here have different backgrounds, different stories, and different beliefs, the anxieties they face are the same. The aspirations they hold are shared. A job that pays the bills. A chance to get ahead. Most of all, the ability to give their children a better life.”
BARACK OBAMA, State of the Union Address, Jan. 27, 2010
Why Is Welfare Reform So Important?
TANF policies require focus on work participation not long-term economic outcome (Strawn, 2010)
There are more people on welfare than in the past
Research has demonstrated that people with limited education or work experience, those raising young children, those in poor physical or mental health, those caring for a severely disabled child, or those with limited English proficiency are less likely to be working (Zaslow, 2001)
Work among welfare recipients facing two or more of these barriers increased four-fold, from 5% to 20% (Zaslow, 2001)
The Point Cont., Welfare recipients who go to work in low-paying
jobs are more likely to remain eligible for a cash payment than they were in the past. With workers staying on the welfare rolls longer, the percentage of the caseload made up of workers increases (Zaslow, 2001)
So the question becomes:
Off Welfare Working for Lower Wages
Adults who leave welfare and work full-time for a full year could move their families out of poverty. (Zaslow, 2001
1 in 7 adults who leave welfare report no visible means of support. (Zaslow, 2001)
Lack of education equals less earning power (Strawn, 2010)
Hardship has Increased
Difficulty meeting work-associated expenses such as child care and transportation costs (Gundersen, 2001)
Work related expenses create difficulty meeting other basic needs, such as food, housing, and medical care (Gundersen, 2001)
Unemployment has Increased
Poverty Status
Effect on Children
Probability that a child will drop out of school and will be on Welfare as an adult (Rector, 2001)
Behavioral and emotional problems (Rector, 2001)
Boys engage in crime (Rector, 2001)
Girls give birth outside of marriage (Rector, 2001)
Sample Application
Are you currently employed?
Yes No
Do you currently have your GED or High School diploma?
GED High School Diploma
Yes No Yes No
Do you currently have a skill or trade with previous experience?
List your skill or work experience
What kind of employment interests you?
Sales
Con-struc-tion
FoodService
Healthcare
Environ-mental
Childcare
Do you need Childcare?
How many children need care?
What resources do you currently need?
Medical Yes NoChildcare Yes NoEducation Yes NoCash Assistance
Yes No
Food Stamps
Yes No
Housing Yes NoEmployment
Yes No
How many are currently in your household?
List age of each person below.
How many over age 18 are employed?
Have you ever applied for assistance before?
Yes, enter dates and number of months.
No
Do you receive child support and how much?
Yes No
Amount Applied?
Sample Application Checklist
If you answered all the questions on the application or need further assistance contact your case worker at the number provided.
If you need assistance with education, employment, childcare, housing, cash assistance, food stamps, contact your case worker and resources will be provided.
1-800-casewrk
Group C Bloghttp://soci4080week5groupc.blogspot.com/2012/02/personal-responsibility-work.html?showComment=1329875158223#c5871900351530617307
Multimedia Tools
Internet YouTube Commercials on social
networking sites Blog Social Network Website
Hardcopy Letters to the Editor Fliers Billboards Radio & TV Ads Letters to Government
representatives
Advantages and Disadvantages of Media Tools
Advantages
Help get the message across Allows others to interact Shine light on the issue at
hand Fast way to communicate It’s repetitive Easier to target your
audience
Disadvantages
Negative Feedback People may not be receptive
to the information Cost may be to high Lack of interest Message and audience do
not match
Personal Contact
Door-to-door
Phone solicitation
Attend community meeting
Address local political assemblies
Solicit clergy support
Solutions
Provide income for childcare so that those on welfare can get the education needed
Create a plan of action for future employment
On-the-job training to increase skills and wages
Solutions cont., Stronger incentives to change marital, work and
childbearing behavior
Discourage irresponsible child bearing
The rate of births to unmarried teen-agers who are most likely of all to need welfare and stay on it is high
More Solutions
Medical insurance Substantial tax relief Government assistance for those who are working Increasing refundable tax credits Raising the minimum wage, Providing day care
Government Representatives Contact Information
Email addresses to state representatives
www.usa.gov/contact/elected.shtml
www.senate.gov
www.governor.state
www.house.gov/writerep
Contact the President
The White House1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NWWashington, DC 20500
http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/write-or-call#write
Five Year Goals
Community colleges supporting low cost classes
Local business providing On-the-job training
Churches and community centers providing GED classes
Ten Year Goals
Change in federal mandate for TANF work requirements to include mandatory GED or specific job related skills training
Minimum wage to support self-sufficiency
30% reduction in long-term dependency on TANF
Conclusion
Education is critical to reducing dependency on government assistance
Employment must provide wages above poverty level
Encourage two-parent families
Visit our blog and join the campaign
References
Bousley, Heather, and Bethany Gundersen. "The Economic Policy Institute." When Work Just Isn’t Enough: Measuring Hardships Faced by Families after Moving from Welfare to Work. 1 June 2001. Web. 20 Feb. 2012. http://www.epi.org/publication/briefingpapers_hardships/
.Eckholm, Erik. "Solutions on Welfare: They All Cost Money." The New York Times. The New York Times, 26 July 1992. Web. 22 Feb. 2012. <http://www.nytimes.com/1992/07/26/us/solutions-on-welfare-they-all-cost-money.html>.
Obama, B. (2010, January 27). State of the Union
Office of Family Assistance. (2009, April). Retrieved February 16, 2012, from U.S. Deaprtment of Health and Human Services: Administration for Children & Family: http://www.acf.hhs.gov/opa/fact_sheets/tanf_factsheet.html
Rector, Robert. "The Effects of Welfare Reform." The Effects of Welfare Reform. 15 Mar. 2001. Web. 20 Feb. 2012. <http://www.heritage.org/research/testimony/the-effects-of-welfare-reform>.
Zaslow, Martha, Kathryn Tout, Christopher Bostko, and Kristin Moore. "Welfare Reform and Children." : Potential Implications. 1 June 2001. Web. 20 Feb. 2012. <http://www.urban.org/publications/308014.html>.