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. Also, to ensure applicants are being notified of

resources available and decrease the cycle of families receiving welfare assistance.

Introduction

Also, to ensure applicants are being notified of resources available and decrease the cycle of families receiving welfare assistance.

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 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

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

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, 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?

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:

Increase in Caseload There are 2 groups long-term and short-term recipients

Have of the case is long-term while short-term receive benefits over a period of time

Among those who left welfare between 1997 and 1999, 22% were back on the rolls (Zaslow, 2001)

47% had been on it consistently for the past two years, 26% were on for the first time, and 23%had returned to the rolls after a period off welfare (Zaslow, 2001)

Off Welfare Working for Lower Wages

Adults who leave welfare and work full-time for a full year at the median wage and receive all supplementary benefits for which they are eligible could move their families out of poverty However, most do not receive all of these wage supplements (Zaslow, 2001

1 in 7 adults who leave welfare report no visible means of support. These welfare leavers are not employed, are not in a family with someone who is employed, are not receiving disability benefits, and have not returned to the welfare rolls where they will obtain benefits. Little is known about how these families survive and why they have completely disconnected from the welfare system(Zaslow, 2001)

Hardship has Increased

Former welfare families who now work in the low-wage labor market are likely to have difficulty meeting work-associated expenses such as child care and transportation costs (Gundersen, 2001)

Given the extra income often required just to participate in the workforce, these families also may have difficulty meeting other basic needs, such as food, housing, and medical care (Gundersen, 2001)

Unemployment has Increased

Poverty Status

Effect on Children

Being raised on Welfare also increases the probability that a child will drop out of school and will be on Welfare as an adult (Rector, 2001)

behavioral and emotional problems; suffer from physical abuse; engage in early sexual activity, and do poorly in school (Rector, 2001)

Boys raised in single parent households are more likely to engage in crime (Rector, 2001)

girls are more likely themselves to give birth outside of marriage (Rector, 2001)

Solutions

Sample Application

Are you currently employed?

Yes No

Do you currently have your GED or High School diploma?

GED High School DiplomaYes 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 NoAmount 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

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 TANF numbers are down Work requirements exist Lack of skills or education Low wage employment

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/>.

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>.