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>.