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The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Block Grant: Responses to Frequently Asked Questions

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The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Block Grant: Responses to Frequently Asked Questions

November 21, 2016January 2, 2018 (RL32760)
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Summary

The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) block grant funds a wide range of benefits and services for low-income families with children. TANF was created in the 1996 welfare reform law (P.L. 104-193). This report responds to some frequently asked questions about TANF; it does not describe TANF rules (see, instead, CRS Report RL32748, The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Block Grant: A Primer on TANF Financing and Federal Requirements, by [author name scrubbed]).

TANF Funding and Expenditures. TANF provides fixed funding tofor the 50 states, the bulk of which is provided in a $16.5 billion-per-year basic federal block grantDistrict of Columbia, the territories, and American Indian tribes. The basic block grant totals $16.5 billion per year. States are also required in total to contribute, from their own funds, at least $10.43 billion annually under a maintenance-of-effort (MOE) requirement.

Though TANF is best known for funding cash assistance payments for needy families with children, the block grant and MOE funds are used for a wide variety of benefits and activities. In FY2015, expenditures on basic assistance (cash assistance) totaled $7.89 billion—25% of total federal TANF and MOE dollars. Basic assistance is often—but not exclusively—paid as cash. TANF also contributes funds for child care and services for children who have been, or are at risk of being, abused and neglected. Some states also count expenditures in pre-kindergarten programs toward the MOE requirement.

CashThe TANF Assistance Caseload. A total of 1.54 million families, composed of 3.75 million recipients, received TANF- or MOE-funded cash in June 2016March 2017. The bulk of the "recipients" were children—2.76 million in that month. The cash assistance caseload is heterogeneous. The type of family historically thought of as the "typical" cash assistance family—one with an unemployed adult recipient—accounted for 35% of all families on the rolls in FY2015. Additionally, 29% of cash assistance families had an employed adult, while 36% of all TANF families were "child-only" and had no adult recipient. Child-only families include those with disabled adults receiving Supplemental Security Income (SSI), adults who are nonparents (e.g., grandparents, aunts, uncles) caring for children, and families consisting of citizen children and ineligible noncitizen parents.

Cash Assistance Benefits. TANF cash benefits are set by states. In July 2015, the maximum monthly benefit for a family of three ranged from $923 in Alaska to $170 in Mississippi. Benefits in all states represent a fraction of poverty-level income. In the median jurisdiction (Kansas), the maximum monthly benefit of $429 for a family of three represents 26In all states, the maximum TANF cash assistance amount for this sized family was less than 50% of poverty-level income.

Cash Assistance Work Requirements. TANF requires states to engage 50% of all families and 90% of two-parent families in work activities. However, these standards are reduced by the amount of a state's caseload reduction from FY2005. Further, states may get an extra credit against these standards by spending more than required under the TANF MOE.Work Requirements. TANF's main federal work requirement is actually a performance measure that applies to the states, rather than individual recipients. States determine the work rules that apply to individual recipients. TANF law requires states to engage 50% of all families and 90% of two-parent families in work activities, though these standards can be reduced by "credits." Therefore, the effective standards states face are often less than the 50% or 90% targets, and vary by state. In FY2014FY2016, states achieved, on average, an all-family participation rate of 36.651.9% and a two-parent rate of 30.8%. That year, 970.8%. In FY2016, four jurisdictions failed to meet the all-family standard, and 18participation standard: Colorado, Nevada, Wisconsin, and Guam. This is a reduction from FY2012, when 16 states failed that standard. In FY2016, 11 jurisdictions failed the two-parent standard. States that fail to meet work standards are at risk of being penalized by a reduction in their block grant.


The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Block Grant: Responses to Frequently Asked Questions

Introduction

This report provides responses to frequently asked questions about the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) block grant. It is intended to serve as a quick reference to provide easy access to information and data. This report does not provide information on TANF program rules. For a discussion of TANF rules, see CRS Report RL32748, The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Block Grant: A Primer on TANF Financing and Federal Requirements, by [author name scrubbed].

Funding and Expenditures

How Are TANF Programs Funded?

TANF programs are funded through a combination of federal and state funds. In FY2017FY2018, TANF has two federal grants to states. The bulk of the TANF funding is in a basic block grant to the states, totaling $16.5 billion for the 50 states and, the District of Columbia, the territories, and American Indian tribes. There is also a contingency fund available that provides extra federal funds to states that meet certain conditions.

Additionally, states are required to expend a minimum amount of their own funds for TANF and TANF-related activities under what is known as the maintenance of effort (MOE) requirement. States are required to spend at least 75% of what they spent in FY1994 on TANF's predecessor programs. The minimum MOE amount, in total, is $10.43 billion per year for the 50 states and, the District of Columbia, and the territories.

How Much Has the Value of the TANF Basic Block Grant Declined in Value Because of InflationChanged Over Time?

TANF was created in the 1996 welfare reform law, the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (P.L. 104-193).The A TANF basic block grant amount—both nationally and for each state—was established in the 1996 welfare reform law. The amount established in that law for the 50 States, District of Columbia, territories, and tribes was $16.6 billion in total. From FY1997 through FY2016, that amount remained the same. It was not . It has not been adjusted for changes since thenthat occur over time, such as inflation, the size of the TANF assistance caseload, or changes in the poverty population.

From FY1997 (the first full year of TANF funding) through FY2016 (ended September 30, 2016), the real (inflation-adjusted) value of the TANF block grant declined by 33.1%. Table 1 shows the impact of inflation on the value of the TANF block grant for each year, FY1997 through FY2016During this period, the real (inflation-adjusted) value of the block grant declined by one-third (33.1%). Beginning with FY2017, the state family assistance grant was reduced by 0.33% from its historical levels to finance TANF-related research and technical assistance. The reduced block grant amount is $16.5 billion. In real (inflation-adjusted) terms, the FY2017 block grant was 34.7% below its value in FY1997. Table 1 shows the state family assistance grant, in both nominal (actual) and real (inflation-adjusted) dollars for each year, FY1997 through FY2017.

Table 1. TANF Basic Block Grant Funding in Constant Dollars

 

-1.6%

-14.7

-17.4

-34.7

Fiscal Year

TANF Basic Block Grant

Value of the TANF Basic Block Grant in FY1997 Dollars

State Family Assistance Grant (50 States, DC, Territories, and Tribes, Billions of $)

State Family Assistance Grant in FY1997 Dollars (Billions of $)

Cumulative Change in the Value of the TANF Basic Block Grant from FY1997 (FY1997 dollars)

Purchasing Power of the State Family Assistance Grant

1997

$16.488

$16.488

 

1998

16.488

16.223

-1.6%

$16.567

$16.567

1998

16.567

16.300

1999

16.488

15.918

16.567

15.993

-3.5

-3.5

2000

16.488

15.428

16.567

15.501

-6.4

-6.4

2001

16.488

14.946

16.567

15.017

-9.4

-9.4

2002

16.488

14.725

16.567

14.796

-10.7

-10.7

2003

16.488

14.388

16.567

14.456

-12.7

-12.7

2004

16.488

14.061

-14.7

16.567

14.128

2005

16.488

13.614

-17.4

16.567

13.679

2006

16.488

13.130

16.567

13.193

-20.4

-20.4

2007

16.488

12.829

16.567

12.891

-22.2

-22.2

2008

16.488

12.284

16.567

12.342

-25.5

-25.5

2009

16.488

12.324

16.567

12.382

-25.3

-25.3

2010

16.488

12.119

16.567

12.177

-26.5

-26.5

2011

16.488

11.806

16.567

11.862

-28.4

-28.4

2012

16.488

11.528

16.567

11.583

-30.1

-30.1

2013

16.488

11.343

16.567

11.397

-31.2

-31.2

2014

16.488

11.162

16.567

11.215

-32.3

-32.3

2015

16.488

11.128

16.567

11.181

-32.5

-32.5

2016

16.488

11.025

-33.1

16.567

11.078

-33.1

2017

16.512

10.819

Source: Congressional Research Service (CRS) based on data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

Notes: Constant dollars were computed using the Consumer Price Index for all Urban Consumers (CPI-U).

How Have States Used TANF Funds?

Figure 1 shows the uses of federal TANF grants to states and state MOE funds in FY2015. In FY2015, a total of $31.7 billion of both federal TANF and state MOE expenditures were either expended or transferred to other block grant programs. Basic assistance, ongoing benefits to families to meet basic needs, represented 25% ($7.89 billion) of total FY2015 TANF and MOE dollars.

TANF is a major contributor of child care funding. In FY2015, $5.3 billion (17% of all TANF funds usedand MOE funds) were either expended on child care or transferred to the child care block grant (the Child Care and Development Fund, or CCDF). TANF is also a major contributor to the child welfare system, which provides foster care, adoption assistance, and services to families with children who either have experienced or are at risk of experiencing child abuse or neglect. It provides short-term and emergency benefits for families with immediate and crisis needs. Some states also count as MOE dollars their expenditures on pre-kindergarten programswork-related activities (including education and training) was the third largest TANF and MOE spending category at $2.7 billion, or 8% of total TANF and MOE funds. TANF also helps low-wage parents by helping to finance state refundable tax credits, such as state add-ons to the Earned Income Tax Credit. TANF and MOE expenditures on refundable tax credits in FY2015 totaled $2.6 billion, or 8% of total TANF and MOE spending. TANF is also a major contributor to the child welfare system, which provides foster care, adoption assistance, and services to families with children who either have experienced or are at risk of experiencing child abuse or neglect. This was the fifth largest TANF spending category at $2.3 billion, or 7.4% of all TANF and MOE spending. TANF also helps fund state pre-Kindergarten (pre-K) programs, short-term and emergency benefits, and a wide range of other social services.

Figure 1. Uses of TANF and MOE Funds, FY2015

(Dollars in billionsTotal = $31.7 Billion)

Source: Congressional Research Service (CRS) based on data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

See Table A-1 for dollar amounts of total federal TANF and state MOE funds associated with each of these categories.

Note: Detail does not add to totals because of rounding.

For state-specific information on the use of TANF funds, see Table B-1 and Table B-2.

How Much of the TANF Grant Has Gone Unspent?

TANF law permits states to "reserve" unused funds without time limit. This permits flexibility in timing of the use of TANF funds, including the ability to "save" funds for unexpected occurrences that might increase costs (such as recessions or natural disasters).

At the end of FY2015 (September 30, 2015, the latest data currently available), a total of $3.74.1 billion of federal TANF funding remained neither transferred nor spent. However, some of these unspent funds represent monies that states had already committed to spend later. At the end of FY2015, states had made such commitments to spend—that is, had obligated—a total of $1.4 billion. Generally, obligations are binding commitments to spend, and they come in the form of contracts and grants to provide benefits and services. However, the definition of "obligation" varies from program to program, and because TANF essentially consists of 54 different programs (one for each state, the District of Columbia, and the territories), what constitutes an obligation may vary.

At the end of FY2015, states had $2.3At the end of FY2015, states had $2.6 billion of "unobligated balances." These funds are available to states to make new spending commitments. Table B-3 shows unspent TANF funds by state.

The Caseload

How Many Families Receive TANF- or MOE-Funded Benefits and Services?

This number is not known. Federal TANF reporting requirements focus on families receiving only ongoing basic assistance, withassistance. There is no complete reporting on families receiving other TANF benefits and services. Assistance includes monthly cash assistance Assistance is defined as benefits provided to families to meet ongoing, basic needs. It also includes other ongoing benefits to meet basic needs, such as food assistance1 It is most often paid in cash. However, some states use TANF or MOE funds to provide an "earnings supplement" to working parents added to monthly Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) allotments in California for working parents or, or provide food assistance for immigrants barred from regular SNAP benefits in certain states.

This form of nutrition aid meets an ongoing need and thus is considered TANF assistance.

As discussed in a previous section of this report, TANF basic assistance accounts for about 25% of all TANF expenditures. Therefore, the federal reporting requirements that pertain to families receiving "assistance" are likely to undercount the number of families receiving any TANF-funded benefit or service.

How Many Families and People Currently Receive TANF- or MOE-Funded "Assistance"?

Table 2 provides assistance caseload information. A total of 1.54 million families, composed of 3.75 million recipients, received TANF- or MOE-funded assistance in June 2016March 2017. The bulk of the "recipients" were children—2.76 million in that month. For state-by-state assistance caseloads, see Table B-4.

Table 2. TANF Assistance Caseload: June 2016

March 2017

Total Families

1,471,307

1,385,775

Total Recipients

3,746,955

3,523,172

Total Adults

Children

1,020,494

2,562,386

Total Children

Adults

960,786

2,726,461

Source: Congressional Research Service (CRS) based on data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

Notes: TANF cash assistance caseload includes families receiving assistance in state-funded programs counted toward the TANF maintenance of effort (MOE) requirement.

How Does the Current Assistance Caseload Level Compare with Historical Levels?

Figure 2 provides a long-term historical perspective on the number of families receiving assistance, from July 1959 to June 2016March 2017. Before 1997, these are families that received cash assistance from the Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) program. From 1997 onward, these are families that received assistance from TANF.

The shaded areas of the figure represent months when the national economy was in recession. Though the health of the national economy affected the trend in the cash assistance caseload, the long-term trend in receipt of cash assistance does not follow a classic counter-cyclical pattern. Such a pattern would have the caseload rise during economic slumps, and then fall again during periods of economic growth. Factors other than the health of the economy (demographic trends, policy changes) also influenced the caseload trend.

The figure shows two periods of sustained caseload increases: the period from the mid-1960s to the mid-1970s and a second period from 1988 to 1994. The number of families receiving assistance peaked in March 1994 at 5.1 million families. The assistance caseload fell rapidly in the late 1990s (after the 1996 welfare reform law) before leveling off in 2001. In 2004, the caseload began another decline, albeit at a slower pace than in the late 1990s.

During the recent 2007-2009 recession and its aftermath, the caseload began to rise from 1.7 million families in August 2008, peaking in December 2010 at close to 2.0 million families. In June 2016March 2017, the assistance caseload had declined to 1.54 million families.

Figure 2. Number of Families Receiving Cash Assistance, July 1959-June 2016

March 2017

Source: Congressional Research Service (CRS) with data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

Notes: Shaded areas denote months when the national economy was in recession. Information represents families receiving cash assistance from Aid to Dependent Children (ADC), Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC), and TANF. For October 1999 through June 2016March 2017, includes families receiving assistance from Separate State Programs (SSPs) with expenditures countable toward the TANF maintenance of effort requirement. See Table A-21 for average annual data on families, recipients, adult recipients, and child recipients of ADC, AFDC, and TANF cash assistance for 1961 to 20152017.

Table B-5 shows recent trends in the number of cash assistance families by state.

What Are the Characteristics of Families Receiving TANF Assistance?

Historically, the "typical" family receiving assistance has been headed by a single parent (usually the mother) with one or two children. The single parent has also typically been unemployed. However, the assistance caseload decline has occurred together with a major shift in the composition of the rolls. Figure 3 shows the change in the size and composition of the assistance caseload under both AFDC (1988 and 1994) and under TANF. In FY1988, an estimated 84% of AFDC families were headed by an unemployed adult recipient. In FY2015, families with an unemployed adult recipient represented 35% of all cash assistance families. This decline occurred, in large part, as the number of families headed by unemployed adult recipients declined more rapidly than other components of the cash assistance caseload. In FY1994, a monthly average of 3.8 million families per month who received AFDC cash assistance had adult recipients who were not working. In FY2015, a monthly average of 578,000 families per month had adult recipients or work-eligible individuals, with no adult recipient or work-eligible individual working.

With the decline in families headed by unemployed adults, the share of the caseload that represent families with employed adults and "child only" families has increased. In FY2015, families with employed adult recipients represented 29% of all assistance families. "Child-only" families are those where no adult recipient receives benefits in their own right; the family receives benefits on behalf of its children. The share of the caseload that was child-only in FY2015 was 36%. In FY2015, families with a non-recipient, non-parent relative (grandparents, aunts, uncles) represented 13% of all assistance families. Families with ineligible, noncitizen adults or adults who have not reported their citizenship status made up 10% of the assistance caseload in that year. Families where the parent received Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and the children received TANF made up 9% of all assistance families in FY2015.

Figure 3. Characteristics of Assistance Families,
Selected Years FY1988 to FY2015

Source: Congressional Research Service (CRS) tabulations of the TANF national data files.

Notes: TANF cash assistance caseload includes families receiving assistance in state-funded programs counted toward the TANF maintenance of effort (MOE) requirement.

TANF Cash Benefits: How Much Does a Family Receive in TANF Cash Per Month?

There are no federal rules that help determine the amount of TANF cash benefits paid to a family. (There are also no federal rules that require states to use TANF to pay cash benefits, though all states do so.) Benefit amounts are determined solely by the states.

Most states base TANF cash benefit amounts on family size, paying larger cash benefits to larger families on the presumption that they have greater financial needs. The maximum monthly cash benefit is usually paid to a family that receives no other income (e.g., no earned or unearned income) and complies with program rules. Families with income other than TANF often are paid a reduced benefit. Moreover, some families are financially sanctioned for failure to meet a program requirement (e.g., a work requirement), and are also paid a lower benefit.

Figure 4 shows the maximum monthly TANF cash benefit by state for a single mother caring for two children (family of three) in July 2015.12 The benefit amounts shown are those for a single-parent family with two children.23 For a family of three, the maximum TANF benefit paid in July 2015 varied from $170 per month in Mississippi to $923 per month in Alaska. The map shows a regional pattern to the maximum monthly benefit paid, with lower benefit amounts in the South than in other regions. In all states, the maximum TANF cash assistance amount for this sized family was less than 50% of poverty-level income.3

4

Figure 4. TANF Cash Assistance Maximum Monthly Benefit Amounts for a Single Parent Family with Two Children, 50 States and the District of Columbia, July 2015

Source: Congressional Research Service (CRS), based on data from the Urban Institute's Welfare Rules Database.

TANF Work Participation Standards

The welfare rules database has information for the 50 States and District of Columbia. It does not have information on TANF assistance programs in Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Virgin Islands or tribal TANF programs. TANF Work Participation Standards

TANF's main federal work requirement is actually a performance measure that applies to the states, rather than individual recipients. States determine the work rules that apply to individual recipients.

What Is the TANF Work Participation Standard States Must Meet?

The TANF statute requires states to have 50% of their caseload meet standards of participation in work or activities—that is, a family member must be in specified activities for a minimum number of hours.45 There is a separate participation standard that applies to the two-parent portion of a state's caseload, requiring 90% of the state's two-parent caseload to meet participation standards. States that fail the TANF work participation standards are at risk of being penalized by a reduction in their block grant amounts.

However, the statutory work participation standards are reduced by a "caseload reduction credit." The caseload reduction credit reduces the participation standard one percentage point for each percentage point decline in a state's caseload. Additionally, under a regulatory provision, a state may get "extra" credit for caseload reduction if it spends more than required under the TANF MOE. Therefore, the effective standards states face are often less than the 50% and 90% targets, and vary by state and by year.

States that fail to meet the TANF work participation standard are at risk of being penalized through a reduction in their block grant. However, penalties can be forgiven if a state claims, and the Secretary of HHS finds, that it had "reasonable cause" for failing the standard. Penalties can also be forgiven for states that enter into "corrective compliance plans," and subsequently meet the work standard.

Have There Been Changes in the Work Participation Rules Enacted Since the 1996 Welfare Reform Law?

The 50% and 90% target standards that states face, as well as the caseload reduction credit, date back to the 1996 welfare reform law. However, the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 (DRA, P.L. 109-171) made several changes to the work participation rules effective in FY2007:

  • The caseload reduction credit was changed to measure caseload reduction from FY2005, rather than the original law's FY1995.
  • The work participation standards were broadened to include families receiving cash aid in "separate state programs." Separate state programs are programs run with state funds, distinct from a state's "TANF program," but with expenditures countable toward the TANF MOE.
  • HHS was instructed to provide definition to the allowable TANF work activities listed in law. HHS was also required to define what is meant by a "work-eligible" individual, expanding the number of families that are included in the work participation calculation.
  • States were required to develop plans and procedures to verify work activities.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA, P.L. 111-5), a law enacted in response to the sharp economic downturn of 2007-2009, held states "harmless" for caseload increases affecting the work participation standards for FY2009 through FY2011. It did so by allowing states to "freeze" caseload reduction credits at pre-recession levels through the FY2011 standards.

What Work Participation Rates Have the States Achieved?

HHS computes two work participation rates for each state that are then compared with the effective (after-credit) standard to determine if it has met the TANF work standard. An "all-families" work participation rate is computed and compared with the all-families effective standard (50% minus the state's caseload reduction credit). HHS also computes a two-parent work participation rate that is compared with the two-parent effective standard (90% minus the state's caseload reduction credit).

Figure 5 shows the national average all-families work participation rate for FY2002 through FY2014FY2016. For the period FY2002 through FY2011, states achieved an average all-families work participation rate hovering around 30%. In FY2012, the average all-families work participation rate ticked up to 34.4%. In that year, states faced higher work participation standards because the "freeze" to the caseload reduction credit enacted in ARRA expired. In FY2014, the all-family work participation rate increased to 36.6%. The increase in the work participation rate over the FY2012 to FY2014 period is because of an increase in the percent of families working while also receiving some form of TANF assistance, rather than an increase in non-employed individuals participating in job readiness activities.5

The work participation rate increased since then. In FY2016, it exceeded 50% for the first time since TANF was established. However, it is important to note that the increase in the work participation rate has not come from an increase in the number of recipients in regular TANF assistance programs who are either working or in job preparation activities. This increase stems mostly from states creating new "earnings supplement" programs that use TANF funds to aid working parents in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly food stamps) or who have left the regular TANF assistance programs for work.6

Figure 5. National Average TANF Work Participation Rate for All Families, FY2002-FY2014

FY2016

Source: Congressional Research Service (CRS), based on data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

How Many Jurisdictions Have Failed the All-Families Standard?

Table 3 shows which states failed the TANF all-families work participation standards from FY2002FY2005 through FY2014FY2016. Before FY2007, the first year that DRA was effective, only a few jurisdictions failed to meet TANF all-families work participation standards. However, in FY2007, 15 jurisdictions failed to meet the all-families standard. FY2007 was the first year in which policies under the DRA were effective. This number declined to 9 in FY2008 and 8 in FY2009.

In FY2012, despite the uptick in the national average work participation rate, 16 states failed to meet the all-family standard, the largest number of states that did not meet their participation standards in any one year since the enactment of TANF. FY2012 was the year that ARRA's "freeze" of the caseload reduction credit expired, and states were generally required to meet higher standards than in previous years.

In FY2014, the number of jurisdictions that failed the all-family work participation standard declined to 9. The 9 jurisdictions are California, Colorado, Nevada, Pennsylvania, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, Puerto Rico, and Guam. California and Guam have failed their all-family work standards for all years, FY2007 through FY2014.

For state-by-state information on FY2014 caseload reduction credits, effective (after credit) standards, and work participation rates related to the "all families" standard, see U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Office of Family Assistance, Work Participation Rates for FY2014, TANF-ACF-IM-2016-04, July 2016, http://www.acf.hhs.gov/ofa/resource/tanf-acf-im-2016-04The number of jurisdictions that failed to meet the all-families standard declined over the FY2012 to FY2016 period. In FY2016, four jurisdictions failed to meet the all-family participation standard: Colorado, Nevada, Wisconsin, and Guam.

Table 3. States Failing TANF All-Families Work Participation Standard: FY2002-FY2014

FY2016

(Changes to TANF Work Participation Standard Rules Under the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 [DRA](DRA) Effective in FY2007)

 

Pre-DRA

Post-DRA

State

2002

2005

2003

2006

2004

2007

2005

2008

2006

2009

2007

2010

2008

2009

2011

2010

2012

2011

2013

2012

2014

2013

2015

2014

2016

Alabama

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Alaska

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

X

 

 

X

 

 

Arizona

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Arkansas

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

California

 

 

 

 

 

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

 

X

 

Colorado

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

X

X

X

X

X

Connecticut

 

 

X

 

 

X

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Delaware

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

District of Columbia

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

X

X

X

X

 

X

 
 

 

 

Florida

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Georgia

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hawaii

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Idaho

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

X

 

 

X

 

 

Illinois

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Indiana

 

 

 

X

X

X

X

 

X

 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Iowa

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kansas

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kentucky

 

 

 

X

 

 

X

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Louisiana

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Maine

 

 

 

 

 

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

 

X

 
 

 

Maryland

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Massachusetts

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Michigan

 

 

 

X

 

X

 

X

X

 

X

X

 
 

 

 

Minnesota

 

 

 

 

X

 

X

 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mississippi

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Missouri

 

 

 

 

X

 

X

 

X

X

 

X

X

 

X

 
 

Montana

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nebraska

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nevada

 

X

 

 

X

 

 

X

 
 

 

 

 

X

X

X

X

X

New Hampshire

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

New Jersey

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

New Mexico

 

 

 

X

 

 

X

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

New York

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

North Carolina

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

North Dakota

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ohio

 

 

 

 

 

X

X

X

X

X

X

 

X

 
 

 

 

Oklahoma

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Oregon

 

 

 

 

 

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

 

X

 
 

Pennsylvania

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

X

X

X

 

X

 

Puerto Rico

 

 

 

 

 

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

 

X

 

Rhode Island

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

X

 

 

X

 

 

South Carolina

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

X

 

X

 
 

 

South Dakota

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tennessee

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Texas

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Utah

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Vermont

 

 

 

X

 

 

X

 
 

 

 

 

X

X

X

X

X

 

Virginia

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

X

 

X

 
 

 

Washington

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

X

X

X

X

 

X

 

West Virginia

 

 

 

 

 

X

X

X

 

X

 
 

 

 

 

 

 

Wisconsin

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

X

X

X

X

X

Wyoming

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Guam

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Virgin Islands

 

 

 

 

X

 

X

 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Totals

1

2

2

3

1

15

2

9

3

8

15

8

9

8

16

8

11

9

16

5

11

9

4

Source: Congressional Research Service (CRS), based on data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

Have States Met the Two-Parent Work Participation Standard?

In addition to meeting a work standard for all families, TANF also imposes a second, 90% standard for the two-parent portion of its cash assistance caseload. This standardpercentage too can be reduced forlowered by caseload reduction.

Table 4 shows whether each state met its two-parent work participation standard for FY2002FY2005 through FY2014FY2016. However, the display on the table is more complex than that for reporting whether a state failed its "all family" rate. A substantial number of states have reported no two-parent families subject to the work participation standard.6 These states are denoted on the table with an "NA," indicating that the two-parent standard was not applicable to the state in that year. Before the changes made by the DRA were effective, a number of states had their two-parent families in separate state programs that were not included in the work participation calculation. When DRA brought families receiving assistance in separate state programs into the work participation rate calculations, a number of states moved these families into solely state-funded programs. These are state-funded programs with expenditures not countable toward the TANF maintenance of effort requirement, and hence are outside of TANF's rules. For states with two-parent families in its caseload, the table reports "Yes" for states that met the two-parent standard, and "No" for states that failed the two-parent standard. Of the 28 jurisdictions that had two-parent families in their FY2014FY2016 TANF work participation calculation, 1017 met the standard and 1811 did not.

Table 4. Two-Parent TANF Work Participation Standard, Status by State: FY2002-FY2014

FY2016

("Yes" indicates a state met the standard; "No" indicates the state failed to meet the standard; and "NA" means the standard was not applicable to the state in that year [no two-parent families in its caseload].)

 

Pre- Deficit Reduction Act (DRA)

Post-Deficit Reduction Act (DRA)

DRA

Post DRA

State

2002

2005

2003

2006

2004

2005

2007

2006

2008

2007

2009

2008

2010

2009

2011

2010

2012

2011

2013

2012

2014

2013

2015

2014

2016

Alabama

NA

NA

NA

YES

NA

NA

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

Alaska

YES

YES

YES

NO

YES

NO

YES

NO

NO

NO

YES

NO

NO

YES

NO

NO

NO

Arizona

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

Arkansas

NO

NO

YES

NO

YES

NO

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

NO

YES

NO

NO

NO

YES

NO

YES

California

NA

NA

NA

YES

NA

NA

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

NO

YES

NO

NO

NO

NO

Colorado

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

NO

YES

YES

NO

NO

NO

NO

Connecticut

NA

NA

NA

YES

NA

NA

YES

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

Delaware

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

District of Columbia

NO

NO

NO

NA

NO

NO

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

Florida

NA

NA

NA

YES

NA

YES

NA

YES

YES

YES

YES

NO

YES

YES

NO

YES

YES

Georgia

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

Hawaii

NA

NA

NA

NA

YES

NA

NA

YES

YES

NA

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

Idaho

YES

YES

YES

YES

NA

YES

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

Illinois

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

Indiana

NA

NA

NA

NO

NA

YES

NA

NO

YES

YES

YES

YES

NO

YES

NO

YES

YES

YES

Iowa

YES

YES

NA

NA

NA

YES

NA

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

NO

YES

NO

NO

NO

YES

NO

YES

Kansas

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

NO

YES

YES

NO

NO

NO

YES

NO

YES

Kentucky

YES

YES

YES

YES

NO

YES

NO

YES

NO

YES

NO

YES

YES

NO

NO

NO

NO

Louisiana

YES

YES

YES

NA

YES

YES

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

Maine

YES

YES

NA

NA

NA

YES

NA

NO

YES

NO

NO

NO

NO

NO

NO

NO

NO

YES

Maryland

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

Massachusetts

YES

YES

NA

YES

NA

YES

NA

YES

NA

YES

YES

NA

YES

YES

NA

YES

YES

YES

Michigan

YES

YES

YES

NA

YES

YES

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

Minnesota

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

Mississippi

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

Missouri

NO

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

Montana

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

NO

YES

YES

NO

YES

Nebraska

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

Nevada

NA

NA

NA

NA

NO

NA

NO

NO

NO

NO

NO

NO

NO

NO

NO

New Hampshire

YES

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

New Jersey

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

New Mexico

YES

YES

YES

NO

YES

YES

NO

YES

YES

YES

NO

YES

NO

YES

YES

YES

New York

YES

YES

YES

YES

NA

YES

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

North Carolina

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

NO

YES

YES

NO

NO

North Dakota

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

Ohio

YES

YES

YES

NO

YES

YES

NO

YES

YES

YES

NO

YES

NO

NO

NO

NO

YES

Oklahoma

NA

YES

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

Oregon

YES

YES

YES

NO

YES

YES

NO

NO

NO

NO

NO

NO

NA

NO

YES

NA

YES

YES

Pennsylvania

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

Puerto Rico

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

Rhode Island

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

NO

YES

NO

NO

NO

NO

NO

NO

NO

South Carolina

YES

YES

YES

YES

NA

YES

YES

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

South Dakota

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

Tennessee

NA

NA

NA

NA

YES

NA

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

NA

YES

NO

NA

NO

NO

NO

Texas

NA

NA

NA

YES

NA

NA

YES

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

Utah

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

Vermont

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

NO

YES

YES

NO

NO

NO

NO

YES

Virginia

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

Washington

YES

YES

NO

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

NO

YES

NO

NO

NO

NO

YES

West Virginia

NO

NA

NO

NA

NA

NO

NA

NA

NO

YES

NA

NA

YES

NA

NA

NA

NA

Wisconsin

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

NO

YES

NO

NO

NO

NO

Wyoming

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

NO

YES

YES

NO

NO

NO

NO

Guam

NO

NO

NO

NO

NO

NO

NO

NO

NO

NO

NO

NO

NO

Virgin Islands

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

Number of Jurisdictions without Two-Parent Families

24

25

29

29

29

24

29

26

24

27

26

25

27

25

27

27

27

26

27

26

26

Number of Jurisdictions with Two-Parent Families

30

29

25

25

25

30

25

28

30

27

28

29

27

29

27

27

27

28

27

28

28

Number of Jurisdictions Meeting Two-Parent Standard

25

23

25

21

21

22

23

22

21

20

22

23

22

20

7

23

9

22

10

7

13

9

10

17

Number of Jurisdictions Failing Two-Parent Standard

5

4

2

4

3

2

7

3

6

7

6

7

5

6

20

5

18

20

18

18

15

18

11

Source: Congressional Research Service (CRS), based on data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

Appendix A. Supplementary Tables

Table A-1. Uses of Federal TANF and State Maintenance of Effort (MOE) Dollars, FY2015

 

Billions of Dollars

Percentage of Total Federal TANF and MOE Dollars

Basic assistance

$7.8

24.6%

Administrative expenditures

2.2

7.0

Work program expenditures

2.1

6.7

Emergency and short-term benefits and services

1.3

4.1

Child care expenditures

5.4

16.9

Pre-K and early childhood services

1.9

6.0

Refundable tax credits

2.6

8.1

Child welfare services

2.3

7.3

Other Services

6.1

19.3

Totals

31.7

100.0

Source: Congressional Research Service (CRS) based on data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

Table A-2. Trends in the Cash Assistance Caseload: 1961 to 2015

Trends in the Cash Assistance Caseload: 1961 to 2016

20.6

 

 

 

 

 

TANF Child Recipients

Year

Families (millions)

Recipients (millions)

Adults (millions)

Children (millions)

As a Percentage of All Children

As a Percentage of All Poor Children

1961

0.873

3.363

0.765

2.598

3.7%

14.3%

1962

0.939

3.704

0.860

2.844

4.0

15.7

1963

0.963

3.945

0.988

2.957

4.1

17.4

1964

1.010

4.195

1.050

3.145

4.3

18.6

1965

1.060

4.422

1.101

3.321

4.5

21.5

1966

1.096

4.546

1.112

3.434

4.7

26.5

1967

1.220

5.014

1.243

3.771

5.2

31.2

1968

1.410

5.702

1.429

4.274

5.9

37.8

1969

1.696

6.689

1.716

4.973

6.9

49.7

1970

2.207

8.462

2.250

6.212

8.6

57.7

1971

2.763

10.242

2.808

7.435

10.4

68.5

1972

3.048

10.944

3.039

7.905

11.1

74.9

1973

3.148

10.949

3.046

7.903

11.2

79.9

1974

3.219

10.847

3.041

7.805

11.2

75.0

1975

3.481

11.319

3.248

8.071

11.8

71.2

1976

3.565

11.284

3.302

7.982

11.8

76.2

1977

3.568

11.015

3.273

7.743

11.6

73.9

1978

3.517

10.551

3.188

7.363

11.2

72.8

1979

3.509

10.312

3.130

7.181

11.0

68.0

1980

3.712

10.774

3.355

7.419

11.5

63.2

1981

3.835

11.079

3.552

7.527

11.7

59.2

1982

3.542

10.358

3.455

6.903

10.8

49.6

1983

3.686

10.761

3.663

7.098

11.1

50.1

1984

3.714

10.831

3.687

7.144

11.2

52.3

1985

3.701

10.855

3.658

7.198

11.3

54.4

1986

3.763

11.038

3.704

7.334

11.5

56.0

1987

3.776

11.027

3.661

7.366

11.5

56.4

1988

3.749

10.915

3.586

7.329

11.4

57.8

1989

3.798

10.992

3.573

7.419

11.5

57.9

1990

4.057

11.695

3.784

7.911

12.1

57.9

1991

4.497

12.930

4.216

8.715

13.2

59.8

1992

4.829

13.773

4.470

9.303

13.9

59.9

1993

5.012

14.205

4.631

9.574

14.1

60.0

1994

5.033

14.161

4.593

9.568

13.9

61.7

1995

4.791

13.418

4.284

9.135

13.1

61.5

1996

4.434

12.321

3.928

8.600

12.3

58.7

1997

3.740

10.376

NA

NA

10.0

50.1

1998

3.050

8.347

NA

NA

8.1

42.9

1999

2.578

6.924

NA

NA

6.7

39.4

2000

2.303

6.143

1.655

4.479

6.1

38.1

2001

2.192

5.717

1.514

4.195

5.7

35.3

2002

2.187

5.609

1.479

4.119

5.6

33.6

2003

2.180

5.490

1.416

4.063

5.5

31.3

2004

2.153

5.342

1.362

3.969

5.4

30.2

2005

2.061

5.028

1.261

3.756

5.1

28.9

2006

1.906

4.582

1.120

3.453

4.6

26.7

2007

1.730

4.075

0.956

3.119

4.2

23.2

2008

1.701

4.005

0.946

3.059

4.1

21.6

2009

1.838

4.371

1.074

3.296

4.4

21.2

2010

1.919

4.598

1.163

3.435

4.6

20.9

2011

1.907

4.557

1.149

3.408

4.6

20.9

2012

1.852

4.402

1.104

3.298

4.4

20.3

2013

1.726

4.042

0.993

3.050

4.1

19.1

2014

1.650

3.957

1.007

2.950

4.0

18.8

9

2015

1.609

4.126

1.155

2.971

4.0

20.3

4

2016

1.488

3.785

1.044

2.741

3.7

Source: Congressional Research Service (CRS), based on data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the U.S. Census Bureau.

Notes: NA denotes not available. During transition reporting from AFDC to TANF, caseload statistics on adult and child recipients were not collected. For those years, TANF children as a percent of all children and percent of all poor children were estimated by HHS and published in Welfare Indicators and Risk Factors, Annual Report to Congress, Table TANF 2, p. A-7. See http://aspe.hhs.gov/hsp/14/indicators/rpt_indicators.pdf.

Table A-32. Families Receiving AFDC/TANF Cash Assistance by Family Category, Selected Years, FY1988 to FY2015

1,636,082

 

1988

1994

2001

2006

2013

2015

Adult Recipient or Work-Eligible Parent/Not Working

3,136,566

3,798,997

992,445

825,490

781,473

578,482

Adult Recipient or Work-Eligible Parent/Working

243,573

378,620

420,794

259,001

302,079

467,298

Child-Only/SSI Parent

59,988

171,391

171,951

176,670

156,215

141,176

Child-Only/Noncitizen Parent

47,566

184,397

125,900

153,445

196,103

162,418

Child-Only/Caretaker Relative

188,598

328,290

255,984

261,944

234,499

208,836

Child-Only/Other

71,661

184,567

235,282

280,851

79,054

77,872

Totals

3,747,952

5,046,263

2,202,356

1,957,402

1,749,424

1,636,082

3,136,566

3,798,997

992,445

825,490

781,473

578,482

Adult Recipient or Work-Eligible Parent/Working

243,573

378,620

420,794

259,001

302,079

467,298

Child-Only/SSI Parent

59,988

171,391

171,951

176,670

156,215

141,176

Child-Only/Noncitizen Parent

47,566

184,397

125,900

153,445

196,103

162,418

Child-Only/Caretaker Relative

188,598

328,290

255,984

261,944

234,499

208,836

Child-Only/Other

71,661

184,567

235,282

280,851

79,054

77,872

Totals

3,747,952

5,046,263

2,202,356

1,957,402

1,749,424

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Adult Recipient or Work-Eligible Parent/Not Working

83.7%

75.3%

45.1%

42.2%

44.7%

35.4%

Adult Recipient or Work-Eligible Parent/Working

6.5

7.5

19.1

13.2

17.3

28.6

Child-Only/SSI Parent

1.6

3.4

7.8

9.0

8.9

8.6

Child-Only/Noncitizen Parent

1.3

3.7

5.7

7.8

11.2

9.9

Child-Only/Caretaker Relative

5.0

6.5

11.6

13.4

13.4

12.8

Child-Only/Other

1.9

3.7

10.7

14.3

4.5

4.8

Totals

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

Source: Congressional Research Service (CRS) tabulations of the FY1988 and FY1994 AFDC Quality Control (QC) data files and the FY2001, FY2006, FY2013, and FY2015 TANF National Data Files.

Notes: FY2001 through FY2015 data include families receiving assistance from separate state programs (SSPs) with expenditures countable toward the TANF maintenance of effort (MOE) requirement. For FY2013 and FY2015, TANF families with an adult recipient include those families with "work-eligible" non-recipient parents. These include non-recipient parents who have been time-limited or sanctioned off the rolls, but the family continues to receive a reduced benefit. For FY2001 and FY2006, such families cannot be identified and are classified as "child-only" families.

Appendix B. State Tables

Table B-1. Use of FY2015 TANF and MOE Funds by Category

(Dollars in millions)

Administra-tion

                     

Source: Congressional Research Service (CRS), based on data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

Table B-2. Use of FY2015 TANF and MOE Funds by Category as a Percentage of Total Federal TANF and State MOE Funding State                      

Source: Congressional Research Service (CRS), based on data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

Notes: Detail may not add to totals because of rounding.

Table B-3. Unspent TANF Funds at the End of FY2015

(September 30, 2015, in millions of dollars)

     

Source: Congressional Research Service (CRS), based on data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

Table B-4. Number of Families, Recipients, Children, and Adults Receiving TANF Assistance by State, March 2017          

Source: Congressional Research Service (CRS), based on data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

Notes: TANF cash assistance caseload includes families receiving assistance in state-funded programs counted toward the TANF maintenance of effort (MOE) requirement.

Table B-5. Number of Needy Families with Children Receiving Assistance by State, March of Selected Years                               Source: Congressional Research Service (CRS), based on data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

Notes: Caseload data for 2000 through 2016 include those families in Separate State Programs with expenditures countable toward the TANF maintenance of effort (MOE) requirement.

Table B-6. TANF Assistance Families by Number of Parents by State: March 2017                          

Source: Congressional Research Service (CRS), based on data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

Notes: TANF cash assistance caseload includes families receiving assistance in state-funded programs counted toward the TANF maintenance of effort (MOE) requirement.

Author Contact Information

[author name scrubbed], Specialist in Social Policy ([email address scrubbed], [phone number scrubbed])

Footnotes

For a discussion of TANF-funded earnings supplement programs and the work participation rate, see CRS Report R44751, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF): The Work Participation Standard and Engagement in Welfare-to-Work Activities.

State

Basic Assistance

Administration

Child Care

Work Program

Short-Term and Emergency Benefits

Child Care

(including Education and Training)

Refundable Tax Credits

Child Welfare Services

Pre-Kindergarten and Early Childhood Programs

Refundable Tax Credits

Child Welfare Services

Short-Term (and Emergency) Benefits

Other Benefits and Services

Totals

Total

Alabama

31.559

5.881

3.517

0.000

29.767

13.982

16.470

27.277

41.509

169.961

Alaska

46.192

18.604

10.042

0.000

0.000

4.410

0.000

0.016

8.112

87.377

Arizona

52.908

2.718

1.542

0.000

250.709

54.467

0.000

32.307

78.325

472.975

Arkansas

9.212

0.385

15.905

0.000

0.000

15.713

90.559

7.215

5.323

144.312

California

2,838.727

896.083

1,062.483

0.000

0.976

587.709

0.000

242.658

1,009.655

6,638.290

Colorado

76.899

4.126

10.735

4.768

44.076

17.434

62.943

8.116

72.528

301.625

Connecticut

69.820

56.293

16.374

0.000

55.229

43.249

83.617

12.964

167.081

504.628

Delaware

21.009

50.595

6.026

0.000

0.000

5.731

0.000

2.461

13.035

98.857

District of Columbia

76.761

59.532

38.161

20.000

0.000

6.301

0.000

51.742

14.395

266.893

Florida

177.244

301.641

47.358

0.000

270.946

81.396

0.000

0.836

69.163

948.584

Georgia

96.903

22.183

12.488

0.000

280.016

17.587

0.000

0.074

110.109

539.359

Hawaii

52.319

4.972

98.200

0.000

2.157

16.607

0.000

0.714

98.529

273.496

Idaho

7.793

10.178

5.130

0.000

1.477

5.362

1.606

10.372

1.343

43.261

Illinois

68.487

868.183

21.026

42.608

232.846

2.498

46.154

0.916

92.100

1,374.817

Indiana

20.433

100.591

15.036

31.910

0.000

23.670

0.000

0.000

103.600

295.239

Iowa

40.449

49.326

12.976

26.899

51.987

8.066

0.000

0.203

28.880

218.787

Kansas

19.610

14.173

3.358

46.863

23.266

9.042

14.105

0.001

31.994

162.413

Kentucky

139.796

46.770

32.697

0.000

0.000

14.393

0.000

0.000

20.486

254.142

Louisiana

18.827

5.219

28.558

16.973

30.547

16.300

68.485

11.126

33.824

229.860

Maine

40.490

9.595

3.091

2.815

1.237

5.298

5.387

4.458

12.851

85.221

Maryland

111.435

25.868

33.560

161.702

33.302

31.159

86.193

66.979

51.579

601.779

Massachusetts

266.156

331.905

176.099

115.985

14.941

34.693

0.861

96.741

74.787

1,112.168

Michigan

149.705

21.546

4.651

45.843

93.908

56.999

205.124

70.940

726.223

1,374.939

Minnesota

84.902

135.224

56.428

174.884

0.000

39.776

5.700

29.592

19.344

545.849

Mississippi

11.350

19.069

16.581

0.000

16.847

3.297

0.000

0.000

26.735

93.879

Missouri

77.131

44.460

26.795

0.000

0.000

5.813

0.000

174.879

90.772

419.851

Montana

16.612

10.351

12.236

0.000

1.614

5.203

0.000

2.528

4.186

52.729

Nebraska

23.968

23.499

15.142

36.792

4.337

5.024

0.000

0.000

0.238

109.001

Nevada

45.851

0.000

1.125

0.000

0.000

11.292

0.000

0.000

32.539

90.806

New Hampshire

19.310

8.782

6.755

0.000

3.227

9.889

0.000

2.727

10.321

61.010

New Jersey

190.506

111.917

85.038

195.071

0.000

59.376

455.799

15.912

69.108

1,182.726

New Mexico

52.746

30.528

11.031

48.312

0.174

7.795

6.100

0.000

79.176

235.862

New York

1,574.483

414.270

158.663

1,510.254

337.151

390.079

233.737

221.423

625.341

5,465.402

North Carolina

52.293

190.761

8.711

0.000

121.121

43.838

100.552

4.919

45.104

567.301

North Dakota

4.751

1.113

3.363

0.000

23.851

4.180

0.000

0.018

1.336

38.612

Ohio

270.717

378.295

69.988

0.000

7.248

122.117

0.000

55.329

163.747

1,067.440

Oklahoma

28.345

76.617

12.011

0.000

17.500

18.933

11.796

8.027

41.533

214.761

Oregon

126.404

12.964

20.251

2.022

8.048

49.411

8.116

30.826

89.697

347.739

Pennsylvania

284.168

435.783

105.437

0.000

0.000

82.782

0.000

14.717

169.080

1,091.966

Rhode Island

20.369

29.282

9.674

6.376

0.000

12.597

0.000

0.000

88.772

167.070

South Carolina

40.791

4.085

18.089

0.000

0.000

22.416

0.000

0.000

94.975

180.356

South Dakota

14.025

0.803

3.988

0.000

0.919

2.928

0.000

2.912

3.165

28.741

Tennessee

82.102

31.977

32.785

0.000

0.000

35.826

61.801

0.000

11.885

256.376

Texas

58.130

0.000

74.133

0.000

365.229

51.415

374.495

4.382

71.144

998.929

Utah

21.581

19.731

29.871

0.000

0.462

5.783

0.631

2.485

20.667

101.211

Vermont

17.726

32.551

0.152

19.921

3.402

7.177

0.000

2.730

13.532

97.190

Virginia

82.836

37.474

49.705

0.000

0.000

20.689

0.000

2.221

79.613

272.539

Washington

154.052

209.055

160.897

0.000

0.000

75.899

48.716

44.825

355.835

1,049.279

West Virginia

24.587

9.076

0.683

0.000

12.977

28.705

0.000

20.158

29.807

125.993

Wisconsin

120.227

173.490

37.296

62.500

3.727

28.385

0.000

37.523

119.504

582.652

Wyoming

4.881

0.000

0.547

0.000

0.000

7.068

0.000

3.411

12.112

28.019

Total

7,937.580

5,347.523

2,686.385

2,572.496

2,345.221

2,229.760

1,988.947

1,329.659

5,234.699

31,672.269

Basic Assistance

Child Care

Work (including Education and Training)

Refundable Tax Credits

Child Welfare Services

Administra-tion

Pre-Kindergarten and Early Childhood

Short-Term (and Emergency) Benefits

Other Benefits and Services

Total

Alabama

18.6%

3.5%

2.1%

0.0%

17.5%

8.2%

9.7%

16.0%

24.4%

100.0%

Alaska

52.9

21.3

11.5

0.0

0.0

5.0

0.0

0.0

9.3

100.0

Arizona

11.2

0.6

0.3

0.0

53.0

11.5

0.0

6.8

16.6

100.0

Arkansas

6.4

0.3

11.0

0.0

0.0

10.9

62.8

5.0

3.7

100.0

California

42.8

13.5

16.0

0.0

0.0

8.9

0.0

3.7

15.2

100.0

Colorado

25.5

1.4

3.6

1.6

14.6

5.8

20.9

2.7

24.0

100.0

Connecticut

13.8

11.2

3.2

0.0

10.9

8.6

16.6

2.6

33.1

100.0

Delaware

21.3

51.2

6.1

0.0

0.0

5.8

0.0

2.5

13.2

100.0

District of Columbia

28.8

22.3

14.3

7.5

0.0

2.4

0.0

19.4

5.4

100.0

Florida

18.7

31.8

5.0

0.0

28.6

8.6

0.0

0.1

7.3

100.0

Georgia

18.0

4.1

2.3

0.0

51.9

3.3

0.0

0.0

20.4

100.0

Hawaii

19.1

1.8

35.9

0.0

0.8

6.1

0.0

0.3

36.0

100.0

Idaho

18.0

23.5

11.9

0.0

3.4

12.4

3.7

24.0

3.1

100.0

Illinois

5.0

63.1

1.5

3.1

16.9

0.2

3.4

0.1

6.7

100.0

Indiana

6.9

34.1

5.1

10.8

0.0

8.0

0.0

0.0

35.1

100.0

Iowa

18.5

22.5

5.9

12.3

23.8

3.7

0.0

0.1

13.2

100.0

Kansas

12.1

8.7

2.1

28.9

14.3

5.6

8.7

0.0

19.7

100.0

Kentucky

55.0

18.4

12.9

0.0

0.0

5.7

0.0

0.0

8.1

100.0

Louisiana

8.2

2.3

12.4

7.4

13.3

7.1

29.8

4.8

14.7

100.0

Maine

47.5

11.3

3.6

3.3

1.5

6.2

6.3

5.2

15.1

100.0

Maryland

18.5

4.3

5.6

26.9

5.5

5.2

14.3

11.1

8.6

100.0

Massachusetts

23.9

29.8

15.8

10.4

1.3

3.1

0.1

8.7

6.7

100.0

Michigan

10.9

1.6

0.3

3.3

6.8

4.1

14.9

5.2

52.8

100.0

Minnesota

15.6

24.8

10.3

32.0

0.0

7.3

1.0

5.4

3.5

100.0

Mississippi

12.1

20.3

17.7

0.0

17.9

3.5

0.0

0.0

28.5

100.0

Missouri

18.4

10.6

6.4

0.0

0.0

1.4

0.0

41.7

21.6

100.0

Montana

31.5

19.6

23.2

0.0

3.1

9.9

0.0

4.8

7.9

100.0

Nebraska

22.0

21.6

13.9

33.8

4.0

4.6

0.0

0.0

0.2

100.0

Nevada

50.5

0.0

1.2

0.0

0.0

12.4

0.0

0.0

35.8

100.0

New Hampshire

31.7

14.4

11.1

0.0

5.3

16.2

0.0

4.5

16.9

100.0

New Jersey

16.1

9.5

7.2

16.5

0.0

5.0

38.5

1.3

5.8

100.0

New Mexico

22.4

12.9

4.7

20.5

0.1

3.3

2.6

0.0

33.6

100.0

New York

28.8

7.6

2.9

27.6

6.2

7.1

4.3

4.1

11.4

100.0

North Carolina

9.2

33.6

1.5

0.0

21.4

7.7

17.7

0.9

8.0

100.0

North Dakota

12.3

2.9

8.7

0.0

61.8

10.8

0.0

0.0

3.5

100.0

Ohio

25.4

35.4

6.6

0.0

0.7

11.4

0.0

5.2

15.3

100.0

Oklahoma

13.2

35.7

5.6

0.0

8.1

8.8

5.5

3.7

19.3

100.0

Oregon

36.4

3.7

5.8

0.6

2.3

14.2

2.3

8.9

25.8

100.0

Pennsylvania

26.0

39.9

9.7

0.0

0.0

7.6

0.0

1.3

15.5

100.0

Rhode Island

12.2

17.5

5.8

3.8

0.0

7.5

0.0

0.0

53.1

100.0

South Carolina

22.6

2.3

10.0

0.0

0.0

12.4

0.0

0.0

52.7

100.0

South Dakota

48.8

2.8

13.9

0.0

3.2

10.2

0.0

10.1

11.0

100.0

Tennessee

32.0

12.5

12.8

0.0

0.0

14.0

24.1

0.0

4.6

100.0

Texas

5.8

0.0

7.4

0.0

36.6

5.1

37.5

0.4

7.1

100.0

Utah

21.3

19.5

29.5

0.0

0.5

5.7

0.6

2.5

20.4

100.0

Vermont

18.2

33.5

0.2

20.5

3.5

7.4

0.0

2.8

13.9

100.0

Virginia

30.4

13.8

18.2

0.0

0.0

7.6

0.0

0.8

29.2

100.0

Washington

14.7

19.9

15.3

0.0

0.0

7.2

4.6

4.3

33.9

100.0

West Virginia

19.5

7.2

0.5

0.0

10.3

22.8

0.0

16.0

23.7

100.0

Wisconsin

20.6

29.8

6.4

10.7

0.6

4.9

0.0

6.4

20.5

100.0

Wyoming

17.4

0.0

2.0

0.0

0.0

25.2

0.0

12.2

43.2

100.0

Total

25.1

16.9

8.5

8.1

7.4

7.0

6.3

4.2

16.5

100.0

State

Unliquidated Obligations

Unobligated Balances

Alabama

$11.250

$41.834

Alaska

0.000

57.417

Arizona

0.000

4.834

Arkansas

33.433

10.851

California

175.109

0.000

Colorado

0.000

78.909

Connecticut

0.000

0.000

Delaware

0.376

9.531

District of Columbia

0.000

89.999

Florida

43.844

41.724

Georgia

32.078

10.023

Hawaii

8.555

125.948

Idaho

0.000

30.442

Illinois

0.000

0.000

Indiana

323.911

5.250

Iowa

20.354

1.800

Kansas

0.981

58.804

Kentucky

0.000

30.228

Louisiana

12.950

0.000

Maine

0.000

92.013

Maryland

0.000

0.000

Massachusetts

0.000

0.000

Michigan

0.000

57.433

Minnesota

83.101

0.000

Mississippi

0.000

35.780

Missouri

16.133

0.283

Montana

0.000

42.917

Nebraska

0.000

59.982

Nevada

6.361

0.000

New Hampshire

0.000

44.539

New Jersey

8.238

6.000

New Mexico

93.551

0.000

New York

70.428

92.243

North Carolina

15.982

0.000

North Dakota

0.000

10.973

Ohio

227.462

137.023

Oklahoma

52.448

0.000

Oregon

0.000

22.080

Pennsylvania

55.939

771.983

Rhode Island

0.000

11.466

South Carolina

24.466

0.000

South Dakota

0.000

20.462

Tennessee

0.000

242.828

Texas

124.788

0.000

Utah

0.000

120.855

Vermont

0.000

0.175

Virginia

0.080

78.114

Washington

0.000

45.853

West Virginia

0.000

22.354

Wisconsin

0.000

88.148

Wyoming

4.553

24.196

Totals

1,446.369

2,625.295

State

Families

Recipients

Children

Adults

Alabama

9,673

21,858

17,499

4,359

Alaska

3,174

8,682

5,841

2,841

Arizona

8,554

17,897

14,229

3,668

Arkansas

3,184

7,084

5,315

1,769

California

520,855

1,496,075

1,052,125

443,950

Colorado

16,322

43,090

30,421

12,669

Connecticut

8,890

17,417

12,679

4,738

Delaware

4,012

11,216

6,767

4,449

District of Columbia

3,871

8,642

6,925

1,717

Florida

45,606

74,179

62,798

11,381

Georgia

11,073

20,766

19,218

1,548

Guam

601

1,290

1,068

222

Hawaii

5,351

14,646

10,220

4,426

Idaho

1,914

2,738

2,710

28

Illinois

13,636

29,486

25,554

3,932

Indiana

7,485

15,020

13,517

1,503

Iowa

11,288

27,869

20,611

7,258

Kansas

4,563

10,310

7,872

2,438

Kentucky

21,872

58,639

35,844

22,795

Louisiana

5,518

13,288

11,143

2,145

Maine

18,831

61,612

37,410

24,202

Maryland

19,062

47,024

34,843

12,181

Massachusetts

51,803

126,133

86,911

39,222

Michigan

14,467

34,451

27,994

6,457

Minnesota

18,897

44,792

34,992

9,800

Mississippi

5,152

10,169

8,046

2,123

Missouri

13,320

30,499

22,982

7,517

Montana

4,020

9,989

7,314

2,675

Nebraska

5,251

12,848

10,628

2,220

Nevada

9,114

23,024

17,479

5,545

New Hampshire

4,708

11,361

8,051

3,310

New Jersey

13,979

31,509

24,182

7,327

New Mexico

10,823

27,237

20,597

6,640

New York

138,007

353,582

250,299

103,283

North Carolina

15,605

27,869

24,842

3,027

North Dakota

1,064

2,546

2,131

415

Ohio

55,826

104,036

91,867

12,169

Oklahoma

6,822

15,094

13,005

2,089

Oregon

45,976

137,585

87,820

49,765

Pennsylvania

51,597

127,824

94,449

33,375

Puerto Rico

7,238

19,645

12,136

7,509

Rhode Island

6,224

10,479

7,776

2,703

South Carolina

8,790

19,049

16,042

3,007

South Dakota

3,010

5,935

5,415

520

Tennessee

26,801

59,606

46,454

13,152

Texas

27,301

59,273

52,343

6,930

Utah

3,950

9,823

7,156

2,667

Vermont

3,186

7,325

5,175

2,150

Virgin Islands

222

681

458

223

Virginia

20,904

42,173

32,130

10,043

Washington

42,027

98,205

67,156

31,049

West Virginia

7,077

14,175

11,422

2,753

Wisconsin

16,719

36,048

29,489

6,559

Wyoming

560

1,379

1,036

343

Totals

1,385,775

3,523,172

2,562,386

960,786

Change to 2017 from....

State

1994

2007

2010

2016

2017

1994

2010

2016

Alabama

51,217

18,005

20,740

11,124

9,673

-81.1

-53.4

-13.0

Alaska

13,209

3,376

3,296

2,989

3,174

-76.0

-3.7

6.2

Arizona

71,713

35,617

35,227

9,731

8,554

-88.1

-75.7

-12.1

Arkansas

26,355

8,600

8,492

3,834

3,184

-87.9

-62.5

-17.0

California

916,427

471,775

576,355

593,370

520,855

-43.2

-9.6

-12.2

Colorado

42,541

11,149

11,785

16,375

16,322

-61.6

38.5

-0.3

Connecticut

59,351

20,890

17,261

11,276

8,890

-85.0

-48.5

-21.2

Delaware

11,592

4,027

5,089

4,304

4,012

-65.4

-21.2

-6.8

District of Columbia

27,047

5,748

9,786

5,577

3,871

-85.7

-60.4

-30.6

Florida

248,514

47,337

57,471

47,566

45,606

-81.6

-20.6

-4.1

Georgia

141,859

24,681

20,464

12,829

11,073

-92.2

-45.9

-13.7

Guam

1,863

931

1,245

885

601

-67.7

-51.7

-32.1

Hawaii

20,395

6,410

9,630

6,460

5,351

-73.8

-44.4

-17.2

Idaho

9,016

1,661

1,742

1,938

1,914

-78.8

9.9

-1.2

Illinois

241,817

31,397

21,973

15,825

13,636

-94.4

-37.9

-13.8

Indiana

74,843

41,226

35,915

8,249

7,485

-90.0

-79.2

-9.3

Iowa

40,676

20,082

21,345

12,343

11,288

-72.2

-47.1

-8.5

Kansas

30,591

14,550

14,202

4,941

4,563

-85.1

-67.9

-7.7

Kentucky

81,141

29,788

30,028

21,532

21,872

-73.0

-27.2

1.6

Louisiana

88,059

10,730

10,273

5,560

5,518

-93.7

-46.3

-0.8

Maine

23,231

12,736

14,942

20,371

18,831

-18.9

26.0

-7.6

Maryland

81,253

19,077

24,052

20,841

19,062

-76.5

-20.7

-8.5

Massachusetts

112,803

44,579

49,062

54,681

51,803

-54.1

5.6

-5.3

Michigan

227,114

75,173

70,633

17,037

14,467

-93.6

-79.5

-15.1

Minnesota

64,055

26,513

24,048

19,169

18,897

-70.5

-21.4

-1.4

Mississippi

56,420

11,210

11,805

5,727

5,152

-90.9

-56.4

-10.0

Missouri

93,735

39,577

38,847

17,933

13,320

-85.8

-65.7

-25.7

Montana

12,278

3,184

3,742

3,035

4,020

-67.3

7.4

32.5

Nebraska

16,323

7,426

8,539

5,232

5,251

-67.8

-38.5

0.4

Nevada

14,011

6,424

10,365

9,869

9,114

-35.0

-12.1

-7.7

New Hampshire

11,574

5,183

6,247

5,045

4,708

-59.3

-24.6

-6.7

New Jersey

123,025

34,884

33,047

18,208

13,979

-88.6

-57.7

-23.2

New Mexico

33,847

14,017

19,342

11,190

10,823

-68.0

-44.0

-3.3

New York

457,660

159,447

156,188

145,307

138,007

-69.8

-11.6

-5.0

North Carolina

134,063

25,509

24,382

16,950

15,605

-88.4

-36.0

-7.9

North Dakota

6,079

2,016

2,037

1,090

1,064

-82.5

-47.8

-2.4

Ohio

254,021

77,624

103,012

57,409

55,826

-78.0

-45.8

-2.8

Oklahoma

47,428

9,283

9,315

7,152

6,822

-85.6

-26.8

-4.6

Oregon

43,617

18,872

30,199

51,576

45,976

5.4

52.2

-10.9

Pennsylvania

211,771

63,637

51,085

57,263

51,597

-75.6

1.0

-9.9

Puerto Rico

58,869

13,809

13,581

8,325

7,238

-87.7

-46.7

-13.1

Rhode Island

22,872

8,296

7,505

3,918

6,224

-72.8

-17.1

58.9

South Carolina

53,260

15,652

17,934

9,495

8,790

-83.5

-51.0

-7.4

South Dakota

7,129

2,825

3,209

2,999

3,010

-57.8

-6.2

0.4

Tennessee

111,740

62,395

61,685

30,630

26,801

-76.0

-56.6

-12.5

Texas

286,613

61,566

49,871

28,454

27,301

-90.5

-45.3

-4.1

Utah

17,908

5,146

6,724

3,655

3,950

-77.9

-41.3

8.1

Vermont

9,988

4,463

3,106

3,187

3,186

-68.1

2.6

0.0

Virgin Islands

1,078

440

507

264

222

-79.4

-56.2

-15.9

Virginia

75,854

31,354

36,744

22,856

20,904

-72.4

-43.1

-8.5

Washington

104,326

52,292

69,637

35,861

42,027

-59.7

-39.6

17.2

West Virginia

41,521

9,774

9,690

7,172

7,077

-83.0

-27.0

-1.3

Wisconsin

78,739

17,211

21,353

19,116

16,719

-78.8

-21.7

-12.5

Wyoming

5,857

273

352

446

560

-90.4

59.1

25.6

Totals

5,098,288

1,749,847

1,905,106

1,518,171

1,385,775

-72.8

-27.3

-8.7

Percent of Total TANF Assistance Families

State

Single Parent

Two Parent

No Parent

Total Families

Single Parent

Two Parent

No Parent

Alabama

4,172

72

5,429

9,673

43.1

0.7

56.1

Alaska

1,899

439

836

3,174

59.8

13.8

26.3

Arizona

3,127

221

5,206

8,554

36.6

2.6

60.9

Arkansas

1,608

63

1,513

3,184

50.5

2.0

47.5

California

280,508

96,030

144,317

520,855

53.9

18.4

27.7

Colorado

9,353

1,304

5,665

16,322

57.3

8.0

34.7

Connecticut

4,703

0

4,187

8,890

52.9

0.0

47.1

Delaware

1,096

15

2,901

4,012

27.3

0.4

72.3

District of Columbia

1,713

0

2,158

3,871

44.3

0.0

55.7

Florida

7,092

511

38,003

45,606

15.6

1.1

83.3

Georgia

1,499

0

9,574

11,073

13.5

0.0

86.5

Guam

146

29

426

601

24.3

4.8

70.9

Hawaii

3,207

869

1,275

5,351

59.9

16.2

23.8

Idaho

28

0

1,886

1,914

1.5

0.0

98.5

Illinois

3,256

0

10,380

13,636

23.9

0.0

76.1

Indiana

1,653

123

5,709

7,485

22.1

1.6

76.3

Iowa

5,888

623

4,777

11,288

52.2

5.5

42.3

Kansas

1,796

291

2,476

4,563

39.4

6.4

54.3

Kentucky

5,662

657

15,553

21,872

25.9

3.0

71.1

Louisiana

2,135

0

3,383

5,518

38.7

0.0

61.3

Maine

9,973

7,163

1,695

18,831

53.0

38.0

9.0

Maryland

11,635

444

6,983

19,062

61.0

2.3

36.6

Massachusetts

34,222

3,460

14,121

51,803

66.1

6.7

27.3

Michigan

5,695

0

8,772

14,467

39.4

0.0

60.6

Minnesota

9,893

0

9,004

18,897

52.4

0.0

47.6

Mississippi

2,102

0

3,050

5,152

40.8

0.0

59.2

Missouri

8,109

0

5,211

13,320

60.9

0.0

39.1

Montana

2,141

362

1,517

4,020

53.3

9.0

37.7

Nebraska

2,328

0

2,923

5,251

44.3

0.0

55.7

Nevada

3,856

759

4,499

9,114

42.3

8.3

49.4

New Hampshire

3,219

25

1,464

4,708

68.4

0.5

31.1

New Jersey

8,158

0

5,821

13,979

58.4

0.0

41.6

New Mexico

5,016

812

4,995

10,823

46.3

7.5

46.2

New York

88,955

3,047

46,005

138,007

64.5

2.2

33.3

North Carolina

2,759

131

12,715

15,605

17.7

0.8

81.5

North Dakota

415

0

649

1,064

39.0

0.0

61.0

Ohio

9,780

975

45,071

55,826

17.5

1.7

80.7

Oklahoma

2,089

0

4,733

6,822

30.6

0.0

69.4

Oregon

31,895

7,223

6,858

45,976

69.4

15.7

14.9

Pennsylvania

32,228

643

18,726

51,597

62.5

1.2

36.3

Puerto Rico

6,445

429

364

7,238

89.0

5.9

5.0

Rhode Island

4,294

6

1,924

6,224

69.0

0.1

30.9

South Carolina

3,007

0

5,783

8,790

34.2

0.0

65.8

South Dakota

520

0

2,490

3,010

17.3

0.0

82.7

Tennessee

11,707

366

14,728

26,801

43.7

1.4

55.0

Texas

6,930

0

20,371

27,301

25.4

0.0

74.6

Utah

1,974

0

1,976

3,950

50.0

0.0

50.0

Vermont

1,475

325

1,386

3,186

46.3

10.2

43.5

Virgin Islands

186

0

36

222

83.8

0.0

16.2

Virginia

13,795

0

7,109

20,904

66.0

0.0

34.0

Washington

19,193

8,676

14,158

42,027

45.7

20.6

33.7

West Virginia

2,055

0

5,022

7,077

29.0

0.0

71.0

Wisconsin

5,392

336

10,991

16,719

32.3

2.0

65.7

Wyoming

267

38

255

560

47.7

6.8

45.5

Totals

692,249

136,467

557,059

1,385,775

50.0

9.8

40.2

1.

The definition of TANF assistance is not in statute. However, because the statutory language has most TANF requirements triggered by a family receiving "assistance," the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) regulations define assistance at 45 C.F.R. §260.31.

2.

States are not required to report to the federal government their cash assistance benefit amounts in either the TANF state plan (under Section 402 of the Social Security Act) or in annual program reports (under Section 411 of the Social Security Act). The benefit amounts shown are from the "Welfare Rules Database," maintained by the Urban Institute and funded by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

3.

Some states vary their benefit amounts for other family types such as two-parent families or "child-only" cases. States also vary their benefits by other factors such as housing costs and sub-state geography.

4.

In 2015, the HHS poverty guidelines for the contiguous 48 states and the District of Columbia for a family of three was $1,674 per month. Higher poverty lines applied in Alaska ($2,093 per month for a family of three) and Hawaii ($1,925 per month for a family of three).

5.

Some families are excluded from the participation rate calculation.

6.

Alabama

$31.6

$14.0

$3.5

$27.3

$5.9

$16.5

$0.0

$29.8

$41.5

$170.0

Alaska

46.2

4.4

10.0

0.0

18.6

0.0

0.0

0.0

8.1

87.4

Arizona

27.1

58.1

7.6

32.1

0.0

0.0

0.0

228.0

115.9

468.9

Arkansas

9.2

15.7

15.9

7.2

0.4

0.0

0.0

0.0

95.9

144.3

California

2,838.7

587.7

652.4

242.7

896.1

0.0

0.0

1.0

1,419.7

6,638.3

Colorado

76.9

17.4

10.7

8.1

30.6

62.9

4.8

44.1

86.1

341.7

Connecticut

69.8

43.6

16.4

13.2

56.3

83.6

0.0

54.9

168.0

505.7

Delaware

20.4

4.0

6.0

2.5

48.8

0.0

0.0

0.0

13.4

95.0

District of Columbia

70.2

6.3

37.4

51.7

59.5

0.0

20.0

0.0

21.8

266.9

Florida

177.2

81.7

47.4

0.8

329.3

0.0

0.0

270.4

83.2

990.1

Georgia

64.5

17.6

11.3

0.1

22.2

0.0

0.0

269.3

154.5

539.4

Hawaii

52.3

16.6

98.2

0.7

20.0

0.0

0.0

2.2

98.5

288.5

Idaho

7.8

5.4

5.2

10.4

10.2

1.6

0.0

1.5

1.3

43.3

Illinois

68.5

2.5

21.0

0.9

868.2

46.2

42.6

232.8

92.1

1,374.8

Indiana

20.4

23.7

15.0

0.0

100.6

0.0

31.9

0.0

103.6

295.2

Iowa

40.4

8.1

13.0

0.2

49.3

0.0

26.9

52.0

28.9

218.8

Kansas

19.6

9.0

3.4

0.0

10.3

14.1

46.9

23.3

32.0

158.6

Kentucky

139.8

14.4

32.7

0.0

46.8

0.0

0.0

0.0

20.5

254.1

Louisiana

18.8

16.3

28.6

11.1

5.2

68.5

17.0

30.5

33.8

229.9

Maine

40.5

5.3

3.1

4.5

9.6

5.4

2.8

1.2

12.9

85.2

Maryland

111.4

31.2

33.6

67.0

25.9

86.2

161.7

33.3

51.6

601.8

Massachusetts

266.2

34.7

9.8

96.7

331.9

0.9

116.0

14.9

241.1

1,112.2

Michigan

149.7

57.0

4.7

70.9

21.5

205.1

45.8

93.9

726.2

1,374.9

Minnesota

84.9

39.8

56.4

29.6

135.2

5.7

174.9

0.0

19.3

545.8

Mississippi

11.4

3.3

16.6

0.0

19.1

0.0

0.0

16.8

26.7

93.9

Missouri

77.1

5.8

26.8

175.2

44.5

0.0

0.0

0.0

90.8

420.1

Montana

16.6

5.2

12.1

1.5

10.4

0.0

0.0

2.6

4.2

52.6

Nebraska

24.0

5.0

15.1

0.0

23.5

0.0

36.8

4.3

0.2

109.0

Nevada

45.9

11.3

1.1

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

32.5

90.8

New Hampshire

15.4

8.4

4.2

2.2

8.8

0.0

0.0

0.8

7.8

47.6

New Jersey

190.7

59.5

85.0

15.2

111.9

455.8

195.1

0.0

68.7

1,181.9

New Mexico

52.7

7.8

11.1

0.0

30.5

6.1

48.3

0.2

79.2

235.9

New York

1,574.5

390.1

158.7

221.4

414.3

233.7

1,510.3

337.2

625.3

5,465.4

North Carolina

52.3

43.8

8.7

4.9

190.8

100.6

0.0

121.1

45.1

567.3

North Dakota

4.8

4.2

3.4

0.0

1.1

0.0

0.0

23.9

1.3

38.6

Ohio

270.7

122.1

70.0

55.3

378.3

0.0

0.0

7.2

175.9

1,079.6

Oklahoma

28.3

18.9

12.0

8.0

76.6

11.8

0.0

17.5

41.5

214.8

Oregon

126.4

49.4

20.3

30.8

13.0

8.1

2.0

8.0

89.7

347.7

Pennsylvania

215.2

82.8

105.5

14.7

378.1

0.0

0.0

0.0

227.0

1,023.4

Rhode Island

20.4

12.6

9.7

0.0

30.5

0.0

6.4

0.0

88.8

168.3

South Carolina

40.8

22.4

18.1

0.0

4.1

0.0

0.0

0.0

95.0

180.4

South Dakota

14.0

2.9

4.0

2.9

0.8

0.0

0.0

0.9

3.2

28.7

Tennessee

80.7

35.8

32.8

0.0

32.0

61.8

0.0

0.0

11.9

254.9

Texas

58.1

51.4

74.1

4.4

0.0

374.5

0.0

364.4

71.9

998.9

Utah

21.6

5.8

29.9

2.5

19.7

0.6

0.0

0.5

20.7

101.2

Vermont

17.7

7.2

0.2

2.7

32.6

0.0

19.9

3.4

13.5

97.2

Virginia

82.8

20.7

49.7

2.2

37.5

0.0

0.0

0.0

79.6

272.5

Washington

154.1

75.9

160.9

44.8

209.1

48.7

0.0

0.0

355.8

1,049.3

West Virginia

24.0

28.7

0.7

1.5

9.1

0.0

0.0

13.0

50.7

127.5

Wisconsin

120.2

28.4

37.3

37.5

173.5

0.0

62.5

3.7

119.5

582.7

Wyoming

4.9

7.1

0.5

3.4

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

12.1

28.0

Totals

7,797.4

2,231.0

2,111.5

1,309.0

5,351.8

1,898.4

2,572.5

2,308.7

6,108.8

31,689.1

Source: Congressional Research Service (CRS), based on data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

Table B-2. Use of FY2015 TANF and MOE Funds by Category as a Percentage of Total Federal TANF and State MOE Funding

State

Basic Assistance

Administration

Work Program

Short-Term and Emergency Benefits

Child Care

Pre-Kindergarten and Early Childhood Programs

Refundable Tax Credits

Child Welfare Services

Other Benefits and Services

Totals

Alabama

18.6%

8.2%

2.1%

16.0%

3.5%

9.7%

0.0%

17.5%

24.4%

100.0%

Alaska

52.9

5.0

11.5

0.0

21.3

0.0

0.0

0.0

9.3

100.0

Arizona

5.8

12.4

1.6

6.9

0.0

0.0

0.0

48.6

24.7

100.0

Arkansas

6.4

10.9

11.0

5.0

0.3

0.0

0.0

0.0

66.4

100.0

California

42.8

8.9

9.8

3.7

13.5

0.0

0.0

0.0

21.4

100.0

Colorado

22.5

5.1

3.1

2.4

8.9

18.4

1.4

12.9

25.2

100.0

Connecticut

13.8

8.6

3.2

2.6

11.1

16.5

0.0

10.9

33.2

100.0

Delaware

21.4

4.2

6.3

2.6

51.4

0.0

0.0

0.0

14.1

100.0

District of Columbia

26.3

2.4

14.0

19.4

22.3

0.0

7.5

0.0

8.2

100.0

Florida

17.9

8.3

4.8

0.1

33.3

0.0

0.0

27.3

8.4

100.0

Georgia

12.0

3.3

2.1

0.0

4.1

0.0

0.0

49.9

28.6

100.0

Hawaii

18.1

5.8

34.0

0.2

6.9

0.0

0.0

0.7

34.2

100.0

Idaho

18.0

12.4

12.0

23.9

23.5

3.7

0.0

3.4

3.1

100.0

Illinois

5.0

0.2

1.5

0.1

63.1

3.4

3.1

16.9

6.7

100.0

Indiana

6.9

8.0

5.1

0.0

34.1

0.0

10.8

0.0

35.1

100.0

Iowa

18.5

3.7

5.9

0.1

22.5

0.0

12.3

23.8

13.2

100.0

Kansas

12.4

5.7

2.1

0.0

6.5

8.9

29.6

14.7

20.2

100.0

Kentucky

55.0

5.7

12.9

0.0

18.4

0.0

0.0

0.0

8.1

100.0

Louisiana

8.2

7.1

12.4

4.8

2.3

29.8

7.4

13.3

14.7

100.0

Maine

47.5

6.2

3.6

5.2

11.3

6.3

3.3

1.5

15.1

100.0

Maryland

18.5

5.2

5.6

11.1

4.3

14.3

26.9

5.5

8.6

100.0

Massachusetts

23.9

3.1

0.9

8.7

29.8

0.1

10.4

1.3

21.7

100.0

Michigan

10.9

4.1

0.3

5.2

1.6

14.9

3.3

6.8

52.8

100.0

Minnesota

15.6

7.3

10.3

5.4

24.8

1.0

32.0

0.0

3.5

100.0

Mississippi

12.1

3.5

17.7

0.0

20.3

0.0

0.0

17.9

28.5

100.0

Missouri

18.4

1.4

6.4

41.7

10.6

0.0

0.0

0.0

21.6

100.0

Montana

31.6

9.9

23.1

2.9

19.7

0.0

0.0

5.0

8.0

100.0

Nebraska

22.0

4.6

13.9

0.0

21.6

0.0

33.8

4.0

0.2

100.0

Nevada

50.5

12.4

1.2

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

35.8

100.0

New Hampshire

32.3

17.6

8.9

4.6

18.5

0.0

0.0

1.7

16.4

100.0

New Jersey

16.1

5.0

7.2

1.3

9.5

38.6

16.5

0.0

5.8

100.0

New Mexico

22.4

3.3

4.7

0.0

12.9

2.6

20.5

0.1

33.6

100.0

New York

28.8

7.1

2.9

4.1

7.6

4.3

27.6

6.2

11.4

100.0

North Carolina

9.2

7.7

1.5

0.9

33.6

17.7

0.0

21.4

8.0

100.0

North Dakota

12.3

10.8

8.7

0.0

2.9

0.0

0.0

61.8

3.5

100.0

Ohio

25.1

11.3

6.5

5.1

35.0

0.0

0.0

0.7

16.3

100.0

Oklahoma

13.2

8.8

5.6

3.7

35.7

5.5

0.0

8.1

19.3

100.0

Oregon

36.4

14.2

5.8

8.9

3.7

2.3

0.6

2.3

25.8

100.0

Pennsylvania

21.0

8.1

10.3

1.4

36.9

0.0

0.0

0.0

22.2

100.0

Rhode Island

12.1

7.5

5.7

0.0

18.1

0.0

3.8

0.0

52.8

100.0

South Carolina

22.6

12.4

10.0

0.0

2.3

0.0

0.0

0.0

52.7

100.0

South Dakota

48.8

10.2

13.9

10.1

2.8

0.0

0.0

3.2

11.0

100.0

Tennessee

31.6

14.1

12.9

0.0

12.5

24.2

0.0

0.0

4.7

100.0

Texas

5.8

5.1

7.4

0.4

0.0

37.5

0.0

36.5

7.2

100.0

Utah

21.3

5.7

29.5

2.5

19.5

0.6

0.0

0.5

20.4

100.0

Vermont

18.2

7.4

0.2

2.8

33.5

0.0

20.5

3.5

13.9

100.0

Virginia

30.4

7.6

18.2

0.8

13.8

0.0

0.0

0.0

29.2

100.0

Washington

14.7

7.2

15.3

4.3

19.9

4.6

0.0

0.0

33.9

100.0

West Virginia

18.8

22.5

0.5

1.1

7.1

0.0

0.0

10.2

39.7

100.0

Wisconsin

20.6

4.9

6.4

6.4

29.8

0.0

10.7

0.6

20.5

100.0

Wyoming

17.4

25.2

2.0

12.2

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

43.2

100.0

Totals

24.6

7.0

6.7

4.1

16.9

6.0

8.1

7.3

19.3

100.0

Source: Congressional Research Service (CRS), based on data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

Table B-3. Unspent TANF Funds at the End of FY2015

(September 30, 2015, in millions of dollars)

State

Obligated but not Spent

Unobligated

Total Unspent Funds

Alabama

$11.3

$41.8

$53.1

Alaska

0.0

57.4

57.4

Arizona

0.0

0.3

0.3

Arkansas

33.4

10.9

44.3

California

175.1

0.0

175.1

Colorado

0.0

38.9

38.9

Connecticut

0.0

0.0

0.0

Delaware

0.4

9.6

9.9

District of Columbia

0.0

90.0

90.0

Florida

43.8

0.0

43.8

Georgia

32.1

10.0

42.1

Hawaii

8.6

110.9

119.5

Idaho

0.0

30.4

30.4

Illinois

0.0

0.0

0.0

Indiana

323.9

5.3

329.2

Iowa

20.4

1.8

22.2

Kansas

1.0

58.8

59.8

Kentucky

0.0

30.2

30.2

Louisiana

12.9

0.0

12.9

Maine

0.0

92.0

92.0

Maryland

0.0

0.0

0.0

Massachusetts

0.0

0.0

0.0

Michigan

0.0

57.4

57.4

Minnesota

83.1

0.0

83.1

Mississippi

0.0

35.8

35.8

Missouri

16.1

0.0

16.1

Montana

0.0

42.4

42.4

Nebraska

0.0

60.0

60.0

Nevada

6.4

0.0

6.4

New Hampshire

0.0

58.0

58.0

New Jersey

0.0

14.6

14.6

New Mexico

93.5

0.0

93.5

New York

70.4

111.6

182.0

North Carolina

16.0

0.0

16.0

North Dakota

0.0

11.0

11.0

Ohio

227.5

124.8

352.3

Oklahoma

52.4

0.0

52.4

Oregon

0.0

22.1

22.1

Pennsylvania

55.9

469.8

525.8

Rhode Island

0.0

10.3

10.3

South Carolina

24.5

0.0

24.5

South Dakota

0.0

20.5

20.5

Tennessee

0.0

244.3

244.3

Texas

124.8

0.0

124.8

Utah

0.0

120.9

120.9

Vermont

0.0

0.2

0.2

Virginia

0.1

78.1

78.2

Washington

0.0

45.9

45.9

West Virginia

0.0

22.4

22.4

Wisconsin

0.0

88.1

88.1

Wyoming

4.6

24.2

28.7

Totals

1,438.1

2,250.4

3,688.5

Source: Congressional Research Service (CRS), based on data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

Table B-4. Number of Families, Recipients, Children, and Adults Receiving TANF Assistance by State, June 2016

State

Families

Recipients

Children

Adults

Alabama

10,399

23,557

18,723

4,834

Alaska

3,088

8,466

5,757

2,709

Arizona

9,767

20,048

15,812

4,236

Arkansas

3,532

7,772

5,925

1,847

California

565,079

1,632,867

1,146,682

486,185

Colorado

16,288

43,003

30,419

12,584

Connecticut

10,938

21,562

15,621

5,941

Delaware

4,925

13,992

8,555

5,437

District of Columbia

4,569

11,157

8,674

2,483

Florida

46,763

76,021

64,626

11,395

Georgia

12,464

23,764

21,629

2,135

Guam

879

1,930

1,591

339

Hawaii

6,135

17,050

11,699

5,351

Idaho

1,942

2,817

2,760

57

Illinois

14,809

32,551

27,860

4,691

Indiana

7,735

15,357

13,852

1,505

Iowa

11,871

29,303

21,494

7,809

Kansas

5,186

11,883

9,009

2,874

Kentucky

23,012

45,512

37,412

8,100

Louisiana

5,630

13,284

11,279

2,005

Maine

20,473

66,217

40,095

26,122

Maryland

20,699

51,285

37,653

13,632

Massachusetts

53,792

129,660

89,113

40,547

Michigan

16,064

39,018

31,408

7,610

Minnesota

19,160

44,700

35,048

9,652

Mississippi

5,631

11,086

8,680

2,406

Missouri

15,633

35,883

26,556

9,327

Montana

3,124

7,776

5,973

1,803

Nebraska

5,183

12,658

10,490

2,168

Nevada

9,313

23,564

17,909

5,655

New Hampshire

4,827

11,681

8,244

3,437

New Jersey

16,730

37,898

28,560

9,338

New Mexico

11,408

28,925

21,700

7,225

New York

142,249

364,807

259,249

105,558

North Carolina

15,250

27,127

24,073

3,054

North Dakota

1,069

2,592

2,165

427

Ohio

56,834

105,525

92,672

12,853

Oklahoma

7,019

15,590

13,419

2,171

Oregon

49,565

149,867

94,845

55,022

Pennsylvania

57,283

142,627

104,292

38,335

Puerto Rico

8,229

22,429

13,928

8,501

Rhode Island

3,889

9,112

6,668

2,444

South Carolina

9,369

20,508

16,974

3,534

South Dakota

3,037

5,967

5,412

555

Tennessee

29,889

66,896

51,426

15,470

Texas

28,087

60,428

53,577

6,851

Utah

3,894

9,552

7,007

2,545

Vermont

3,373

7,822

5,472

2,350

Virgin Islands

254

797

538

259

Virginia

22,522

48,654

36,538

12,116

Washington

37,021

79,563

53,530

26,033

West Virginia

7,147

14,527

11,576

2,951

Wisconsin

17,806

39,250

31,470

7,780

Wyoming

473

1,068

822

246

 

 

 

 

 

Totals

1,471,307

3,746,955

2,726,461

1,020,494

Source: Congressional Research Service (CRS), based on data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

Notes: TANF cash assistance caseload includes families receiving assistance in state-funded programs counted toward the TANF maintenance of effort (MOE) requirement.

Table B-5. Number of Needy Families with Children Receiving Assistance by State, June of Selected Years

 

 

 

 

 

 

Percentage Change to 2016 from

State

1994

2007

2010

2015

2016

1994

2010

2014

Alabama

49,482

17,554

21,288

12,742

10,399

-79.0%

-51.2%

-18.4%

Alaska

12,977

3,284

3,475

3,176

3,088

-76.2

-11.1

-2.8

Arizona

71,530

35,232

31,919

10,766

9,767

-86.3

-69.4

-9.3

Arkansas

25,892

8,447

8,268

4,477

3,532

-86.4

-57.3

-21.1

California

919,535

470,099

578,950

611,379

565,079

-38.5

-2.4

-7.6

Colorado

41,378

10,230

11,675

16,731

16,288

-60.6

39.5

-2.6

Connecticut

59,701

20,632

16,957

12,807

10,938

-81.7

-35.5

-14.6

Delaware

11,239

3,916

5,322

4,449

4,925

-56.2

-7.5

10.7

District of Columbia

27,443

5,975

7,373

5,646

4,569

-83.4

-38.0

-19.1

Florida

239,232

46,710

56,706

48,630

46,763

-80.5

-17.5

-3.8

Georgia

139,566

24,005

20,134

12,975

12,464

-91.1

-38.1

-3.9

Guam

1,973

874

1,296

1,048

879

-55.4

-32.2

-16.1

Hawaii

20,844

6,398

9,663

7,267

6,135

-70.6

-36.5

-15.6

Idaho

8,739

1,560

1,744

1,831

1,942

-77.8

11.4

6.1

Illinois

242,740

28,723

22,087

18,161

14,809

-93.9

-33.0

-18.5

Indiana

72,881

40,403

34,409

8,756

7,735

-89.4

-77.5

-11.7

Iowa

39,813

19,752

21,345

12,854

11,871

-70.2

-44.4

-7.6

Kansas

30,020

14,096

14,183

5,762

5,186

-82.7

-63.4

-10.0

Kentucky

79,225

29,173

30,130

24,485

23,012

-71.0

-23.6

-6.0

Louisiana

85,741

10,787

10,256

5,040

5,630

-93.4

-45.1

11.7

Maine

22,641

12,628

14,675

22,594

20,473

-9.6

39.5

-9.4

Maryland

79,706

19,341

24,153

17,627

20,699

-74.0

-14.3

17.4

Massachusetts

110,108

44,619

48,975

57,413

53,792

-51.1

9.8

-6.3

Michigan

222,472

73,283

66,433

20,044

16,064

-92.8

-75.8

-19.9

Minnesota

63,043

26,646

24,146

18,695

19,160

-69.6

-20.6

2.5

Mississippi

55,183

11,366

11,931

6,468

5,631

-89.8

-52.8

-12.9

Missouri

92,265

38,762

38,308

27,026

15,633

-83.1

-59.2

-42.2

Montana

12,004

3,230

3,665

2,936

3,124

-74.0

-14.8

6.4

Nebraska

15,649

6,819

8,486

5,252

5,183

-66.9

-38.9

-1.3

Nevada

14,207

7,043

10,499

10,432

9,313

-34.4

-11.3

-10.7

New Hampshire

11,591

4,992

6,202

5,361

4,827

-58.4

-22.2

-10.0

New Jersey

122,536

34,177

33,540

22,684

16,730

-86.3

-50.1

-26.2

New Mexico

33,732

13,716

19,737

11,562

11,408

-66.2

-42.2

-1.3

New York

460,590

155,495

155,302

148,134

142,249

-69.1

-8.4

-4.0

North Carolina

131,065

24,857

23,384

13,917

15,250

-88.4

-34.8

9.6

North Dakota

5,725

2,068

1,958

1,137

1,069

-81.3

-45.4

-6.0

Ohio

247,886

77,005

103,198

58,954

56,834

-77.1

-44.9

-3.6

Oklahoma

46,864

8,921

9,021

6,887

7,019

-85.0

-22.2

1.9

Oregon

41,982

18,741

30,811

55,888

49,565

18.1

60.9

-11.3

Pennsylvania

211,431

61,948

51,683

63,272

57,283

-72.9

10.8

-9.5

Puerto Rico

58,484

13,122

13,257

10,291

8,229

-85.9

-37.9

-20.0

Rhode Island

22,737

8,381

7,404

4,711

3,889

-82.9

-47.5

-17.4

South Carolina

51,590

14,479

17,843

10,026

9,369

-81.8

-47.5

-6.6

South Dakota

6,868

2,871

3,247

2,965

3,037

-55.8

-6.5

2.4

Tennessee

109,339

60,777

61,851

36,316

29,889

-72.7

-51.7

-17.7

Texas

282,902

59,794

50,171

30,995

28,087

-90.1

-44.0

-9.4

Utah

17,536

5,123

6,641

3,787

3,894

-77.8

-41.4

2.8

Vermont

10,006

4,500

3,131

3,259

3,373

-66.3

7.7

3.5

Virgin Islands

1,106

418

513

343

254

-77.0

-50.5

-25.9

Virginia

75,020

31,576

37,276

24,557

22,522

-70.0

-39.6

-8.3

Washington

104,243

49,519

70,099

31,917

37,021

-64.5

-47.2

16.0

West Virginia

40,379

9,335

9,619

7,343

7,147

-82.3

-25.7

-2.7

Wisconsin

76,458

17,266

23,435

22,415

17,806

-76.7

-24.0

-20.6

Wyoming

5,751

252

337

335

473

-91.8

40.4

41.2

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Totals

5,043,050

1,720,920

1,898,111

1,594,525

1,471,307

-70.8

-22.5

-7.7

Source: Congressional Research Service (CRS), based on data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

Notes: Caseload data for 2000 through 2016 include those families in Separate State Programs with expenditures countable toward the TANF maintenance of effort (MOE) requirement.

Table B-6. TANF Assistance Families by Number of Parents by State: June 2016

 

 

 

 

 

As a Percent of Total Assistance Families

State

Single Parent

Two Parent

No Parent

Total Families

Single Parent

Two Parent

No Parent

Total Families

Alabama

4,629

79

5,691

10,399

44.5

0.8

54.7

100.0

Alaska

1,859

397

832

3,088

60.2

12.9

26.9

100.0

Arizona

3,672

230

5,865

9,767

37.6

2.4

60.0

100.0

Arkansas

1,788

52

1,692

3,532

50.6

1.5

47.9

100.0

California

310,431

107,237

147,411

565,079

54.9

19.0

26.1

100.0

Colorado

9,229

1,375

5,684

16,288

56.7

8.4

34.9

100.0

Connecticut

5,878

0

5,060

10,938

53.7

0.0

46.3

100.0

Delaware

1,897

0

3,028

4,925

38.5

0.0

61.5

100.0

District of Columbia

2,484

0

2,085

4,569

54.4

0.0

45.6

100.0

Florida

7,570

461

38,732

46,763

16.2

1.0

82.8

100.0

Georgia

2,062

0

10,402

12,464

16.5

0.0

83.5

100.0

Guam

191

65

623

879

21.7

7.4

70.9

100.0

Hawaii

3,639

1,152

1,344

6,135

59.3

18.8

21.9

100.0

Idaho

57

0

1,885

1,942

2.9

0.0

97.1

100.0

Illinois

3,935

0

10,874

14,809

26.6

0.0

73.4

100.0

Indiana

1,741

115

5,879

7,735

22.5

1.5

76.0

100.0

Iowa

6,254

697

4,920

11,871

52.7

5.9

41.4

100.0

Kansas

2,198

300

2,688

5,186

42.4

5.8

51.8

100.0

Kentucky

6,664

610

15,738

23,012

29.0

2.7

68.4

100.0

Louisiana

1,979

0

3,651

5,630

35.2

0.0

64.8

100.0

Maine

10,914

7,706

1,853

20,473

53.3

37.6

9.1

100.0

Maryland

13,142

379

7,178

20,699

63.5

1.8

34.7

100.0

Massachusetts

35,298

3,697

14,797

53,792

65.6

6.9

27.5

100.0

Michigan

6,580

0

9,484

16,064

41.0

0.0

59.0

100.0

Minnesota

9,751

0

9,409

19,160

50.9

0.0

49.1

100.0

Mississippi

2,386

0

3,245

5,631

42.4

0.0

57.6

100.0

Missouri

9,954

0

5,679

15,633

63.7

0.0

36.3

100.0

Montana

1,526

188

1,410

3,124

48.8

6.0

45.1

100.0

Nebraska

2,272

0

2,911

5,183

43.8

0.0

56.2

100.0

Nevada

3,897

800

4,616

9,313

41.8

8.6

49.6

100.0

New Hampshire

3,362

25

1,440

4,827

69.6

0.5

29.8

100.0

New Jersey

10,296

0

6,434

16,730

61.5

0.0

38.5

100.0

New Mexico

5,445

890

5,073

11,408

47.7

7.8

44.5

100.0

New York

91,506

3,242

47,501

142,249

64.3

2.3

33.4

100.0

North Carolina

2,806

112

12,332

15,250

18.4

0.7

80.9

100.0

North Dakota

426

0

643

1,069

39.9

0.0

60.1

100.0

Ohio

10,443

958

45,433

56,834

18.4

1.7

79.9

100.0

Oklahoma

2,171

0

4,848

7,019

30.9

0.0

69.1

100.0

Oregon

34,123

8,539

6,903

49,565

68.8

17.2

13.9

100.0

Pennsylvania

33,164

690

23,429

57,283

57.9

1.2

40.9

100.0

Puerto Rico

7,354

458

417

8,229

89.4

5.6

5.1

100.0

Rhode Island

2,161

162

1,566

3,889

55.6

4.2

40.3

100.0

South Carolina

3,534

0

5,835

9,369

37.7

0.0

62.3

100.0

South Dakota

555

0

2,482

3,037

18.3

0.0

81.7

100.0

Tennessee

14,447

123

15,319

29,889

48.3

0.4

51.3

100.0

Texas

6,851

0

21,236

28,087

24.4

0.0

75.6

100.0

Utah

1,843

0

2,051

3,894

47.3

0.0

52.7

100.0

Vermont

1,616

355

1,402

3,373

47.9

10.5

41.6

100.0

Virgin Islands

219

0

35

254

86.2

0.0

13.8

100.0

Virginia

12,453

0

10,069

22,522

55.3

0.0

44.7

100.0

Washington

17,336

5,527

14,158

37,021

46.8

14.9

38.2

100.0

West Virginia

2,250

0

4,897

7,147

31.5

0.0

68.5

100.0

Wisconsin

6,477

393

10,936

17,806

36.4

2.2

61.4

100.0

Wyoming

200

23

250

473

42.3

4.9

52.9

100.0

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Totals

744,915

147,037

579,355

1,471,307

50.6

10.0

39.4

100.0

Source: Congressional Research Service (CRS), based on data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

Notes: TANF cash assistance caseload includes families receiving assistance in state-funded programs counted toward the TANF maintenance of effort (MOE) requirement.

Author Contact Information

[author name scrubbed], Specialist in Social Policy ([email address scrubbed], [phone number scrubbed])

Footnotes

1.

States are not required to report to the federal government their cash assistance benefit amounts in either the TANF state plan (under Section 402 of the Social Security Act) or in annual program reports (under Section 411 of the Social Security Act). The benefit amounts shown are from the "Welfare Rules Database," maintained by the Urban Institute and funded by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

2.

Some states vary their benefit amounts for other family types such as two-parent families or "child-only" cases. States also vary their benefits by other factors such as housing costs and sub-state geography.

3.

In 2015, the HHS poverty guidelines for the contiguous 48 states and the District of Columbia for a family of 3 was $1,674 per month. Higher poverty lines applied in Alaska ($2,093 per month for a family of 3) and Hawaii ($1,925 per month for a family of 3).

4.

Some families are excluded from the participation rate calculation.

5.

The TANF work participation rate increased from 29.5% in FY2011 to 36.6% in FY2014, 7.1 percentage points. The share of families with a member meeting the work standards and engaged in unsubsidized employment increased from 16.6% in FY2011 to 25.8% in FY2014. This 9.2 percentage point increase was greater than the 7.1 percentage point increase in the overall work participation rate.

6.

Before the changes made by the DRA were effective, a number of states had their two-parent families in separate state programs that were not included in the work participation calculation. When DRA brought families receiving assistance in separate state programs into the work participation rate calculations, a number of states moved these families into solely-state-funded programs. These are state-funded programs with expenditures not countable toward the TANF maintenance of effort requirement, and hence are outside of TANF's rules.