< Back to Current Version

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

Changes from December 30, 2019 to July 16, 2020

This page shows textual changes in the document between the two versions indicated in the dates above. Textual matter removed in the later version is indicated with red strikethrough and textual matter added in the later version is indicated with blue.


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

Updated December 30, 2019 (RL32760)
Jump to Main Text of Report

Contents

Tables

Summary

The Temporary Assistance for July 16, 2020 Needy Families (TANF) Block Grant: Gene Falk Responses to Frequently Asked Questions Specialist in Social Policy The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) block grant funds a wide range of Patrick A. Landers benefits and services for low-income families with children. TANF was created in the Personal Analyst in Social Policy Responsibility and Work Opportunity Act of 1996 (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 For a copy of the ful report, on TANF Financing and Federal Requirements, by Gene Falk).

please cal 7-5700 or visit www.crs.gov. TANF Funding and Expenditures. TANF provides fixed funding for the 50 states, the District of Columbia, the territories, and American Indian tribes. The basic block grant totals $16.5 billion per year. States are also als o required in total to contribute, from their own funds, at least $10.3 billion annually under a maintenance -of-effort (MOE) requirement.

The basic block grant is not adjusted for changes in circumstances (e.g., inflation, population) over time. In FY2019, the TANF basic block grant was 37% below what its value (adjusting for inflation) was in FY1997. Though TANF is best known for funding assistance payments for needy families with children, the block grant and MOE funds are used for a wide variety of benefits and activities. In FY2018, expenditures on assistance totaled $6.7 billion—21% of total federal TANF and MOE dollars. Assistance is often—but not exclusively—paid as cash. In addition to funding basic assistance, TANF also contributes funds for child care, employment services (for both assistance recipients and others), state refundable tax credits for low income families, pre-Kindergarten and Head Start programs, and services for children who have been, or are at risk of being, abused and neglected. Some states also count expenditures in prekindergarten programs toward the MOE requirement.

The TANF Assistance Caseload. A total of 1.21 million families, composed of 3.12.9 million recipients, received TANF- or MOE-funded assistance in September 2018.2019 (as of June 2020, the latest data available) The bulk of the "recipients"“recipients” were children—2.31 million in that month. The assistance caseload is heterogeneous. The type of family once thought of as the "typical" “typical” assistance family—one with an unemployed adult recipient—accounted for 3132% of all families on the rolls in FY2017. FY2018. Additionally, 3127% of cash assistance families had an employed adult, while 3841% of all TANF families were "child-only"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.

Assistance Benefits. TANF assistance benefit amounts are set by states. In July 2018, the maximum monthly benefit for a family of three ranged from $1,039 in New Hampshire to $170 in Mississippi. Only New Hampshire (at 60% of the federal poverty guidelines) had a maximum TANF assistance amount for this sized family in excess of 50% of poverty-level income.

Work Requirements. TANF's main federal work requirement is actually a performance measure that applies to the states. 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 with work-eligible individuals 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 FY2018, states achieved, on average, an all-family participation rate of 48.1% and a two-parent rate of 57.9%. In FY2018, only Montana did not meet the all-family participation standard. This is a reduction from FY2012, when 16 states did not meet that standard. In FY2018, seven jurisdictions did not meet the two-parent standard. States that do not meet work standards are at risk of being penalized by a reduction in their block grant.


Introduction

Congressional Research Service link to page 5 link to page 5 link to page 5 link to page 5 link to page 5 link to page 6 link to page 7 link to page 8 link to page 8 link to page 8 link to page 8 link to page 9 link to page 10 link to page 11 link to page 12 link to page 12 link to page 13 link to page 13 link to page 13 link to page 14 link to page 16 link to page 7 link to page 9 link to page 11 link to page 12 link to page 12 link to page 14 link to page 14 link to page 15 link to page 15 link to page 17 link to page 17 link to page 6 link to page 8 link to page 18 The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Block Grant: FAQs Contents Introduction ................................................................................................................... 1 Funding and Expenditures ................................................................................................ 1 What Is TANF’s Funding Status? ................................................................................. 1 How Are State TANF Programs Funded? ...................................................................... 1 How Much Has the Value of the TANF Basic Block Grant Changed Over Time?................. 1 How Have States Used TANF Funds? ........................................................................... 2 How Much of the TANF Grant Has Gone Unspent? ........................................................ 3 The Caseload.................................................................................................................. 4 How Many Families Receive TANF- or MOE-Funded Benefits and Services? .................... 4 How Many Families and People Currently Receive TANF- or MOE-Funded Assistance? ............................................................................................................ 4 How Does the Current Assistance Caseload Level Compare with Historical Levels? ............ 5 What Are the Characteristics of Families Receiving TANF Assistance?.............................. 6 TANF Cash Benefits: How Much Does a Family Receive in TANF Cash Per Month?................ 7 TANF Work Participation Standards .................................................................................. 8 What Is the TANF Work Participation Standard States Must Meet? ................................... 8 Have There Been Changes in the Work Participation Rules Enacted Since the 1996 Welfare Reform Law?.............................................................................................. 9 What Work Participation Rates Have the States Achieved?............................................... 9 How Many Jurisdictions Did Not Meet the All-Families Standard? ................................. 10 Have Jurisdictions Met the Two-Parent Work Participation Standard? .............................. 12 Figures Figure 1. Uses of TANF Funds by Spending Category, FY2018.............................................. 3 Figure 2. Number of Families Receiving Cash Assistance, July 1959-September 2019 ............... 5 Figure 3. Characteristics of Assistance Families, Selected Years FY1988 to FY2018 ................. 7 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 2018 .............. 8 Figure 5. National Average TANF Work Participation Rate for Al Families, FY2002-FY2018 ........................................................................................................ 10 Figure 6. Jurisdictions That Met or Did Not Meet the TANF Al -Families Work Participation Standard: FY2006-FY2018 ....................................................................... 11 Figure 7.Two-Parent TANF Work Participation Standard, Status by State: FY2006- FY2018 .................................................................................................................... 13 Tables Table 1. TANF Basic Block Grant Funding in Nominal and Constant Dollars ........................... 2 Table 2. TANF Assistance Caseload: September 2019 ........................................................... 4 Table A-1. Trends in the Cash Assistance Caseload: 1961-2018 ............................................ 14 Congressional Research Service link to page 20 link to page 20 link to page 21 link to page 24 link to page 24 link to page 27 link to page 28 link to page 28 link to page 30 link to page 30 link to page 32 link to page 32 link to page 18 link to page 21 link to page 34 The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Block Grant: FAQs Table A-2. Families Receiving AFDC/TANF Assistance by Family Category, Selected Years, FY1988-FY2018............................................................................................... 16 Table B-1. Use of FY2018 TANF and MOE Funds by Category ........................................... 17 Table B-2. Uses of FY2018 TANF and MOE Funds by Category as a Percentage of Total Federal TANF and State MOE Spending ........................................................................ 20 Table B-3. Unspent TANF Funds at the End of FY2018 ...................................................... 23 Table B-4. Number of Families, Recipients, Children, and Adults Receiving TANF Assistance by Jurisdiction, September 2019.................................................................... 24 Table B-5. Number of Needy Families with Children Receiving Assistance by Jurisdiction, September of Selected Years .................................................................. 26 Table B-6. TANF Assistance Families by Number of Parents by Jurisdiction: September 2019 ......................................................................................................... 28 Appendixes Appendix A. Supplementary Tables ................................................................................. 14 Appendix B. State Tables ............................................................................................... 17 Contacts Author Information ....................................................................................................... 30 Congressional Research Service link to page 18 link to page 21 link to page 6 The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Block Grant: FAQs 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. Appendix A provides additional data on families receiving TANF assistance over time. Appendix B presents a series of tables with state-level data. on TANF expenditures and families receiving assistance. 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 Gene Falk).

Funding and Expenditures

What Is TANF'’s Funding Status? The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act; P.L. 116-136) funds TANF through November 30, 2020. s Funding Status?

P.L. 116-94, the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020, extends TANF funding through May 22, 2020.1

How Are State TANF Programs Funded?

TANF programs are funded through a combination of federal and state funds. In FY2018, 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 bil ion for the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, the Virgin Islands, and American Indian tribes. There is also a contingency fund available that provides extra federal funds to states that meet certain conditions.

Additionally, Additional y, 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 $10.3 billion bil ion per year for the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the territories.

How Much Has the Value of the TANF Basic Block Grant Changed Over Time?

TANF was created in the 1996 welfare reform law, the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (PRWORA, P.L. 104-193). A TANF basic block grant amount—both nationallynational y 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 bil ion in total. From FY1997 through FY2016, that amount remained the same. It was not adjusted for changes that occur over time, such as inflation, the size of the TANF assistance caseload, or changes in the poverty population. During 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.

bil ion. Table 1 shows the state family assistance grant, in both nominal (actual) and real (inflation-adjusted) dollars for each year, FY1997 through FY2018FY2019. In real (inflation-adjusted) terms, the FY2018 FY2019 block grant was 3637% below its value in FY1997. Congressional Research Service 1 The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Block Grant: FAQs Table 1. TANF Basic Block Grant Funding in Nominal and Constant Dollars (In bil ions of $) Cumulative Change in State Family Assistance State Family Assistance the Purchasing Power of Grant (50 states, DC, Grant in FY1997 the State Family Fiscal Year territories, and tribes) Dollars Assistance Grant 1997 $16.567 $16.567 1998 16.567 16.300 -1.6% 1999 16.567 15.993 -3.5 2000 16.567 15.501 -6.4 2001 16.567 15.017 -9.4 2002 16.567 14.796 -10.7 2003 16.567 14.456 -12.7 2004 16.567 14.128 -14.7 2005 16.567 13.679 -17.4 2006 16.567 13.193 -20.4 2007 16.567 12.891 -22.2 2008 16.567 12.342 -25.5 2009 16.567 12.382 -25.3 2010 16.567 12.177 -26.5 2011 16.567 11.862 -28.4 2012 16.567 11.583 -30.1 2013 16.567 11.397 -31.2 2014 16.567 11.215 -32.3 2015 16.567 11.181 -32.5 2016 16.567 11.078 -33.1 2017 16.512 10.819 -34.7 2018 16.512 10.563 -36.2 2019 16.512 10.371 -37.4 Source: Congressional Research Service (CRS), based on data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services % below its value in FY1997.

Table 1. TANF Basic Block Grant Funding in Nominal and Constant Dollars

(In billions of $)

Fiscal Year

State Family Assistance Grant: 50 States, DC, Tribes, and Territories

State Family Assistance Grant Constant 1997 Dollars

Cumulative Percentage Change (constant dollars)

1997

$16.567

$16.567

 

1998

16.567

16.306

-1.6%

1999

16.567

15.991

-3.5

2000

16.567

15.498

-6.5

2001

16.567

15.020

-9.3

2002

16.567

14.792

-10.7

2003

16.567

14.456

-12.7

2004

16.567

14.124

-14.7

2005

16.567

13.680

-17.4

2006

16.567

13.190

-20.4

2007

16.567

12.893

-22.2

2008

16.567

12.345

-25.5

2009

16.567

12.382

-25.3

2010

16.567

12.182

-26.5

2011

16.567

11.859

-28.4

2012

16.567

11.585

-30.1

2013

16.567

11.394

-31.2

2014

16.567

11.217

-32.3

2015

16.567

11.179

-32.5

2016

16.567

11.082

-33.1

2017

16.512

10.820

-34.7

2018

16.512

10.564

-36.2

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 (HHS), and the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Notes: Constant dol ars were computed using the Consumer Price Index for all al Urban Consumers (CPI -U). -U).

How Have States Used TANF Funds?

In FY2018, a total of $31.3 billion bil ion of both federal TANF and state MOE expenditures were either expended or transferred to other block grant programs. Assistance—ongoing benefits to families to meet basic needs—represented 21% ($6.7 billionbil ion) of total FY2018 TANF and MOE dollars.

TANF is a major contributor of child care funding. In FY2018, $5.3 billionbil ion (17% of all al TANF and MOE funds) were either expended on child care or transferred to the child care block grant (the Congressional Research Service 2 link to page 7 link to page 21 link to page 24 link to page 27 The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Block Grant: FAQs Child Care and Development Fund, or CCDF). TANF work-related activities (including education and training) were the third-largest TANF and MOE spending category at $3.3 billionbil ion, or 11% 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 (EITC). TANF and MOE expenditures on refundable tax credits in FY2018 totaled $2.8 billionbil ion, or 9% of total TANF and MOE spending.

TANF and MOE funds also help fund state prekindergarten (pre-K) programs, with total FY2018 expenditures for that category at $2.6 bil ion. 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, spending about $2.4 billion bil ion on such activities. TANF and MOE funds also help fund state prekindergarten (pre-K) programs, with total FY2018 expenditures for that category at $2.6 billion. TANF and MOE funds are also used for short-term and emergency benefits and a wide range of other social services. Figure 1 shows the uses of federal TANF grants to states and state MOE funds in FY2018.

Figure 1. Uses of TANF Funds by Spending Category, FY2018

(Dollars in billions)

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

Note: Detail may not add to totals because of rounding. Excludes TANF funds used in the territories and in tribal TANF programs.

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

How Much of the TANF Grant Has Gone Unspent?

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

At the end of FY2018 (September 30, 2018, the most recent data currently available), a total of $5.1 bil ion $5.1 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 FY2018, states had made such commitments to spend—that is, had obligated—a total of $1.4 billionbil ion. At the end of FY2018, states had $3.7 billion of "bil ion of “unobligated balances." These funds are available available to states to make new spending commitments. Table B-3 shows unspent TANF funds by state.

by state. Congressional Research Service 3 link to page 8 link to page 28 The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Block Grant: FAQs The Caseload 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 assistanceassistance. There is no complete reporting on families receiving other TANF benefits and services.

Assistance “Assistance” is defined as benefits provided to families to meet ongoing, basic needs.21 It is most often paid in cash. However, some states use TANF or MOE funds to provide an "earnings supplement"supplement” to working parents added to monthly Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) allotmentsal otments. These "earnings supplements" are paid separately from the regular TANF cash assistance program. AdditionallyAdditional y, TANF MOE dollars are used to fund food assistance for immigrants barred from regular SNAP benefits in certain states. These forms of nutrition aid meet an ongoing need, and thus are considered TANF assistance.

As discussed in a previous section of this report, TANF basic assistance accounts for about 24% of all 21% of al TANF expenditures. Therefore, the federal reporting requirements that pertain to families receiving "assistance"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? Funded "Assistance"?

Table 2 provides assistance caseload information. A total of 1.2 million1 mil ion families, composed of 3.1 million 2.9 mil ion recipients, received TANF- or MOE-funded assistance in September 20182019 (as of June 2020, the latest data available). The bulk of the "recipients"“recipients” were children—2.3 million1 mil ion in that month. For state-by-state assistance caseloads, seesee Table B-4.

Table 2. TANF Assistance Caseload: September 2019 Families 1,090,066 Recipients 2,863,340 Child Recipients 2,106,950 Adult Recipients 756,390 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 Table 2. TANF Assistance Caseload: September 2018

Families

1,175,335

Recipients

3,104,094

Child Recipients

2,280,173

Adult Recipients

823,921

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.

1 T he definition of T ANF assistance is not in statute. However, because the statutory language has most T ANF 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. Congressional Research Service 4 link to page 9 link to page 18 The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Block Grant: FAQs 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 TANF or its predecessor program, from July 1959 to September 20172019. The shaded areas of the figure represent months when the national economy was in recession. Though the health of the national economy has affected the trend in the cash assistance caseload, the long- term trend in receipt of cash assistance does not follow a classic countercyclical pattern. Such a pattern would have the caseload rise during economic slumps, and then fall fal again during periods of economic growth. Factors other than the health of the economy (demographic trends, policy changes) also have 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 millionmil ion families. The assistance caseload fell fel 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 millionmil ion families in August 2008, peaking in December 2010 at close to 2.0 millionmil ion families. By September 20182019, the assistance caseload had declined to 1.2 million families.

1 mil ion families. As of June 2020, TANF assistance caseload data are unavailable for the early part of 2020, including months of the economic recession associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. Figure 2. Number of Families Receiving Cash Assistance, July 1959-September 2018

Source: Congressional 2019 Source: Congressional Research Service (CRS), with data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Services (HHS). (HHS).

Notes: Shaded areas denote months when the national economy was in recession. Information represents families families receiving cash assistance from Aid to Dependent Children (ADC), Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC), and TANF. For October 1999 through September 2018201 9, includes families receiving assistance from Separate State Programs (SSPs) with expenditures countable toward the TANF maintenance of effort requirement. See See Table A-1 for average annual data on families, recipients, adult recipients, and child recipients of ADC, AFDC, and TANF cash assistance for 1961 to 2017.

2019. Congressional Research Service 5 link to page 30 link to page 11 The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Block Grant: FAQs Table B-5 shows recent trends in the number of cash assistance families by state.

What Are the Characteristics of Families Receiving TANF Assistance?

Before PRWORA, the "typical"“typical” family receiving assistance hashad been headed by a single parent (usually (usual y the mother) with one or two children. That single parent has also typicallyhad also typical y been unemployed. However, over the past 20 years 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 TANF. In FY1988, an estimated 84% of AFDC families were headed by an unemployed adult recipient. In FY2016 FY2018, families with an unemployed adult recipient represented 32% of all al 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 assistance caseload. In FY1994, a monthly average of 3.8 million mil ion families per month who received AFDC cash assistance had adult recipients who were not working. In FY2016FY2018, a monthly average of 485394,000 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 represented by families with employed adults and "child only" families has increased. In FY2017, families with all adult recipients unemployed and families with employed adult recipients each represented 31% of all assistance families. The latter“child-only” families has increased. The first category includes families in "earnings supplement" programs separate from the regular TANF cash assistance program. "Child-only"In FY2018, families with an employed adult comprised 27% of al TANF families. Child-only TANF 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 FY2017FY2018 was 3841%. In FY2017FY2018, families with a nonrecipientnon-recipient, nonparent relative (grandparents, aunts, uncles) represented 1416% of all al assistance families. Families with ineligible, noncitizen adults or adults who have not reported their citizenship status made up 910% of the assistance caseload in that year. Families where the parent received Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and the children received TANF also made up 910% of all al assistance families in FY2017.

FY2018. Congressional Research Service 6 link to page 12 The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Block Grant: FAQs Figure 3. Characteristics of Assistance Families,
Selected Years FY1988 to FY2017

FY2018 Source: Congressional Research Service (CRS) tabulations of the TANF national data files.

Notes: TANF cash assistance caseload includes families receiving 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 al 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 usuallyusual y 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 financiallyfinancial y sanctioned for not meeting 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 motherparent caring for two children (family of three) in July 2018.32 The benefit amounts shown are those for a single- parent family with two children.43 For a family of three, the maximum TANF benefit paid in July 2018 varied from $170 per month in Mississippi to $1,039 per month in New Hampshire. The map shows a regional pattern to the maximum monthly benefit paid, with lower benefit amounts 2 States are not required to report to the federal government their cash assistance benefit amounts in either the T ANF state plan (under Section 402 of the Social Security Act) or in annual program reports (unde r Section 411 of the Social Security Act). T he 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 substate geography. Congressional Research Service 7 The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Block Grant: FAQs in the South than in other regions. Only New Hampshire (at 60% of the federal poverty guidelines) had a maximum TANF cash assistance amount for this sized family in excess of 50% of poverty-level income.5

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 2018

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

TANF Work Participation Standards

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

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 participationpartic ipation in work or activities—that is, a family member must be in specified activities for a minimum number of hours.65 There is a separate participation standard that applies to the two-parent portion 4 In 2018, the HHS poverty guidelines for the contiguous 48 states and the District of Columbia for a family of three was $1,732 per month. Higher poverty lines applied in Alaska ($2,165 per month for a family of three) and Hawaii ($1,992 per month for a family of three). 5 Families without a work-eligible individual are excluded from the participat ion rate calculation. It excludes families where the parent is a nonrecipient (for example, disabled receiving Supplemental Security Income or an ineligible noncitizen) or the children in the family are being cared for by a nonparent relative (e.g., grandp arent, aunt, uncle) who does not receive assistance on his or her behalf. Congressional Research Service 8 The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Block Grant: FAQs of a state’ 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.

standards. 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, Additional y, under a regulatory provision, a state may get "extra"“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 do not 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 not meeting 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 wel 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 "’s “TANF program," but with expenditures countable toward the TANF MOE.
  • HHS was instructed to provide definition to the allowableal owable 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"“harmless” for caseload increases affecting the work participation standards for FY2009 through FY2011. It did so by allowingal owing states to "freeze"“freeze” caseload reduction credits at pre-recession levels through the FY2011 standards.

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"“al -families” work participation rate is computed and compared with the allal -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' state’s caseload reduction credit).

Congressional Research Service 9 link to page 14 link to page 15 The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Block Grant: FAQs Figure 5 shows the national average allal -families work participation rate for FY2002 through FY2018. For the period FY2002 through FY2011, states achieved an average allal -families work participation rate hovering around 30%. 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 for work.7

Figure 5. National Average TANF Work Participation Rate for All Families, FY2002-FY2018

FY2002-FY2018 Source: Congressional Research Service (CRS), based on data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Services (HHS). (HHS).

How Many Jurisdictions Did Not Meet the All-Families Standard?

Figure 6 shows which states and territories did not meet the TANF allal -families work participation standards from FY2006 through FY2018. Before FY2007, the first year that DRA was effective, only a few jurisdictions did not meet TANF allal -families work participation standards. However, in FY2007, 15 jurisdictions did not meet the allal -families standard. 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 or territories did not meet the allal -family standard, the largest number of statesjurisdictions that did not meet their participation standards in any one year since the enactment of TANF. FY2012 was the year that ARRA's "freeze"’s “freeze” of the caseload reduction credit expired, and states were generallyjurisdictions were general y required to meet higher standards than in previous years.

The number of jurisdictions that did not meet the all-familiesal -families participation standard declined over the FY2012 to FY2017FY2018 period. In FY2018, Montana was the only jurisdiction that did not meet the all-family participation standard.

Figure 6.States this standard. 6 See CRS In Focus IF10856, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families: Work Requirements. Congressional Research Service 10 The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Block Grant: FAQs Figure 6. Jurisdictions That Met or Did Not Meet the TANF All-Families Work Participation Standard: FY2006-FY2018

(Changes to TANF work participation standard rules under the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 [DRA], effective in FY2007)

ef ective in FY2007) Source: Congressional Research Service (CRS), based on data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Services (HHS). Congressional Research Service 11 link to page 17 The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Block Grant: FAQs Have Jurisdictions(HHS).

Have States Met the Two-Parent Work Participation Standard?

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

Figure 7 shows whether each state or territory met its two-parent work participation standard for FY2006 through FY2018. However, the display on the table is more complex than that for reporting whether a statejurisdiction met or did not meet its "all family"“al family” rate.

A substantial number of states and territories have reported no two-parent families subject to the work participation standard. These statesjurisdictions are denoted on the table with an "NA," indicating that the two-parent standard was not applicable to the statejurisdiction in that year. Before the changes made by the DRA were effective, a number of statesjurisdictions 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 statesjurisdictions 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 For jurisdictions with two-parent families in their caseloads, the table reports "Yes"“Yes” for states that met the two-parent standard, and "No"“No” for states that did not meet the two-parent standard. Of the 29 jurisdictions that had two-parent families in their FY2018 TANF work participation calculation, 22 met the standard and 7 did not.

Congressional Research Service 12 The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Block Grant: FAQs Figure 7.Two-Parent TANF Work Participation Standard, Status by State: FY2006-FY2018

("Yes" FY2018 (“Yes” indicates a state met the standard; "No"“No” indicates the state did not meet the standard; and "NA" “NA” means the standard was not applicable to the state in that year [no two-parent families in its caseload].)

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

Services (HHS). Note: A "qual." state is one that qualifies because it has two-parent families within its TANF or SSP caseload.

Appendix A. Congressional Research Service 13 The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Block Grant: FAQs Appendix A. Supplementary Tables Supplementary Tables

Table A-1. Trends in the Cash Assistance Caseload: 1961-2018

 

 

 

 

 

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

18.9

2015

1.609

4.126

1.155

2.971

4.0

20.4

2016

1.479

3.780

1.037

2.743

3.7

20.7

2017

1.358

3.516

0,930

2.577

3.5

20.1

2018

1.196

3.150

0.833

2.317

3.2

19.5

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 Table A-1. Trends in the Cash Assistance Caseload: 1961-2018 TANF Child Recipients As a As a Percentage Percentage Families Recipients Adults Children of All of All Poor Year (millions) (millions) (millions) (millions) Children 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 Congressional Research Service 14 The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Block Grant: FAQs TANF Child Recipients As a As a Percentage Percentage Families Recipients Adults Children of All of All Poor Year (millions) (millions) (millions) (millions) Children Children 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 18.9 2015 1.609 4.126 1.155 2.971 4.0 20.4 2016 1.479 3.780 1.037 2.743 3.7 20.7 2017 1.358 3.516 0,930 2.577 3.5 20.1 2018 1.196 3.150 0.833 2.317 3.2 19.5 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. not col ected. For those years, TANF children as a percent of all al children and percent of al 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.

. Congressional Research Service 15 The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Block Grant: FAQs Table A-2. Families Receiving AFDC/TANF Assistance by Family Category, Selected Years, FY1988-FY2018 1988 1994 2001 2006 2018 Adult Recipient or Work-Eligible Parent/Not 3,136,56 3,798,99 992,445 825,490 394,316 Working 6 7 Adult Recipient or Work-Eligible Years, FY1988-FY2017

 

AFDC

TANF

 

1988

1994

2001

2006

2017

Number of Families Receiving Assistance

Adult Recipient or Work-Eligible Parent/Not Working

3,136,566

3,798,997

992,445

825,490

434,602

Adult Recipient or Work-Eligible Parent/Working

243,573

378,620

420,794

259,001

435,259

Child-Only/SSI Parent

59,988

171,391

171,951

176,670

126,483

Child-Only/Noncitizen Parent

47,566

184,397

125,900

153,445

133,173

Child-Only/Other Ineligible Parent

51,764

146,227

91,447

158,113

4,370

Child-Only/Caretaker Relative

188,598

328,290

255,984

261,944

198,103

Child-Only/Unknown

19,897

38,341

143,834

122,738

70,882

Totals

3,747,952

5,046,263

2,202,356

1,957,402

1,402,871

Percentage of All Families Receiving Assistance

Adult Recipient or Work-Eligible Parent/Not Working

83.7%

75.3%

45.1%

42.2%

31.0%

Adult Recipient or Work-Eligible Parent/Working 243,573 378,620 420,794 259,001 327,649 Child-Only/SSI Parent 59,988 171,391 171,951 176,670 116,859 Child-Only/Noncitizen Parent 47,566 184,397 125,900 153,445 120,438 Child-Only/Other Ineligible Parent 51,764 146,227 91,447 158,113 3,007 Child-Only/Caretaker Relative 188,598 328,290 255,984 261,944 194,935 Child-Only/Unknown 19,897 38,341 143,834 122,738 70,205 Totals 3,747,95 5,046,26 2,202,35 1,957,40 1,227,41 2 3 6 2 0 Adult Recipient or Work-Eligible Parent/Not 83.7 75.3 45.1 42.2 32.1 Working Adult Recipient or Work-Eligible Parent/Working 6.5 7.5 19.1 13.2 26.7 Child-Only/SSI Parent 1.6 3.4 7.8 9.0 9.5 Child-Only/Noncitizen Parent 1.3 3.7 5.7 7.8 9.8 Child-Only/Other Ineligible Parent 1.4 2.9 4.2 8.1 0.2 Child-Only/Caretaker Relative 5.0 6.5 11.6 13.4 15.9 Child-Only/Unknown 0.5 0.8 6.5 6.3 5.7 Totals 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 Source: Congressional Research Service (CRS) tabulations of Parent/Working

6.5

7.5

19.1

13.2

31.0

Child-Only/SSI Parent

1.6

3.4

7.8

9.0

9.0

Child-Only/Noncitizen Parent

1.3

3.7

5.7

7.8

9.5

Child-Only/Other Ineligible Parent

1.4

2.9

4.2

8.1

0.3

Child-Only/Caretaker Relative

5.0

6.5

11.6

13.4

14.1

Child-Only/Unknown

0.5

0.8

6.5

6.3

5.1

Totals

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, and FY2017FY2018 TANF National Data Files.

Notes: FY2001 through FY2017FY2018 data include families receiving assistance from separate state programs (SSPs) with expenditures countable toward the TANF maintenance of effort (MOE) requirement. For FY2017, TANF families For FY2018, TANF families with an adult recipient include those families with "work-eligible" nonrecipient parents. These include nonrecipient parents who have been time-limited or sanctioned off the rolls, rol s, 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. “child -only” families. Congressional Research Service 16 Appendix B. State Tables State Tables

Table B-1. Use of FY2018 TANF and MOE Funds by Category

(Dollars in millions)

State

Assistance

Child Care

Work, Education, and Training

Refund-able Tax Credits

Pre-K/Head Start

Child Welfare

Administ-ration

Emer-gency Short-Term Benefits

Other Benefits and Services

Totals

Alabama

$20.322

$5.869

$6.318

$0.000

$22.273

$40.456

$19.381

$34.229

$34.613

$183.461

Alaska

42.074

18.167

8.775

0.000

0.000

0.000

8.356

0.303

15.111

92.786

Arizona

41.697

2.547

0.377

0.000

0.000

227.246

19.510

9.483

33.361

334.222

Arkansas

4.099

15.515

14.674

0.000

108.351

0.330

13.143

4.079

4.985

165.175

California

2,329.995

742.572

1,778.602

0.000

0.000

0.003

536.493

254.368

951.812

6,593.846

Colorado

55.969

17.933

10.675

78.133

62.010

46.305

23.917

20.468

65.744

381.154

Connecticut

50.236

39.992

11.732

56.444

76.203

62.230

36.063

19.726

145.736

498.362

Delaware

13.868

76.442

3.791

0.000

0.000

0.000

3.521

2.649

16.273

116.543

District of Columbia

114.482

59.117

29.873

0.000

0.000

0.000

9.730

67.559

8.899

289.659

Florida

160.443

316.879

43.770

0.000

0.000

269.205

70.038

0.902

80.325

941.562

Georgia

95.550

22.183

10.626

0.000

0.000

247.792

19.767

4.672

89.556

490.146

Hawaii

28.603

11.042

41.180

0.000

0.181

0.536

13.425

5.701

98.041

198.708

Idaho

8.219

13.637

2.759

0.000

1.509

1.507

7.759

12.651

1.506

49.547

Illinois

31.883

593.251

19.252

66.150

106.476

242.283

0.062

0.740

83.502

1,143.599

Indiana

14.744

118.452

83.762

27.530

0.000

9.337

24.102

0.388

136.557

414.873

Iowa

33.549

58.003

10.485

25.939

0.000

55.569

5.965

0.298

21.696

211.506

Kansas

13.026

6.673

1.021

49.902

15.198

24.611

11.446

0.001

43.604

165.480

Kentucky

172.118

36.051

29.026

0.000

0.000

0.000

11.201

0.000

13.154

261.549

Louisiana

19.673

11.122

33.016

13.627

45.490

37.556

18.429

11.686

34.916

225.516

Maine

30.393

16.412

12.457

7.592

0.719

8.425

5.099

4.867

31.073

117.038

Maryland

111.809

7.336

28.247

152.658

58.188

26.017

21.845

42.786

51.461

500.347

Massachusetts

197.096

338.728

168.496

173.120

0.000

5.412

37.800

106.280

68.388

1,095.319

Michigan

168.726

27.829

4.868

47.087

187.157

98.198

53.241

66.007

750.442

1,403.556

Minnesota

85.569

156.198

61.434

152.779

5.700

0.000

54.632

24.678

22.180

563.170

Mississippi

7.283

1.715

28.282

0.000

0.000

20.758

16.345

0.000

60.413

134.797

Missouri

35.600

48.658

77.253

0.000

0.000

131.817

7.822

76.644

37.671

415.466

Montana

25.091

9.410

3.931

0.000

0.000

2.460

4.688

2.748

11.092

59.420

Nebraska

26.057

22.244

11.926

33.834

0.000

4.174

5.032

0.146

0.741

104.154

Nevada

38.178

16.590

1.489

0.000

0.000

15.604

8.163

2.721

20.390

103.135

New Hampshire

30.651

4.582

7.689

0.000

0.000

5.309

11.234

7.129

17.733

84.327

New Jersey

81.594

166.219

80.724

348.961

549.240

0.000

51.532

15.091

71.483

1,364.843

New Mexico

55.419

31.278

18.902

71.929

41.168

0.870

4.953

2.919

19.230

246.666

New York

1,489.959

577.447

131.513

1,403.065

498.970

247.188

417.750

313.621

308.739

5,388.252

North Carolina

36.847

216.874

5.437

0.000

120.828

124.292

44.812

5.421

42.710

597.221

North Dakota

3.934

1.074

3.893

0.000

0.000

28.739

4.255

0.019

1.212

43.127

Ohio

236.819

405.938

90.064

0.000

0.000

11.916

110.937

54.605

222.014

1,132.292

Oklahoma

29.493

39.188

9.354

0.000

12.079

14.304

8.623

3.155

30.506

146.702

Oregon

83.385

11.175

16.521

3.381

8.630

14.588

41.043

32.056

65.658

276.435

Pennsylvania

167.239

478.148

102.955

0.000

176.997

0.000

73.820

14.928

140.721

1,154.808

Rhode Island

25.472

40.366

9.874

22.705

0.000

23.308

8.839

24.855

12.235

167.654

South Carolina

52.919

4.085

33.401

0.000

26.382

5.050

18.931

0.000

23.993

164.761

South Dakota

15.094

0.803

3.517

0.000

0.000

4.863

2.016

3.451

2.896

32.639

Tennessee

18.417

0.000

7.592

0.000

85.990

0.000

26.241

0.000

0.187

138.426

Texas

53.170

0.000

84.856

0.000

340.550

240.425

77.213

3.802

62.412

862.428

Utah

18.920

23.452

22.689

0.000

7.767

3.750

13.811

2.963

25.509

118.861

Vermont

14.148

29.849

1.989

18.312

0.000

5.770

6.032

1.317

15.925

93.342

Virginia

67.733

37.011

39.856

0.000

4.383

8.160

40.268

4.727

76.812

278.950

Washington

135.807

227.095

101.517

0.000

39.450

0.000

122.470

58.065

374.341

1,058.746

West Virginia

26.206

16.242

0.473

0.000

0.000

31.757

14.329

12.749

25.317

127.074

Wisconsin

82.282

203.163

26.142

69.700

0.000

5.364

26.429

38.640

129.371

581.091

Wyoming

9.075

1.554

3.033

0.000

0.939

0.000

4.270

3.175

1.582

23.628

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Totals

6,710.93

5,326.11

3,340.09

2,822.85

2,602.83

2,353.48

2,196.78

1,379.47

4,603.83

31,336.37

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

Note: Excludes TANF funds used in the territories Table B-1. Use of FY2018 TANF and MOE Funds by Category (Dol ars in mil ions) Emer- Work, gency Other Education, Refund- Pre- Short- Benefits Child and able Tax K/Head Child Administ- Term and State Assistance Care Training Credits Start Welfare ration Benefits Services Totals Alabama $20.322 $5.869 $6.318 $0.000 $22.273 $40.456 $19.381 $34.229 $34.613 $183.461 Alaska 42.074 18.167 8.775 0.000 0.000 0.000 8.356 0.303 15.111 92.786 Arizona 41.697 2.547 0.377 0.000 0.000 227.246 19.510 9.483 33.361 334.222 Arkansas 4.099 15.515 14.674 0.000 108.351 0.330 13.143 4.079 4.985 165.175 California 2,329.995 742.572 1,778.602 0.000 0.000 0.003 536.493 254.368 951.812 6,593.846 Colorado 55.969 17.933 10.675 78.133 62.010 46.305 23.917 20.468 65.744 381.154 Connecticut 50.236 39.992 11.732 56.444 76.203 62.230 36.063 19.726 145.736 498.362 Delaware 13.868 76.442 3.791 0.000 0.000 0.000 3.521 2.649 16.273 116.543 District of Columbia 114.482 59.117 29.873 0.000 0.000 0.000 9.730 67.559 8.899 289.659 Florida 160.443 316.879 43.770 0.000 0.000 269.205 70.038 0.902 80.325 941.562 Georgia 95.550 22.183 10.626 0.000 0.000 247.792 19.767 4.672 89.556 490.146 Hawai 28.603 11.042 41.180 0.000 0.181 0.536 13.425 5.701 98.041 198.708 Idaho 8.219 13.637 2.759 0.000 1.509 1.507 7.759 12.651 1.506 49.547 Il inois 31.883 593.251 19.252 66.150 106.476 242.283 0.062 0.740 83.502 1,143.599 Indiana 14.744 118.452 83.762 27.530 0.000 9.337 24.102 0.388 136.557 414.873 Iowa 33.549 58.003 10.485 25.939 0.000 55.569 5.965 0.298 21.696 211.506 Kansas 13.026 6.673 1.021 49.902 15.198 24.611 11.446 0.001 43.604 165.480 Kentucky 172.118 36.051 29.026 0.000 0.000 0.000 11.201 0.000 13.154 261.549 CRS-17 Emer- Work, gency Other Education, Refund- Pre- Short- Benefits Child and able Tax K/Head Child Administ- Term and State Assistance Care Training Credits Start Welfare ration Benefits Services Totals Louisiana 19.673 11.122 33.016 13.627 45.490 37.556 18.429 11.686 34.916 225.516 Maine 30.393 16.412 12.457 7.592 0.719 8.425 5.099 4.867 31.073 117.038 Maryland 111.809 7.336 28.247 152.658 58.188 26.017 21.845 42.786 51.461 500.347 Massachusetts 197.096 338.728 168.496 173.120 0.000 5.412 37.800 106.280 68.388 1,095.319 Michigan 168.726 27.829 4.868 47.087 187.157 98.198 53.241 66.007 750.442 1,403.556 Minnesota 85.569 156.198 61.434 152.779 5.700 0.000 54.632 24.678 22.180 563.170 Mississippi 7.283 1.715 28.282 0.000 0.000 20.758 16.345 0.000 60.413 134.797 Missouri 35.600 48.658 77.253 0.000 0.000 131.817 7.822 76.644 37.671 415.466 Montana 25.091 9.410 3.931 0.000 0.000 2.460 4.688 2.748 11.092 59.420 Nebraska 26.057 22.244 11.926 33.834 0.000 4.174 5.032 0.146 0.741 104.154 Nevada 38.178 16.590 1.489 0.000 0.000 15.604 8.163 2.721 20.390 103.135 New Hampshire 30.651 4.582 7.689 0.000 0.000 5.309 11.234 7.129 17.733 84.327 New Jersey 81.594 166.219 80.724 348.961 549.240 0.000 51.532 15.091 71.483 1,364.843 New Mexico 55.419 31.278 18.902 71.929 41.168 0.870 4.953 2.919 19.230 246.666 New York 1,489.959 577.447 131.513 1,403.065 498.970 247.188 417.750 313.621 308.739 5,388.252 North Carolina 36.847 216.874 5.437 0.000 120.828 124.292 44.812 5.421 42.710 597.221 North Dakota 3.934 1.074 3.893 0.000 0.000 28.739 4.255 0.019 1.212 43.127 Ohio 236.819 405.938 90.064 0.000 0.000 11.916 110.937 54.605 222.014 1,132.292 Oklahoma 29.493 39.188 9.354 0.000 12.079 14.304 8.623 3.155 30.506 146.702 Oregon 83.385 11.175 16.521 3.381 8.630 14.588 41.043 32.056 65.658 276.435 Pennsylvania 167.239 478.148 102.955 0.000 176.997 0.000 73.820 14.928 140.721 1,154.808 Rhode Island 25.472 40.366 9.874 22.705 0.000 23.308 8.839 24.855 12.235 167.654 CRS-18 Emer- Work, gency Other Education, Refund- Pre- Short- Benefits Child and able Tax K/Head Child Administ- Term and State Assistance Care Training Credits Start Welfare ration Benefits Services Totals South Carolina 52.919 4.085 33.401 0.000 26.382 5.050 18.931 0.000 23.993 164.761 South Dakota 15.094 0.803 3.517 0.000 0.000 4.863 2.016 3.451 2.896 32.639 Tennessee 18.417 0.000 7.592 0.000 85.990 0.000 26.241 0.000 0.187 138.426 Texas 53.170 0.000 84.856 0.000 340.550 240.425 77.213 3.802 62.412 862.428 Utah 18.920 23.452 22.689 0.000 7.767 3.750 13.811 2.963 25.509 118.861 Vermont 14.148 29.849 1.989 18.312 0.000 5.770 6.032 1.317 15.925 93.342 Virginia 67.733 37.011 39.856 0.000 4.383 8.160 40.268 4.727 76.812 278.950 Washington 135.807 227.095 101.517 0.000 39.450 0.000 122.470 58.065 374.341 1,058.746 West Virginia 26.206 16.242 0.473 0.000 0.000 31.757 14.329 12.749 25.317 127.074 Wisconsin 82.282 203.163 26.142 69.700 0.000 5.364 26.429 38.640 129.371 581.091 Wyoming 9.075 1.554 3.033 0.000 0.939 0.000 4.270 3.175 1.582 23.628 Totals 6,710.93 5,326.11 3,340.09 2,822.85 2,602.83 2,353.48 2,196.78 1,379.47 4,603.83 31,336.37 Source: Congressional Research Service (CRS), based on data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Note: Excludes TANF funds used in the territories and in tribal TANF programs. CRS-19 and in tribal TANF programs.

Table B-2. Uses of FY2018 TANF and MOE Funds by Category as a Percentage of Total Federal TANF and State MOE Spending

State

Assistance

Child Care

Work, Education and Training

Refund-able Tax Credits

Pre-K/Head Start

Child Welfare

Admin-istration

Emer-gency Short-Term Benefits

Other Benefits and Services

Totals

Alabama

11.1%

3.2%

3.4%

0.0%

12.1%

22.1%

10.6%

18.7%

18.9%

100.0%

Alaska

45.3

19.6

9.5

0.0

0.0

0.0

9.0

0.3

16.3

100.0

Arizona

12.5

0.8

0.1

0.0

0.0

68.0

5.8

2.8

10.0

100.0

Arkansas

2.5

9.4

8.9

0.0

65.6

0.2

8.0

2.5

3.0

100.0

California

35.3

11.3

27.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

8.1

3.9

14.4

100.0

Colorado

14.7

4.7

2.8

20.5

16.3

12.1

6.3

5.4

17.2

100.0

Connecticut

10.1

8.0

2.4

11.3

15.3

12.5

7.2

4.0

29.2

100.0

Delaware

11.9

65.6

3.3

0.0

0.0

0.0

3.0

2.3

14.0

100.0

District of Columbia

39.5

20.4

10.3

0.0

0.0

0.0

3.4

23.3

3.1

100.0

Florida

17.0

33.7

4.6

0.0

0.0

28.6

7.4

0.1

8.5

100.0

Georgia

19.5

4.5

2.2

0.0

0.0

50.6

4.0

1.0

18.3

100.0

Hawaii

14.4

5.6

20.7

0.0

0.1

0.3

6.8

2.9

49.3

100.0

Idaho

16.6

27.5

5.6

0.0

3.0

3.0

15.7

25.5

3.0

100.0

Illinois

2.8

51.9

1.7

5.8

9.3

21.2

0.0

0.1

7.3

100.0

Indiana

3.6

28.6

20.2

6.6

0.0

2.3

5.8

0.1

32.9

100.0

Iowa

15.9

27.4

5.0

12.3

0.0

26.3

2.8

0.1

10.3

100.0

Kansas

7.9

4.0

0.6

30.2

9.2

14.9

6.9

0.0

26.3

100.0

Kentucky

65.8

13.8

11.1

0.0

0.0

0.0

4.3

0.0

5.0

100.0

Louisiana

8.7

4.9

14.6

6.0

20.2

16.7

8.2

5.2

15.5

100.0

Maine

26.0

14.0

10.6

6.5

0.6

7.2

4.4

4.2

26.5

100.0

Maryland

22.3

1.5

5.6

30.5

11.6

5.2

4.4

8.6

10.3

100.0

Massachusetts

18.0

30.9

15.4

15.8

0.0

0.5

3.5

9.7

6.2

100.0

Michigan

12.0

2.0

0.3

3.4

13.3

7.0

3.8

4.7

53.5

100.0

Minnesota

15.2

27.7

10.9

27.1

1.0

0.0

9.7

4.4

3.9

100.0

Mississippi

5.4

1.3

21.0

0.0

0.0

15.4

12.1

0.0

44.8

100.0

Missouri

8.6

11.7

18.6

0.0

0.0

31.7

1.9

18.4

9.1

100.0

Montana

42.2

15.8

6.6

0.0

0.0

4.1

7.9

4.6

18.7

100.0

Nebraska

25.0

21.4

11.5

32.5

0.0

4.0

4.8

0.1

0.7

100.0

Nevada

37.0

16.1

1.4

0.0

0.0

15.1

7.9

2.6

19.8

100.0

New Hampshire

36.3

5.4

9.1

0.0

0.0

6.3

13.3

8.5

21.0

100.0

New Jersey

6.0

12.2

5.9

25.6

40.2

0.0

3.8

1.1

5.2

100.0

New Mexico

22.5

12.7

7.7

29.2

16.7

0.4

2.0

1.2

7.8

100.0

New York

27.7

10.7

2.4

26.0

9.3

4.6

7.8

5.8

5.7

100.0

North Carolina

6.2

36.3

0.9

0.0

20.2

20.8

7.5

0.9

7.2

100.0

North Dakota

9.1

2.5

9.0

0.0

0.0

66.6

9.9

0.0

2.8

100.0

Ohio

20.9

35.9

8.0

0.0

0.0

1.1

9.8

4.8

19.6

100.0

Oklahoma

20.1

26.7

6.4

0.0

8.2

9.8

5.9

2.2

20.8

100.0

Oregon

30.2

4.0

6.0

1.2

3.1

5.3

14.8

11.6

23.8

100.0

Pennsylvania

14.5

41.4

8.9

0.0

15.3

0.0

6.4

1.3

12.2

100.0

Rhode Island

15.2

24.1

5.9

13.5

0.0

13.9

5.3

14.8

7.3

100.0

South Carolina

32.1

2.5

20.3

0.0

16.0

3.1

11.5

0.0

14.6

100.0

South Dakota

46.2

2.5

10.8

0.0

0.0

14.9

6.2

10.6

8.9

100.0

Tennessee

13.3

0.0

5.5

0.0

62.1

0.0

19.0

0.0

0.1

100.0

Texas

6.2

0.0

9.8

0.0

39.5

27.9

9.0

0.4

7.2

100.0

Utah

15.9

19.7

19.1

0.0

6.5

3.2

11.6

2.5

21.5

100.0

Vermont

15.2

32.0

2.1

19.6

0.0

6.2

6.5

1.4

17.1

100.0

Virginia

24.3

13.3

14.3

0.0

1.6

2.9

14.4

1.7

27.5

100.0

Washington

12.8

21.4

9.6

0.0

3.7

0.0

11.6

5.5

35.4

100.0

West Virginia

20.6

12.8

0.4

0.0

0.0

25.0

11.3

10.0

19.9

100.0

Wisconsin

14.2

35.0

4.5

12.0

0.0

0.9

4.5

6.6

22.3

100.0

Wyoming

38.4

6.6

12.8

0.0

4.0

0.0

18.1

13.4

6.7

100.0

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Totals

21.4

17.0

10.7

9.0

8.3

7.5

7.0

4.4

14.7

100.0

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

Note: Excludes TANF funds used in the territories Table B-2. Uses of FY2018 TANF and MOE Funds by Category as a Percentage of Total Federal TANF and State MOE Spending Emer- Work, gency Other Education Refund- Pre- Short- Benefits Child and able Tax K/Head Child Admin- Term and State Assistance Care Training Credits Start Welfare istration Benefits Services Totals Alabama 11.1% 3.2% 3.4% 0.0% 12.1% 22.1% 10.6% 18.7% 18.9% 100.0% Alaska 45.3 19.6 9.5 0.0 0.0 0.0 9.0 0.3 16.3 100.0 Arizona 12.5 0.8 0.1 0.0 0.0 68.0 5.8 2.8 10.0 100.0 Arkansas 2.5 9.4 8.9 0.0 65.6 0.2 8.0 2.5 3.0 100.0 California 35.3 11.3 27.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 8.1 3.9 14.4 100.0 Colorado 14.7 4.7 2.8 20.5 16.3 12.1 6.3 5.4 17.2 100.0 Connecticut 10.1 8.0 2.4 11.3 15.3 12.5 7.2 4.0 29.2 100.0 Delaware 11.9 65.6 3.3 0.0 0.0 0.0 3.0 2.3 14.0 100.0 District of Columbia 39.5 20.4 10.3 0.0 0.0 0.0 3.4 23.3 3.1 100.0 Florida 17.0 33.7 4.6 0.0 0.0 28.6 7.4 0.1 8.5 100.0 Georgia 19.5 4.5 2.2 0.0 0.0 50.6 4.0 1.0 18.3 100.0 Hawai 14.4 5.6 20.7 0.0 0.1 0.3 6.8 2.9 49.3 100.0 Idaho 16.6 27.5 5.6 0.0 3.0 3.0 15.7 25.5 3.0 100.0 Il inois 2.8 51.9 1.7 5.8 9.3 21.2 0.0 0.1 7.3 100.0 Indiana 3.6 28.6 20.2 6.6 0.0 2.3 5.8 0.1 32.9 100.0 Iowa 15.9 27.4 5.0 12.3 0.0 26.3 2.8 0.1 10.3 100.0 Kansas 7.9 4.0 0.6 30.2 9.2 14.9 6.9 0.0 26.3 100.0 Kentucky 65.8 13.8 11.1 0.0 0.0 0.0 4.3 0.0 5.0 100.0 Louisiana 8.7 4.9 14.6 6.0 20.2 16.7 8.2 5.2 15.5 100.0 Maine 26.0 14.0 10.6 6.5 0.6 7.2 4.4 4.2 26.5 100.0 CRS-20 Emer- Work, gency Other Education Refund- Pre- Short- Benefits Child and able Tax K/Head Child Admin- Term and State Assistance Care Training Credits Start Welfare istration Benefits Services Totals Maryland 22.3 1.5 5.6 30.5 11.6 5.2 4.4 8.6 10.3 100.0 Massachusetts 18.0 30.9 15.4 15.8 0.0 0.5 3.5 9.7 6.2 100.0 Michigan 12.0 2.0 0.3 3.4 13.3 7.0 3.8 4.7 53.5 100.0 Minnesota 15.2 27.7 10.9 27.1 1.0 0.0 9.7 4.4 3.9 100.0 Mississippi 5.4 1.3 21.0 0.0 0.0 15.4 12.1 0.0 44.8 100.0 Missouri 8.6 11.7 18.6 0.0 0.0 31.7 1.9 18.4 9.1 100.0 Montana 42.2 15.8 6.6 0.0 0.0 4.1 7.9 4.6 18.7 100.0 Nebraska 25.0 21.4 11.5 32.5 0.0 4.0 4.8 0.1 0.7 100.0 Nevada 37.0 16.1 1.4 0.0 0.0 15.1 7.9 2.6 19.8 100.0 New Hampshire 36.3 5.4 9.1 0.0 0.0 6.3 13.3 8.5 21.0 100.0 New Jersey 6.0 12.2 5.9 25.6 40.2 0.0 3.8 1.1 5.2 100.0 New Mexico 22.5 12.7 7.7 29.2 16.7 0.4 2.0 1.2 7.8 100.0 New York 27.7 10.7 2.4 26.0 9.3 4.6 7.8 5.8 5.7 100.0 North Carolina 6.2 36.3 0.9 0.0 20.2 20.8 7.5 0.9 7.2 100.0 North Dakota 9.1 2.5 9.0 0.0 0.0 66.6 9.9 0.0 2.8 100.0 Ohio 20.9 35.9 8.0 0.0 0.0 1.1 9.8 4.8 19.6 100.0 Oklahoma 20.1 26.7 6.4 0.0 8.2 9.8 5.9 2.2 20.8 100.0 Oregon 30.2 4.0 6.0 1.2 3.1 5.3 14.8 11.6 23.8 100.0 Pennsylvania 14.5 41.4 8.9 0.0 15.3 0.0 6.4 1.3 12.2 100.0 Rhode Island 15.2 24.1 5.9 13.5 0.0 13.9 5.3 14.8 7.3 100.0 South Carolina 32.1 2.5 20.3 0.0 16.0 3.1 11.5 0.0 14.6 100.0 South Dakota 46.2 2.5 10.8 0.0 0.0 14.9 6.2 10.6 8.9 100.0 CRS-21 Emer- Work, gency Other Education Refund- Pre- Short- Benefits Child and able Tax K/Head Child Admin- Term and State Assistance Care Training Credits Start Welfare istration Benefits Services Totals Tennessee 13.3 0.0 5.5 0.0 62.1 0.0 19.0 0.0 0.1 100.0 Texas 6.2 0.0 9.8 0.0 39.5 27.9 9.0 0.4 7.2 100.0 Utah 15.9 19.7 19.1 0.0 6.5 3.2 11.6 2.5 21.5 100.0 Vermont 15.2 32.0 2.1 19.6 0.0 6.2 6.5 1.4 17.1 100.0 Virginia 24.3 13.3 14.3 0.0 1.6 2.9 14.4 1.7 27.5 100.0 Washington 12.8 21.4 9.6 0.0 3.7 0.0 11.6 5.5 35.4 100.0 West Virginia 20.6 12.8 0.4 0.0 0.0 25.0 11.3 10.0 19.9 100.0 Wisconsin 14.2 35.0 4.5 12.0 0.0 0.9 4.5 6.6 22.3 100.0 Wyoming 38.4 6.6 12.8 0.0 4.0 0.0 18.1 13.4 6.7 100.0 Totals 21.4 17.0 10.7 9.0 8.3 7.5 7.0 4.4 14.7 100.0 Source: Congressional Research Service (CRS) based on data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Note: Excludes TANF funds used in the territories and in tribal TANF programs. CRS-22 The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Block Grant: FAQs and in tribal TANF programs.

Table B-3. Unspent TANF Funds at the End of FY2018

(September 30, 2018, in mil ions of dol ars) Obligated But Unobligated and State Not Spent Unspent Alabama $0.0 $86.4 Alaska 0.0 36.3 Arizona 0.0 49.4 Arkansas 20.4 53.4 California 257.8 0.0 Colorado 0.0 104.5 Connecticut 0.0 0.0 Delaware 0.6 14.1 District of Columbia 0.0 48.7 Florida 15.9 0.0 Georgia 10.7 66.8 Hawai 20.7 280.6 Idaho 0.0 13.8 Il inois 0.0 0.0 Indiana 13.7 50.8 Iowa 0.7 0.0 Kansas 2.0 73.8 Kentucky 0.0 63.8 Louisiana 9.5 0.0 Maine 14.2 130.8 Maryland 0.0 8.6 Massachusetts 0.0 0.0 Michigan 0.0 56.1 Minnesota 0.0 58.0 Mississippi 0.0 8.4 Missouri 0.0 5.3 Montana 0.0 15.6 Nebraska 0.0 70.4 Nevada 0.0 32.8 New Hampshire 0.0 55.4 Congressional Research Service 23 The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Block Grant: FAQs Obligated But Unobligated and State Not Spent Unspent New Jersey 10.9 11.1 New Mexico 0.0 88.7 New York 34.1 513.3 North Carolina 51.1 0.0 North Dakota 1.9 0.0 Ohio 542.3 0.5 Oklahoma 134.5 0.0 Oregon 0.0 13.8 Pennsylvania 77.4 430.7 Rhode Island 0.0 16.8 South Carolina 0.0 0.0 South Dakota 0.0 19.6 Tennessee 0.0 570.7 Texas 204.9 123.5 Utah 0.0 60.6 Vermont 0.0 0.0 Virginia 6.9 133.9 Washington 0.0 48.4 West Virginia 0.0 74.6 Wisconsin 0.0 175.6 Wyoming 4.5 25.4 Totals 1,434.9 3,691.1 Source: Congressional Research Service (CRS), based on data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Note: Excludes TANF funds used in the territories (September 30, 2018, in millions of dollars)

State

Obligated But Not Spent

Unobligated and
Unspent

Alabama

$0.0

$86.4

Alaska

0.0

36.3

Arizona

0.0

49.4

Arkansas

20.4

53.4

California

257.8

0.0

Colorado

0.0

104.5

Connecticut

0.0

0.0

Delaware

0.6

14.1

District of Columbia

0.0

48.7

Florida

15.9

0.0

Georgia

10.7

66.8

Hawaii

20.7

280.6

Idaho

0.0

13.8

Illinois

0.0

0.0

Indiana

13.7

50.8

Iowa

0.7

0.0

Kansas

2.0

73.8

Kentucky

0.0

63.8

Louisiana

9.5

0.0

Maine

14.2

130.8

Maryland

0.0

8.6

Massachusetts

0.0

0.0

Michigan

0.0

56.1

Minnesota

0.0

58.0

Mississippi

0.0

8.4

Missouri

0.0

5.3

Montana

0.0

15.6

Nebraska

0.0

70.4

Nevada

0.0

32.8

New Hampshire

0.0

55.4

New Jersey

10.9

11.1

New Mexico

0.0

88.7

New York

34.1

513.3

North Carolina

51.1

0.0

North Dakota

1.9

0.0

Ohio

542.3

0.5

Oklahoma

134.5

0.0

Oregon

0.0

13.8

Pennsylvania

77.4

430.7

Rhode Island

0.0

16.8

South Carolina

0.0

0.0

South Dakota

0.0

19.6

Tennessee

0.0

570.7

Texas

204.9

123.5

Utah

0.0

60.6

Vermont

0.0

0.0

Virginia

6.9

133.9

Washington

0.0

48.4

West Virginia

0.0

74.6

Wisconsin

0.0

175.6

Wyoming

4.5

25.4

 

 

 

Totals

1,434.9

3,691.1

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

Note: Excludes TANF funds used in the territories and in tribal TANF programs.

and in tribal TANF programs. Table B-4. Number of Families, Recipients, Children, and Adults Receiving TANF Assistance by StateJurisdiction, September 2019 Jurisdiction Families Recipients Children Adults Alabama 7,687 17,453 14,340 3,113 Alaska 2,245 5,876 4,088 1,788 Arizona 7,010 14,003 11,511 2,492 Congressional Research Service 24 The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Block Grant: FAQs Jurisdiction Families Recipients Children Adults Arkansas 2,357 5,296 4,006 1,290 California 367,313 1,186,031 834,509 351,522 Colorado 14,226 35,165 25,631 9,534 Connecticut 7,724 15,857 11,568 4,289 Delaware 3,249 9,060 5,413 3,647 District of Columbia 7,745 22,316 16,169 6,147 Florida 38,093 60,050 51,103 8,947 Georgia 8,837 16,202 15,214 988 Guam 439 974 826 148 Hawai 4,029 11,005 7,829 3,176 Idaho 2,043 2,946 2,859 87 Il inois 10,874 21,635 19,449 2,186 Indiana 5,164 10,425 9,356 1,069 Iowa 8,922 21,527 16,498 5,029 Kansas 4,039 4,039 2,080 1,959 Kentucky 16,586 33,282 29,002 4,280 Louisiana 4,726 11,496 9,619 1,877 Maine 14,634 49,039 30,601 18,438 Maryland 16,469 39,936 29,814 10,122 Massachusetts 50,166 134,451 95,321 39,130 Michigan 10,794 27,295 22,311 4,984 Minnesota 15,399 36,303 28,132 8,171 Mississippi 3,083 5,863 4,864 999 Missouri 9,760 22,622 17,343 5,279 Montana 3,236 7,785 6,049 1,736 Nebraska 4,364 10,775 9,065 1,710 Nevada 8,042 20,194 15,297 4,897 New Hampshire 5,206 12,363 9,028 3,335 New Jersey 8,857 20,115 15,669 4,446 New Mexico 10,087 25,027 18,877 6,150 New York 113,971 293,343 205,260 88,083 North Carolina 13,064 21,922 20,157 1,765 North Dakota 939 2,325 1,986 339 Ohio 51,140 92,366 83,662 8,704 Oklahoma 5,949 13,048 11,389 1,659 Oregon 36,971 108,967 70,854 38,113 Pennsylvania 39,746 97,743 73,234 24,509 Congressional Research Service 25 The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Block Grant: FAQs Jurisdiction Families Recipients Children Adults Puerto Rico 4,475 12,279 7,625 4,654 Rhode Island 4,002 9,809 7,187 2,622 South Carolina 7,649 16,922 14,339 2,583 South Dakota 2,923 5,741 5,329 412 Tennessee 19,221 41,313 33,537 7,776 Texas 22,821 49,308 42,670 6,638 Utah 3,170 7,448 5,572 1,876 Vermont 2,669 6,031 4,369 1,662 Virgin Islands 96 318 222 96 Virginia 19,875 35,582 27,876 7,706 Washington 36,023 86,306 59,713 26,593 West Virginia 6,331 12,481 10,442 2,039 Wisconsin 15,122 32,503 27,173 5,330 Wyoming 504 1,179 913 266 Totals 1,090,066 2,863,340 2,106,950 756,390 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 , September 2018

State

Families

Recipients

Children

Adults

Alabama

8,182

18,425

15,032

3,393

Alaska

2,571

6,815

4,732

2,083

Arizona

7,372

15,106

12,084

3,022

Arkansas

2,859

6,357

4,767

1,590

California

409,043

1,331,457

940,730

390,727

Colorado

12,502

32,692

22,727

9,965

Connecticut

8,964

18,713

13,545

5,168

Delaware

3,761

10,450

6,272

4,178

District of Columbia

5,840

16,632

12,546

4,086

Florida

41,469

65,627

56,117

9,510

Georgia

10,484

20,246

18,353

1,893

Guam

491

1,083

929

154

Hawaii

4,274

11,653

8,294

3,359

Idaho

2,046

2,996

2,912

84

Illinois

11,048

21,810

19,689

2,121

Indiana

6,048

12,053

10,982

1,071

Iowa

9,650

23,295

17,746

5,549

Kansas

4,360

4,359

2,619

1,740

Kentucky

18,774

37,748

32,695

5,053

Louisiana

5,402

13,292

11,007

2,285

Maine

17,367

57,543

35,301

22,242

Maryland

17,352

42,996

32,025

10,971

Massachusetts

50,270

124,630

85,801

38,829

Michigan

12,338

30,453

24,978

5,475

Minnesota

16,973

40,370

31,246

9,124

Mississippi

4,040

7,907

6,399

1,508

Missouri

10,761

24,687

19,063

5,624

Montana

3,691

9,156

7,010

2,146

Nebraska

4,832

11,945

9,954

1,991

Nevada

9,023

22,836

17,191

5,645

New Hampshire

5,257

12,575

9,081

3,494

New Jersey

10,326

23,089

18,000

5,089

New Mexico

10,632

26,529

20,122

6,407

New York

122,363

313,143

221,544

91,599

North Carolina

14,574

25,263

22,791

2,472

North Dakota

984

2,453

2,072

381

Ohio

42,549

75,664

69,415

6,249

Oklahoma

6,176

13,696

11,958

1,738

Oregon

40,932

120,311

77,812

42,499

Pennsylvania

45,022

111,572

83,045

28,527

Puerto Rico

4,992

13,559

8,411

5,148

Rhode Island

4,197

9,954

7,274

2,680

South Carolina

8,314

18,326

15,449

2,877

South Dakota

2,952

5,944

5,489

455

Tennessee

20,951

45,131

36,178

8,953

Texas

26,109

56,501

49,307

7,194

Utah

3,546

8,438

6,290

2,148

Vermont

2,918

6,599

4,703

1,896

Virgin Islands

160

496

334

162

Virginia

20,513

35,157

27,510

7,647

Washington

37,270

88,286

60,717

27,569

West Virginia

6,572

12,845

10,768

2,077

Wisconsin

15,740

34,089

28,275

5,814

Wyoming

499

1,142

882

260

Totals

1,175,335

3,104,094

2,280,173

823,921

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 by Jurisdiction, September of Selected Years

 

Percentage Change to 2018 Percentage Change to 2019 from … Jurisdiction 1994 2010 2018 2019 2018 1994 Alabama 48,752 23,052 8,182 7,687 -6.0 -84.2 Alaska 12,450 3,507 2,571 2,245 -12.7 -82.0 Arizona 72,728 18,774 7,372 7,010 -4.9 -90.4 Arkansas 25,298 8,469 2,859 2,357 -17.6 -90.7 California 916,795 590,121 409,043 367,313 -10.2 -59.9 Colorado 40,544 11,707 12,502 14,226 13.8 -64.9 Connecticut 60,336 16,848 8,964 7,724 -13.8 -87.2 Delaware 11,408 5,508 3,760 3,249 -13.6 -71.5 District of Columbia 27,320 8,547 5,840 7,745 32.6 -71.7 Florida 239,702 57,742 41,469 38,093 -8.1 -84.1 Georgia 141,596 20,133 10,484 8,837 -15.7 -93.8 Guam 2,089 1,276 491 439 -10.6 -79.0 Hawai 21,312 9,953 4,229 4,029 -4.7 -81.1 Congressional Research Service 26 The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Block Grant: FAQs Percentage Change to 2019 from … Jurisdiction 1994 2010 2018 2019 2018 1994 Idaho 8,635 1,820 2,046 2,043 -0.1 -76.3 Il inois 241,290 24,337 11,048 10,874 -1.6 -95.5 Indiana 72,654 36,062 6,048 5,164 -14.6 -92.9 Iowa 39,137 21,548 9,650 8,922 -7.5 -77.2 Kansas 29,524 15,554 4,360 4,039 -7.4 -86.3 Kentucky 78,720 30,875 18,774 16,586 -11.7 -78.9 Louisiana 84,162 10,849 5,402 4,726 -12.5 -94.4 Maine 22,322 15,377 17,367 14,634 -15.7 -34.4 Maryland 80,266 25,110 17,352 16,469 -5.1 -79.5 Massachusetts 108,985 49,836 50,270 50,166 -0.2 -54.0 Michigan 215,873 67,241 12,338 10,794 -12.5 -95.0 Minnesota 59,987 24,574 16,973 15,399 -9.3 -74.3 Mississippi 55,232 11,895 4,040 3,083 -23.7 -94.4 Missouri 91,875 39,262 10,761 9,760 -9.3 -89.4 Montana 11,416 3,686 3,691 3,236 -12.3 -71.7 Nebraska 15,435 8,702 4,832 4,364 -9.7 -71.7 Nevada 14,620 10,612 9,023 8,042 -10.9 -45.0 New Hampshire 11,398 6,175 5,257 5,206 -1.0 -54.3 New Jersey 122,376 34,516 10,326 8,857 -14.2 -92.8 New Mexico 34,535 21,223 10,632 10,087 -5.1 -70.8 New York 461,751 154,936 122,363 113,971 -6.9 -75.3 North Carolina 129,258 23,705 14,762 13,064 -11.5 -89.9 North Dakota 5,410 1,996 984 939 -4.6 -82.6 Ohio 244,099 105,140 42,549 51,140 20.2 -79.0 Oklahoma 46,572 9,388 6,176 5,949 -3.7 -87.2 Oregon 40,504 31,751 40,932 36,971 -9.7 -8.7 Pennsylvania 212,457 53,274 45,022 39,746 -11.7 -81.3 Puerto Rico 57,337 13,371 4,992 4,475 -10.4 -92.2 Rhode Island 22,776 6,758 4,213 4,002 -5.0 -82.4 South Carolina 50,430 19,347 8,314 7,649 -8.0 -84.8 South Dakota 6,601 3,291 2,952 2,923 -1.0 -55.7 Tennessee 109,678 62,714 20,951 19,221 -8.3 -82.5 Texas 284,973 51,931 26,109 22,821 -12.6 -92.0 Utah 17,505 6,646 3,546 3,170 -10.6 -81.9 Vermont 9,761 3,256 2,918 2,669 -8.5 -72.7 Virgin Islands 1,146 537 160 96 -40.0 -91.6 Congressional Research Service 27 The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Block Grant: FAQs Percentage Change to 2019 from … Jurisdiction 1994 2010 2018 2019 2018 1994 Virginia 74,257 37,448 20,513 19,875 -3.1 -73.2 Washington 101,542 70,200 37,270 36,023 -3.3 -64.5 West Virginia 40,279 10,496 6,572 6,331 -3.7 -84.3 Wisconsin 75,086 24,746 15,740 15,122 -3.9 -79.9 Wyoming 5,351 318 499 504 1.0 -90.6 Totals 5,015,545 1,926,140 1,175,493 1,090,066 -7.3 -78.3 Source: Congressional Research Service (CRS), based on data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Notes: Caseload data for 2010 through 2019 include those families in Separate State Programs with expenditures from

State

1994

2010

2017

2018

1994

2010

2017

Alabama

48,752

23,052

9,326

8,182

-83.2

-64.5

-12.3

Alaska

12,450

3,507

3,093

2,571

-79.3

-26.7

-16.9

Arizona

72,728

18,774

8,222

7,372

-89.9

-60.7

-10.3

Arkansas

25,298

8,469

3,072

2,859

-88.7

-66.2

-6.9

California

916,795

590,121

511,311

409,043

-55.4

-30.7

-20.0

Colorado

40,544

11,707

16,646

12,502

-69.2

6.8

-24.9

Connecticut

60,336

16,848

9,798

8,964

-85.1

-46.8

-8.5

Delaware

11,408

5,508

3,873

3,761

-67.0

-31.7

-2.9

District of Columbia

27,320

8,547

3,124

5,840

-78.6

-31.7

86.9

Florida

239,702

57,742

45,027

41,469

-82.7

-28.2

-7.9

Georgia

141,596

20,133

10,399

10,484

-92.6

-47.9

0.8

Guam

2,089

1,276

541

491

-76.5

-61.5

-9.2

Hawaii

21,312

9,953

4,937

4,274

-79.9

-57.1

-13.4

Idaho

8,635

1,820

1,928

2,046

-76.3

12.4

6.1

Illinois

241,290

24,337

12,613

11,048

-95.4

-54.6

-12.4

Indiana

72,654

36,062

6,962

6,048

-91.7

-83.2

-13.1

Iowa

39,137

21,548

10,694

9,650

-75.3

-55.2

-9.8

Kansas

29,524

15,554

4,462

4,360

-85.2

-72.0

-2.3

Kentucky

78,720

30,875

20,785

18,774

-76.2

-39.2

-9.7

Louisiana

84,162

10,849

5,521

5,402

-93.6

-50.2

-2.2

Maine

22,322

15,377

18,452

17,367

-22.2

12.9

-5.9

Maryland

80,266

25,110

18,611

17,352

-78.4

-30.9

-6.8

Massachusetts

108,985

49,836

51,196

50,270

-53.9

0.9

-1.8

Michigan

215,873

67,241

13,846

12,338

-94.3

-81.7

-10.9

Minnesota

59,987

24,574

18,519

16,973

-71.7

-30.9

-8.3

Mississippi

55,232

11,895

4,891

4,040

-92.7

-66.0

-17.4

Missouri

91,875

39,262

12,452

10,761

-88.3

-72.6

-13.6

Montana

11,416

3,686

4,517

3,691

-67.7

0.1

-18.3

Nebraska

15,435

8,702

5,262

4,832

-68.7

-44.5

-8.2

Nevada

14,620

10,612

9,828

9,023

-38.3

-15.0

-8.2

New Hampshire

11,398

6,175

4,884

5,257

-53.9

-14.9

7.6

New Jersey

122,376

34,516

12,640

10,326

-91.6

-70.1

-18.3

New Mexico

34,535

21,223

11,066

10,632

-69.2

-49.9

-3.9

New York

461,751

154,936

132,675

122,363

-73.5

-21.0

-7.8

North Carolina

129,258

23,705

16,108

14,574

-88.7

-38.5

-9.5

North Dakota

5,410

1,996

1,105

984

-81.8

-50.7

-11.0

Ohio

244,099

105,140

54,161

42,549

-82.6

-59.5

-21.4

Oklahoma

46,572

9,388

6,797

6,176

-86.7

-34.2

-9.1

Oregon

40,504

31,751

43,754

40,932

1.1

28.9

-6.4

Pennsylvania

212,457

53,274

50,615

45,022

-78.8

-15.5

-11.1

Puerto Rico

57,337

13,371

7,000

4,992

-91.3

-62.7

-28.7

Rhode Island

22,776

6,758

4,466

4,197

-81.6

-37.9

-6.0

South Carolina

50,430

19,347

8,672

8,314

-83.5

-57.0

-4.1

South Dakota

6,601

3,291

3,030

2,952

-55.3

-10.3

-2.6

Tennessee

109,678

62,714

24,562

20,951

-80.9

-66.6

-14.7

Texas

284,973

51,931

28,839

26,109

-90.8

-49.7

-9.5

Utah

17,505

6,646

4,013

3,546

-79.7

-46.6

-11.6

Vermont

9,761

3,256

3,371

2,918

-70.1

-10.4

-13.4

Virgin Islands

1,146

537

197

160

-86.0

-70.2

-18.8

Virginia

74,257

37,448

22,232

20,513

-72.4

-45.2

-7.7

Washington

101,542

70,200

35,284

37,270

-63.3

-46.9

5.6

West Virginia

40,279

10,496

7,113

6,572

-83.7

-37.4

-7.6

Wisconsin

75,086

24,746

16,318

15,740

-79.0

-36.4

-3.5

Wyoming

5,351

318

513

499

-90.7

56.9

-2.7

Totals

5,015,545

1,926,140

1,349,323

1,175,335

-76.6

-39.0

-12.9

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

Notes: Data for Puerto Rico are unavailable for September 2017. Total change excludes data for Puerto Rico for all years. Caseload data for 2000 through 2017 include those families in Separate State Programs with expenditures countable toward the TANF maintenance of effort (MOE) requirement.

countable toward the TANF maintenance of effort (MOE) requirement. Table B-6. TANF Assistance Families by Number of Parents by State: September 2018

 

 

 

 

 

Percentage Jurisdiction: September 2019 Percentage of Total Families Single- Two- No- Total Single- Two- No- Total Jurisdiction Parent Parent Parent Families Parent Parent Parent Families Alabama 3,021 25 4,641 7,687 39.3% 0.3% 60.4% 100.0% Alaska 1,303 203 739 2,245 58.0 9.0 32.9 100.0 Arizona 2,165 126 4,719 7,010 30.9 1.8 67.3 100.0 Arkansas 1,175 56 1,126 2,357 49.9 2.4 47.8 100.0 California 224,473 24,435 118,405 367,313 61.1 6.7 32.2 100.0 Colorado 8,955 0 5,271 14,226 62.9 0.0 37.1 100.0 Connecticut 2,317 0 5,407 7,724 30.0 0.0 70.0 100.0 Delaware 756 11 2,482 3,249 23.3 0.3 76.4 100.0 District of Columbia 6,147 0 1,598 7,745 79.4 0.0 20.6 100.0 Florida 4,625 209 33,259 38,093 12.1 0.5 87.3 100.0 Georgia 1,019 0 7,818 8,837 11.5 0.0 88.5 100.0 Guam 93 19 327 439 21.2 4.3 74.5 100.0 Hawai 2,413 588 1,028 4,029 59.9 14.6 25.5 100.0 Idaho 87 0 1,956 2,043 4.3 0.0 95.7 100.0 Il inois 2,170 0 8,704 10,874 20.0 0.0 80.0 100.0 Indiana 1,247 81 3,836 5,164 24.1 1.6 74.3 100.0 Iowa 4,255 350 4,317 8,922 47.7 3.9 48.4 100.0 Kansas 1,979 247 1,813 4,039 49.0 6.1 44.9 100.0 Kentucky 3,639 330 12,617 16,586 21.9 2.0 76.1 100.0 Congressional Research Service 28 The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Block Grant: FAQs Percentage of Total Families Single- Two- No- Total Single- Two- No- Total Jurisdiction Parent Parent Parent Families Parent Parent Parent Families Louisiana 1,849 0 2,877 4,726 39.1 0.0 60.9 100.0 Maine 7,745 5,383 1,506 14,634 52.9 36.8 10.3 100.0 Maryland 10,172 238 6,059 16,469 61.8 1.4 36.8 100.0 Massachusetts 34,984 2,744 12,438 50,166 69.7 5.5 24.8 100.0 Michigan 4,152 0 6,642 10,794 38.5 0.0 61.5 100.0 Minnesota 8,252 0 7,147 15,399 53.6 0.0 46.4 100.0 Mississippi 989 0 2,094 3,083 32.1 0.0 67.9 100.0 Missouri 5,758 0 4,002 9,760 59.0 0.0 41.0 100.0 Montana 1,512 215 1,509 3,236 46.7 6.6 46.6 100.0 Nebraska 1,718 0 2,646 4,364 39.4 0.0 60.6 100.0 Nevada 3,517 618 3,907 8,042 43.7 7.7 48.6 100.0 New Hampshire 3,132 37 2,037 5,206 60.2 0.7 39.1 100.0 New Jersey 4,913 54 3,890 8,857 55.5 0.6 43.9 100.0 New Mexico 4,846 652 4,589 10,087 48.0 6.5 45.5 100.0 New York 71,751 2,989 39,231 113,971 63.0 2.6 34.4 100.0 North Carolina 1,262 6 11,796 13,064 9.7 0.0 90.3 100.0 North Dakota 497 0 442 939 52.9 0.0 47.1 100.0 Ohio 7,271 362 43,507 51,140 14.2 0.7 85.1 100.0 Oklahoma 1,659 0 4,290 5,949 27.9 0.0 72.1 100.0 Oregon 26,126 5,481 5,364 36,971 70.7 14.8 14.5 100.0 Pennsylvania 24,232 312 15,202 39,746 61.0 0.8 38.2 100.0 Puerto Rico 4,023 237 215 4,475 89.9 5.3 4.8 100.0 Rhode Island 2,869 131 1,002 4,002 71.7 3.3 25.0 100.0 South Carolina 2,583 0 5,066 7,649 33.8 0.0 66.2 100.0 South Dakota 412 0 2,511 2,923 14.1 0.0 85.9 100.0 Tennessee 7,010 172 12,039 19,221 36.5 0.9 62.6 100.0 Texas 6,638 0 16,183 22,821 29.1 0.0 70.9 100.0 Utah 1,346 0 1,824 3,170 42.5 0.0 57.5 100.0 Vermont 1,180 231 1,258 2,669 44.2 8.7 47.1 100.0 Virgin Islands 77 0 19 96 80.2 0.0 19.8 100.0 Virginia 10,822 0 9,053 19,875 54.5 0.0 45.5 100.0 Washington 17,021 6,983 12,019 36,023 47.3 19.4 33.4 100.0 West Virginia 1,522 0 4,809 6,331 24.0 0.0 76.0 100.0 Congressional Research Service 29 The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Block Grant: FAQs Wisconsin 4,853 224 10,045 15,122 32.1 1.5 66.4 100.0 Wyoming 228 19 257 504 45.2 3.8 51.0 100.0 Totals 558,760 53,768 477,538 1,090,066 51.3 4.9 43.8 100.0 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 of Total Families

State

Single Parent

Two Parent

No Parent

Total Fami-lies

Single Parent

Two Parent

No Parent

Total Families

Alabama

3,272

42

4,868

8,182

40.0%

0.5%

59.5%

100.0%

Alaska

1,510

252

809

2,571

58.7

9.8

31.5

100.0

Arizona

2,718

114

4,540

7,372

36.9

1.5

61.6

100.0

Arkansas

1,462

59

1,338

2,859

51.1

2.1

46.8

100.0

California

251,231

27,704

130,108

409,043

61.4

6.8

31.8

100.0

Colorado

9,331

0

3,171

12,502

74.6

0.0

25.4

100.0

Connecticut

2,942

0

6,022

8,964

32.8

0.0

67.2

100.0

Delaware

994

9

2,758

3,761

26.4

0.2

73.3

100.0

District of Columbia

4,086

0

1,754

5,840

70.0

0.0

30.0

100.0

Florida

5,287

215

35,967

41,469

12.7

0.5

86.7

100.0

Georgia

1,982

0

8,502

10,484

18.9

0.0

81.1

100.0

Guam

86

27

378

491

17.5

5.5

77.0

100.0

Hawaii

2,577

611

1,086

4,274

60.3

14.3

25.4

100.0

Idaho

84

0

1,962

2,046

4.1

0.0

95.9

100.0

Illinois

2,199

0

8,849

11,048

19.9

0.0

80.1

100.0

Indiana

1,366

40

4,642

6,048

22.6

0.7

76.8

100.0

Iowa

4,682

390

4,578

9,650

48.5

4.0

47.4

100.0

Kansas

1,806

206

2,348

4,360

41.4

4.7

53.9

100.0

Kentucky

4,308

382

14,084

18,774

22.9

2.0

75.0

100.0

Louisiana

2,268

0

3,134

5,402

42.0

0.0

58.0

100.0

Maine

9,178

6,529

1,660

17,367

52.8

37.6

9.6

100.0

Maryland

10,651

281

6,420

17,352

61.4

1.6

37.0

100.0

Massachusetts

34,435

3,029

12,806

50,270

68.5

6.0

25.5

100.0

Michigan

4,646

0

7,692

12,338

37.7

0.0

62.3

100.0

Minnesota

9,185

0

7,788

16,973

54.1

0.0

45.9

100.0

Mississippi

1,481

0

2,559

4,040

36.7

0.0

63.3

100.0

Missouri

6,301

0

4,460

10,761

58.6

0.0

41.4

100.0

Montana

1,792

282

1,617

3,691

48.6

7.6

43.8

100.0

Nebraska

1,984

0

2,848

4,832

41.1

0.0

58.9

100.0

Nevada

4,161

680

4,182

9,023

46.1

7.5

46.3

100.0

New Hampshire

3,304

37

1,916

5,257

62.8

0.7

36.4

100.0

New Jersey

5,745

59

4,522

10,326

55.6

0.6

43.8

100.0

New Mexico

5,057

675

4,900

10,632

47.6

6.3

46.1

100.0

New York

77,545

2,508

42,310

122,363

63.4

2.0

34.6

100.0

North Carolina

1,772

24

12,778

14,574

12.2

0.2

87.7

100.0

North Dakota

381

0

603

984

38.7

0.0

61.3

100.0

Ohio

5,322

345

36,882

42,549

12.5

0.8

86.7

100.0

Oklahoma

1,738

0

4,438

6,176

28.1

0.0

71.9

100.0

Oregon

27,855

6,521

6,556

40,932

68.1

15.9

16.0

100.0

Pennsylvania

27,889

471

16,662

45,022

61.9

1.0

37.0

100.0

Puerto Rico

4,490

251

251

4,992

89.9

5.0

5.0

100.0

Rhode Island

2,959

164

1,074

4,197

70.5

3.9

25.6

100.0

South Carolina

2,877

0

5,437

8,314

34.6

0.0

65.4

100.0

South Dakota

455

0

2,497

2,952

15.4

0.0

84.6

100.0

Tennessee

8,052

224

12,675

20,951

38.4

1.1

60.5

100.0

Texas

7,194

0

18,915

26,109

27.6

0.0

72.4

100.0

Utah

1,564

0

1,982

3,546

44.1

0.0

55.9

100.0

Vermont

1,322

277

1,319

2,918

45.3

9.5

45.2

100.0

Virgin Islands

131

0

29

160

81.9

0.0

18.1

100.0

Virginia

11,114

0

9,399

20,513

54.2

0.0

45.8

100.0

Washington

17,561

7,313

12,396

37,270

47.1

19.6

33.3

100.0

West Virginia

1,572

0

5,000

6,572

23.9

0.0

76.1

100.0

Wisconsin

4,956

192

10,592

15,740

31.5

1.2

67.3

100.0

Wyoming

223

19

257

499

44.7

3.8

51.5

100.0

Totals

609,083

59,932

506,320

1,175,335

51.8

5.1

43.1

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

Gene Falk, Specialist in Social Policy ([email address scrubbed], [phone number scrubbed])
Author Information Gene Falk Patrick A. Landers, Analyst Specialist in Social Policy Analyst in Social Policy Acknowledgments Jameson Carter and Mariam Ghavalyan updated some of the information in this report in Social Policy ([email address scrubbed], [phone number scrubbed])

Acknowledgments

Jameson Carter and Mariam Ghavalyan updated information in this report. Karen Lynch contributed to the discussion of the TANF funding lapse and legislation to fund TANF in FY2019. Amber Wilhelm and Calvin DeSouza produced this report'’s data visualizations. Disclaimer This document was prepared by the Congressional Research Service (CRS). CRS serves as nonpartisan shared staff to congressional committees and Members of Congress. It operates solely at the behest of and under the direction of Congress. Information in a CRS Report should n ot be relied upon for purposes other than public understanding of information that has been provided by CRS to Members of Congress in connection with CRS’s institutional role. CRS Reports, as a work of the United States Government, are not subject to copyright protection in the United States. Any CRS Report may be reproduced and distributed in its entirety without permission from CRS. However, as a CRS Report may include copyrighted images or material from a third party, you may need to obtain the permission of the copyright holder if you wish to copy or otherwise use copyrighted material. Congressional Research Service RL32760 · VERSION 194 · UPDATED 30 s data visualizations.

Footnotes

1.

Division N, Section 302.

2.

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.

3.

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).

4.

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 substate geography.

5.

In 2017, the HHS poverty guidelines for the contiguous 48 states and the District of Columbia for a family of three was $1,702 per month. Higher poverty lines applied in Alaska ($2,126 per month for a family of three) and Hawaii ($1,933 per month for a family of three).

6.

Families without a work-eligible individual are excluded from the participation rate calculation. It excludes families where the parent is a nonrecipient (for example, disabled receiving Supplemental Security Income or an ineligible noncitizen) or the children in the family are being cared for by a nonparent relative (e.g., grandparent, aunt, uncle) who does not receive assistance on his or her behalf.

7.

See CRS In Focus IF10856, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families: Work Requirements.