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Updated November 1, 2018
Social Services Block Grant
Introduction
Table 1. SSBG Funding History, FY2010-FY2019
The Social Services Block Grant (SSBG) is a flexible
(dol ars in bil ions)
funding stream used by states and territories to support a
wide variety of social services. At the federal level, the
TANF
SSBG is administered by the U.S. Department of Health
Fiscal Year
Ceiling
Appropriation
Transfer
and Human Services (HHS).
2010
$1.700
$1.700
$1.220
Authorization
Although social services for certain welfare recipients have
2011
$1.700
$1.700
$1.135
been authorized under various titles of the Social Security
2012
$1.700
$1.700
$1.133
Act since 1956, the SSBG in its current form was created in
1981 (P.L. 97-35). The SSBG is permanently authorized by
2013
$1.700
$1.613 + $0.475
$1.135
Title XX, Subtitle A, of the Social Security Act.
2014
$1.700
$1.578
$1.156
Goals
2015
$1.700
$1.576
$1.165
Federal law establishes several broad goals for the SSBG.
2016
$1.700
$1.584
$1.143
The goals focus on promoting self-sufficiency, eliminating
dependency, preventing child abuse, supporting
2017
$1.700
$1.583
$1.140
community-based care for the elderly and disabled, and
2018
$1.700
$1.588
not avail.
supporting institutional care, when necessary.
2019
$1.700
$1.565
not avail.
Entitlement Ceiling
The SSBG is an annually appropriated capped entitlement
Source: SSBG budget documents and TANF spending reports.
to states. This means that states are entitled to their share of
Funding levels for FY2013-FY2018 reflect sequestration. FY2013
funds, as determined by formula, out of an amount of
displays annual and supplemental funds (both after sequestration).
money that is capped in statute at a specific level. At its
highest, the cap was set at $2.8 billion, but over time it has
Allocation Formula
decreased to the current level of $1.7 billion.
SSBG funds are allocated to states according to the relative
size of each state’s population. Grants to Puerto Rico,
Funding History
Guam, the Virgin Islands, and Northern Mariana Islands are
Since FY2002, annual appropriations laws have funded the
based on their share of Title XX funds in FY1981. Grants to
SSBG at its authorized level of $1.7 billion. However,
American Samoa are based on the relative size of its
SSBG appropriations since FY2013 have been subject to
population compared to the population of the Northern
sequestration, a spending reduction process by which
Mariana Islands.
budgetary resources are canceled to enforce budget policy
goals (see Table 1 for a recent funding history). In addition
Matching Requirements
to annual appropriations, the SSBG occasionally receives
No match is required for federal SSBG funds, and federal
supplemental appropriations to assist states and territories
law does not specify a sub-state allocation formula.
in responding to natural disasters, including in FY2006,
FY2008, and FY2013.
Eligibility
There are no federal eligibility criteria for SSBG recipients,
TANF Transfers
but states may set their own. One exception is that welfare
The Social Security Act authorizes states to transfer a
reform established an income limit of 200% of the poverty
portion of their Temporary Assistance for Needy Families
level for recipients of services funded by TANF.
(TANF) block grants to the SSBG. The 1996 welfare
reform law (P.L. 104-193) capped TANF transfers to the
State Plans and Reporting Requirements
SSBG at 10% of each state’s TANF allotment. Subsequent
Each year, states must submit an intended use plan to HHS,
legislation (P.L. 105-178) reduced the allowable transfer to
outlining the services to be supported with the state’s SSBG
4.25% beginning in FY2001. However, this provision has
funds, as well as certain characteristics of the individuals to
been superseded in every year (from FY2001 on) by
be served (e.g., children, adults 59 and younger, adults 60
provisions in annual appropriations acts, which have
and older, and the disabled). States are also required to
reinstated the transfer authority at 10%. Table 1 shows
report annually on SSBG expenditures in various service
TANF transfers to the SSBG since FY2010.
categories defined in federal regulations.
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Social Services Block Grant
Services and Expenditures
Prohibited Uses
Federal regulations issued in 1993 established uniform
Although the SSBG is a flexible funding stream, there are
definitions for 28 SSBG service categories, ranging from
several restrictions on spending. For instance, the SSBG
adoption services to case management, and adult day care
cannot be used for
to special services for the disabled. State spending is not
limited to the 28 service categories specified in regulation.
the purchase of land, construction, or capital
Instead, these categories are used as guidelines for reporting
improvements;
purposes. Spending on an activity that falls outside the
cash payments as a service or for costs of subsistence or
scope of services defined in regulation is characterized
room and board (with limited exceptions);
under other services in annual reports. In addition to
supporting social services, states may use SSBG funds for
payment of wages as a social service (except wages of
administration, planning, evaluation, and training.
welfare recipients employed in child day care);
the provision of most types of medical care (except for
Figure 1 displays the percentage of funds spent by service
family planning, rehabilitation, initial detoxification, or
category in FY2015. The figure breaks out spending in the
medical care provided as an “integral but subordinate
seven largest service categories, along with the percentage
component of a social service”);
spent on administrative costs. All remaining expenditures
are consolidated in the all other services category, which
educational services provided by public schools;
comprises spending in 22 discrete spending categories,
child care that does not meet state or local standards;
ranging from counseling to congregate meals. In FY2015,
the four largest service categories combined to account for
services provided by individuals excluded from
almost half of all spending in that year. These four service
participation in Medicare or certain other programs; or
categories are foster care services for children (16%), child
services related to assisted suicide.
protective services (11%), child care (10%), and special
services for the disabled (10%).
Waiver Authority
Figure 1. Expenditures by Spending Category, FY2015
In limited circumstances, the law permits HHS to waive
two of the prohibitions on SSBG spending—the restrictions
on using funds for (1) the purchase of land, construction, or
capital improvements; or (2) the provision of medical care.
HHS may waive these limitations at a state’s request,
provided HHS determines that the state’s circumstances are
extraordinary and that permitting the waiver will contribute
to the state’s ability to carry out the purposes of the SSBG.
Proposals to Repeal SSBG
In recent years, there have been several proposals to reduce
or eliminate funding for the SSBG. In the 114th Congress,
for instance, the House Ways and Means Committee
reported out a bill (H.R. 4724) to repeal the SSBG. In the
112th Congress, a bill containing similar provisions (H.R.
5652) passed the House, but the measure was not taken up
in the Senate. There have also been calls to repeal the
SSBG in the 112th, 113th, 114th, and 115th Congresses
associated with budget resolutions adopted by the House,
and as part of the House Budget Committee’s July 2014
discussion draft on Expanding Opportunity in America.
Source: FY2015 SSBG expenditure data (including TANF transfers)
Proponents of repeal have argued that the SSBG is a
provided by HHS. In this figure, al other services comprises 22
duplicative funding stream lacking in focus and
discrete SSBG spending categories.
accountability. Similar arguments were made by the George
W. Bush Administration in proposing, as part of annual
Recipients
budget requests for FY2007-FY2009, to reduce and
In FY2015, services supported at least partially by the
eventually eliminate SSBG funding. However, others have
SSBG were provided to an estimated 27 million recipients.
argued that repealing the SSBG might adversely affect the
This is down from an estimated 30 million recipients in
vulnerable populations currently being served, noting that
FY2014. About 43% of all service recipients in FY2015
the flexible nature of the SSBG allows states to respond to
were children. An individual who received multiple SSBG-
local and state-specific needs.
supported services may be counted as a recipient for each
different service received.
Karen E. Lynch, Specialist in Social Policy
IF10115
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Social Services Block Grant
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