The Temporary Assistance for
December 14, 2021
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 full report,
on TANF Financing and Federal Requirements, by Gene Falk).
please call 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 (Puerto Rico, Guam, and the U.S.
Virgin Islands), and American Indian tribes. The basic block grant totals $16.5 billion per year. States are also required in
total to contribute, from their own funds, at least $10.3 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. Adjusted for
inflation, in FY2021, the TANF basic block grant was 40% below what its value was in FY1997.
Though TANF is best known for funding basic assistance payments for needy families with children, the block grant and
MOE funds are used for a wide variety of benefits and activities. In FY2020, expenditures on basic assistance totaled $7.1
billion—22% of total federal TANF and MOE dollars. Basic assistance is often—but not exclusively—paid as cash and on an
ongoing basis (monthly). 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 pre-kindergarten programs toward the MOE requirement.
The TANF Assistance Caseload
A total of 1.0 million families, composed of 2.6 million recipients, received TANF- or MOE-funded assistance in November
2020. The bulk of the “recipients” were children—1.9 million in that month. The assistance caseload is heterogeneous. The
type of family once thought of as the “typical” assistance family—one with an unemployed adult recipient—accounted for
32% of all families on the rolls in FY2019. Additionally, 26% of cash assistance families had an employed adult, while 42%
of all TANF families were “child-only” and had no adult recipient. Child-only families include those with disabled adults
receiving Supplemental Security Income (SSI), adults who are nonparents (e.g., grandparents, aunts, uncles) caring for
children, and families consisting of citizen children and ineligible noncitizen parents.
Assistance Benefits
TANF assistance benefit amounts are set by states. In July 2019, the maximum monthly benefit for a family of three ranged
from $1,066 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 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 FY2020, states achieved, on average, an
all-family participation rate of 39.6% and a two-parent rate of 46.9%. In FY2020, all jurisdictions met the all-family
participation standard, but six jurisdictions (California, Guam, Nevada, North Carolina, Rhode Island, and Wyoming) did not
meet the two-parent standard.
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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 Further Extending Government Funding Act (P.L. 117-70 ), enacted December 3, 2021, funds
TANF through February 18, 2022.
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 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, 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 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 by the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of
1996 (PRWORA, P.L. 104-193). A TANF basic block grant amount—both nationally and for each
state—was established in the 1996 law. That amount for the 50 states, District of Columbia,
territories, and tribes was $16.6 billion in total. From FY1997 through FY2016, that amount
remained the same. The basic block grant 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 $16.5 billion.
Table 1 shows the state family assistance grant, in both nominal (actual) and real (inflation-
adjusted) dollars for each year, FY1997 through FY2021. In real (inflation-adjusted) terms, the
FY2021 block grant was 40% below its value in FY1997.
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Table 1. TANF Basic Block Grant Funding in Nominal and Constant Dollars
($ in billions)
State Family
State
Assistance
Family
Cumulative
Grant: 50
Assistance
Percentage
States, DC,
Grant
Change,
Fiscal
Tribes, and
Constant
Constant
Year
Territories
1997 dollars
1997 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
2019
16.512
10.372
-37.4
2020
16.512
10.224
-38.3
2021
16.512
9.893
-40.3
Source: Congressional Research Service (CRS), based on data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services (HHS), Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Office of Family Assistance; 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 Urban Consumers (CPI-U).
How Have States Used TANF Funds?
In FY2020, a total of $31.6 billion of both federal TANF and state MOE expenditures were either
expended or transferred to other block grant programs. (This total excludes expenditures in tribal
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TANF programs or those operated in the territories.) Basic assistance—ongoing benefits to
families to meet basic needs—represented 22% ($7.1 billion) of total FY2020 TANF and MOE
dollars.
TANF is a major contributor of child care funding. In FY2020, $5.2 billion (17% of all TANF and
MOE funds) were either expended on child care or transferred to the child care block grant (the
Child Care and Development Fund, or CCDF). TANF work-related activities (including education
and training) were the third-largest TANF and MOE spending category at $3.0 billion, or 10% 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 FY2020 totaled $2.8 billion, or 9% of total TANF
and MOE spending.
TANF and MOE funds also help fund state pre-kindergarten (pre-K) programs, with total FY2020
expenditures for that category at $2.7 billion. 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 $2.6 billion on such activities. 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 FY2020.

Figure 1. Uses of TANF Funds by Spending Category, FY2020
($ in billions)

Source: Congressional Research Service (CRS), based on data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services (HHS), Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Office of Family Assistance.
Notes: 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, see Table B-1 and Table B-2.
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How Much of the TANF Grant Has Gone Unspent?
TANF law permits states to “reserve” unused funds without time limit. This permits flexibility in
timing of the use of TANF funds, including the ability to “save” funds for unexpected
occurrences that might increase costs (such as recessions or natural disasters).
At the end of FY2020 (September 30, 2020), a total of $6.0 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. Of this amount, states had made such
commitments to spend—that is, had obligated—a total of $0.9 billion. At the end of FY2020,
states had $5.2 billion of “unobligated balances.” These funds are available to states to make new
spending commitments. Table B-3 shows unspent TANF funds by state.
The Caseload
How Many Families Receive TANF- or MOE-Funded Benefits
and Services?
This number is not known. Federal TANF reporting requirements focus on families receiving
only ongoing assistance. There is no complete reporting on families receiving other TANF
benefits and services.
“Assistance” is defined as benefits provided to families to meet ongoing, basic needs.1 It is most
often paid in cash. However, some states use TANF or MOE funds to provide an “earnings
supplement” to working parents added to monthly Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program
(SNAP) allotments. These earnings supplements are paid separately from the regular TANF cash
assistance program. Additionally, 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 21%
of all TANF expenditures. Therefore, the federal reporting requirements that pertain to families
receiving assistance are likely to undercount the number of families receiving any TANF-funded
benefit or service.
How Many Families and People Currently Receive TANF- or
MOE-Funded Assistance?
Table 2 provides assistance caseload information. A total of 1.0 million families, composed of 2.6
million recipients, received TANF- or MOE-funded assistance in November 2020.2 The bulk of
the “recipients” were children—1.9 million in that month. For state-by-state assistance caseloads,
see Table B-4.

1 The definition of TANF assistance is not in statute. However, because the statutory language has most TANF
requirements triggered by a family receiving “assistance,” the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
regulations define assistance at 45 C.F.R. §260.31.
2 The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has posted data on families and recipients of TANF assistance
through December 2020. However, the data reported for Oregon are erroneous. Therefore, this report will show TANF
assistance family and recipient data for November 2020, as the most recent data available for all states as of the update
of this report.
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Table 2. Families and Recipients of TANF Assistance, November 2020
Families
1,002,327
Recipients
2,598,799
Children
1,912,820
Adults
685,979
Source: Congressional Research Service (CRS) based on data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services (HHS).
Notes: TANF assistance caseload includes families receiving assistance in state-funded programs counted
toward the TANF maintenance of effort (MOE) requirement.
How Does the Current Assistance Caseload Level Compare with
Historical Levels?
Figure 2 provides a long-term historical perspective on the number of families receiving
assistance from TANF or its predecessor program, from July 1959 to November 2020. 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 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 million families. The assistance caseload fell rapidly in
the late 1990s, after PRWORA, before leveling off in 2001. In 2004, the caseload began another
decline, albeit at a slower pace than in the late 1990s. During the 2007-2009 recession and its
aftermath, the caseload began to rise from 1.7 million families in August 2008, peaking in
December 2010 at close to 2.0 million families. The number of families receiving assistance
declined by almost half (to a little over 1 million families) during the long economic expansion of
2010 through 2019.
During 2020, a year when the economy was affected by the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-
19) pandemic, there was a brief uptick in the number of families receiving assistance. The
number of families receiving assistance increased in the April through June 2020 period.
However, after June 2020, the number of families receiving TANF assistance again began to
decline.3 In November 2020, the number of families receiving assistance was reported at 1.0
million families, down 6.4% from its level in November 2019.

3 In 2020 and 2021, Congress enacted expansions to other programs – in particular, unemployment insurance—that
might have lessened the need for need-tested cash from TANF. See CRS Report R46687, Current Status of
Unemployment Insurance (UI) Benefits: Permanent-Law Programs and COVID-19 Pandemic Response. For estimates
of the impact of the poverty interventions in response to COVID-19’s economic downturn, see Laura Wheaton, Linda
Giannarelli, and Ilham Dehry, 2021 Poverty Projections: Assessing the Impact of Benefits and Stimulus Measures,
Urban Institute, July 2021.
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Figure 2. Number of Families Receiving Assistance, June 1959 to November 2020

Source: Congressional Research Service (CRS), with data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services (HHS).
Notes: Shaded areas denote months when the national economy was in recession. Information represents
families receiving cash assistance from Aid to Dependent Children (ADC), Aid to Families with Dependent
Children (AFDC), and TANF. For October 1999 through the last month shown, includes families receiving
assistance from Separate State Programs (SSPs) with expenditures countable toward the TANF maintenance of
effort requirement. 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 2019.
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” family receiving assistance had been headed by a single parent
(usually the mother) with one or two children. That single parent had also typically been
unemployed. However, since 1996, 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 FY2019, families with an unemployed adult recipient
represented 32% of all cash assistance families. This decline occurred, in large part, as the
number of families headed by unemployed adult recipients declined more rapidly than other
components of the assistance caseload. In FY1994, a monthly average of 3.8 million families per
month who received AFDC cash assistance had adult recipients who were not working. In
FY2019, a monthly average of 359,000 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. The first category
includes families in “earnings supplement” programs separate from the regular TANF cash
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assistance program. In FY2019, families with an employed adult comprised 26% of all 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 FY2019 was 42%. In FY2019, families with a nonrecipient, nonparent relative
(grandparents, aunts, uncles) represented 17% of all assistance families. Families with ineligible,
noncitizen adults or adults who have not reported their citizenship status made up 10% of the
assistance caseload in that year. Families where the parent received Supplemental Security
Income (SSI) and the children received TANF made up 9% of all assistance families in FY2019.
Figure 3. Composition of the AFDC/TANF Assistance Caseload by Family Type:
Selected Years, FY1988 to FY2019

Source: Congressional Research Service (CRS) tabulations of the TANF national data files.
Note: TANF assistance caseload includes families receiving assistance in state-funded programs counted toward
the TANF maintenance of effort (MOE) requirement.
TANF Cash Benefits: How Much Does a Family
Receive in TANF Cash Per Month?
There are no federal rules that help determine the amount of TANF cash benefits paid to a family.
(There are also no federal rules that require states to use TANF to pay cash benefits, though all
states do so.) Benefit amounts are determined solely by the states.
Most states base TANF cash benefit amounts on family size, paying larger cash benefits to larger
families on the presumption that they have greater financial needs. The maximum monthly cash
benefit is usually paid to a family that receives no other income (e.g., no earned or unearned
income) and complies with program rules. Families with income other than TANF often are paid
a reduced benefit. Moreover, some families are financially sanctioned for not meeting a program
requirement (e.g., a work requirement), and are also paid a lower benefit.
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Figure 4 shows the maximum monthly TANF cash benefit by state for a single parent caring for
two children (family of three) in July 2019.4 For a family of three, the maximum TANF benefit
paid in July 2019 varied from $170 per month in Mississippi to $1,066 per month in New
Hampshire. The map shows a regional pattern to the maximum monthly benefit paid, with lower
benefit amounts 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.
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 2019

Source: Congressional Research Service (CRS), based on data from the Urban Institute’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.
TANF Work Participation Standards
TANF’s main federal work requirement is actually a performance measure that applies to the
states, rather than individual recipients. States determine the work rules that apply to individual
recipients.

4 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). 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.
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What Is the TANF Work Participation Standard States Must Meet?
The TANF statute requires states to have 50% of their caseload meet standards of participation in
work or activities—that is, a family member must be in specified activities for a minimum
number of hours.5 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.
However, the statutory work participation standards are reduced by a “caseload reduction credit.”
The caseload reduction credit reduces the participation standard one percentage point for each
percentage point decline in a state’s caseload. Additionally, under a regulatory provision, a state
may get “extra” credit for caseload reduction if it spends more than required under the TANF
MOE. Therefore, the effective standards states face are often less than the 50% and 90% targets,
and vary by state and by year.
States that 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 as the caseload reduction credit, date
back to the 1996 welfare reform law. However, the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 (DRA, P.L.
109-171) made several changes to the work participation rules effective in FY2007.
 The caseload reduction credit was changed to measure caseload reduction from
FY2005, rather than the original law’s FY1995.
 The work participation standards were broadened to include families receiving
cash aid in “separate state programs.” Separate state programs are programs run
with state funds, distinct from a state’s “TANF program,” but with expenditures
countable toward the TANF MOE.
 HHS was instructed to provide definition to the allowable TANF work activities
listed in law. HHS was also required to define what is meant by a “work-eligible”
individual, expanding the number of families that are included in the work
participation calculation.
 States were required to develop plans and procedures to verify work activities.
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA, P.L. 111-5), a law enacted in
response to the sharp economic downturn of 2007-2009, held states “harmless” for caseload
increases affecting the work participation standards for FY2009 through FY2011. It did so by
allowing states to “freeze” caseload reduction credits at pre-recession levels through the FY2011
standards.

5 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.
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What Work Participation Rates Have the States Achieved?
HHS computes two work participation rates for each state that are then compared with the
effective (after-credit) standard to determine if it has met the TANF work standard. An “all-
families” work participation rate is computed and compared with the all-families effective
standard (50% minus the state’s caseload reduction credit). HHS also computes a two-parent
work participation rate that is compared with the two-parent effective standard (90% minus the
state’s caseload reduction credit).
Figure 5 shows the national average all-families work participation rate for FY2002 through
FY2020. For the period FY2002 through FY2011, states achieved an average all-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 The national average TANF work participation rate for all families declined in 2018
and 2019 from its 2017 high of 53.0%. In FY2020, a year affected by the COVID-19 virus and its
economic fallout, the national average all-families rate fell by 7.5 percentage points. However, in
FY2020 all states met their all-families TANF work participation standards despite this decline
(in FY2019, only Montana did not meet its standard).
Figure 5. National Average TANF Work Participation Rate for All Families,
FY2002-FY2020

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

6 See CRS In Focus IF10856, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families: Work Requirements.
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In FY2020, 5 states (California, Nevada, North Carolina, Rhode Island, and Wyoming) as well as
Guam failed the separate, higher two-parent standard. Table B-6 provides information for each
jurisdiction on the TANF work standard, caseload reduction credit, and work participation rate for
all families for FY2020. Table B-7 provides that information for two-parent families. The table
shows that 26 jurisdiction did not have two-parent families receiving assistance funded by TANF
or MOE funds (denoted with an “NA” in the table).
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has the ability to reduce or waive the
penalty on states for failing to meet the TANF work participation standard. HHS, under the
Administration of President Donald Trump, said that it would exercise its authority to provide
states with relief from the penalty for not meeting participation standards “to the maximum extent
possible.”7 HHS has not revised this statement under the current, Biden Administration.

7 U.S. Department of Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Office of Family Assistance,
Questions and answers about TANF and the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, TANF-ACF-Pi-2020-
01, https://www.acf.hhs.gov/ofa/resource/tanf-acf-pi-2020-01.
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Appendix A. Supplementary Tables
Table A-1. Trends in the Cash Assistance Caseload: 1961-2019

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

12

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
2019
1.093
2.866
0.747
2.199
2.9
20.2
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 col ected. For those years, TANF children as a percent of all children and percent
of all poor children were estimated by HHS and published in Welfare Indicators and Risk Factors, Annual Report to
Congress, Table TANF 2, p. A-7. See https://aspe.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/private/pdf/116161/
FINAL%20Fourteenth%20Report%20-%20FINAL%209%2022%2015.pdf. For 2019, the ratio of TANF recipient
children to all children in poverty might be overstated. This is because child poverty might have been
underestimated, as responses to the survey used to estimate poverty were affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Congressional Research Service

13

The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Block Grant: FAQs

See Jonathan Rothbaum and Adam Bee, Coronavirus Infects Surveys, Too: Nonresponse Bias During the Pandemic in
the CPS ASEC, U.S. Census Bureau, SEHSD Working Paper no. 2020-10, September 15, 2020.
Table A-2. Families Receiving AFDC/TANF Assistance by Family Category,
Selected Years, FY1988-FY2019

1988
1994
2010
2019
Adult Recipient or Work-Eligible Parent/Not Working
3,136,566
3,798,997
879,922
358,761
Adult Recipient or Work-Eligible Parent/Working
243,573
378,620
287,146
286,373
Child-Only/SSI Parent
59,988
171,391
181,852
104,397
Child-Only/Noncitizen Parent
47,566
184,397
217,487
108,249
Child-Only/Other Ineligible Parent
51,764
146,227
4,968
3,391
Child-Only/Caretaker Relative
188,598
328,290
254,088
190,494
Child-Only/Unknown
19,897
38,341
84,378
68,743
Totals
3,747,952
5,046,263
1,909,841
1,120,407

Adult Recipient or Work-Eligible Parent/Not Working
83.7%
75.3%
46.1%
32.0%
Adult Recipient or Work-Eligible Parent/Working
6.5
7.5
15.0
25.6
Child-Only/SSI Parent
1.6
3.4
9.5
9.3
Child-Only/Noncitizen Parent
1.3
3.7
11.4
9.7
Child-Only/Other Ineligible Parent
1.4
2.9
0.3
0.3
Child-Only/Caretaker Relative
5.0
6.5
13.3
17.0
Child-Only/Unknown
0.5
0.8
4.4
6.1

Totals
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 FY2010 and FY2019 TANF National Data Files.
Notes: FY2010 and FY2019 data include families receiving assistance from separate state programs (SSPs) with
expenditures countable toward the TANF maintenance of effort (MOE) requirement.

Congressional Research Service

14

Appendix B. State Tables
Table B-1. Use of FY2020 TANF and MOE Funds by Category
($ in millions)
Work,
Emergency
Other
Educa-
Refundable
Pre-
and Short-
Benefits
Basic
Child
tion, and
Tax
K/Head
Child
Adminis-
Term
and
Total
State
Assistance
Care
Training
Credits
Start
Welfare
tration
Benefits
Services Spending
Alabama
$16.378
$24.228
$6.875
$0.000
$10.660
$40.010
$24.372
$46.281
$35.511
$204.316
Alaska
45.590
13.968
12.085
0.000
0.000
0.000
6.905
0.326
12.898
91.771
Arizona
45.033
0.000
0.565
0.000
0.000
238.209
18.940
9.179
43.640
355.567
Arkansas
4.257
7.798
12.439
0.000
26.742
0.913
14.984
5.902
11.093
84.129
California
2,598.201
762.874
1,574.497
0.000
0.101
0.062
549.893
261.704
955.710
6,703.043
Colorado
80.602
15.238
8.473
72.077
91.198
53.148
51.730
21.549
57.943
451.957
Connecticut
36.207
62.591
10.506
58.091
70.878
68.389
42.288
18.565
138.266
505.781
Delaware
11.544
82.878
6.475
0.000
0.000
0.000
5.367
2.433
17.632
126.329
District of Columbia
185.408
37.433
39.216
23.842
0.000
0.000
11.578
11.552
7.327
316.355
Florida
133.883
341.154
50.224
0.000
0.000
244.252
97.793
0.877
81.413
949.598
Georgia
109.858
22.183
8.286
0.000
0.000
228.090
22.445
5.799
87.628
484.290
Hawaii
38.679
9.974
41.531
0.000
0.000
1.417
15.754
7.929
105.609
220.893
Idaho
7.915
10.965
2.946
0.000
1.487
1.726
6.480
11.798
0.415
43.731
Il inois
50.912
560.158
17.587
86.933
104.551
239.565
0.000
0.879
96.901
1,157.486
Indiana
16.013
114.016
5.707
24.845
0.000
2.759
28.415
0.290
141.256
333.302
Iowa
30.373
52.604
8.490
25.390
0.000
46.660
6.518
0.347
20.756
191.137
Kansas
13.061
6.673
0.641
38.493
18.375
42.921
9.903
0.000
47.006
177.072
CRS-15

Work,
Emergency
Other
Educa-
Refundable
Pre-
and Short-
Benefits
Basic
Child
tion, and
Tax
K/Head
Child
Adminis-
Term
and
Total
State
Assistance
Care
Training
Credits
Start
Welfare
tration
Benefits
Services Spending
Kentucky
179.973
32.666
29.722
0.000
0.000
0.000
12.107
0.000
9.214
263.682
Louisiana
15.122
12.653
35.222
19.933
51.151
26.963
16.848
6.898
29.031
213.821
Maine
37.473
19.990
11.593
7.579
0.507
9.802
6.317
5.177
29.047
127.485
Maryland
153.087
5.484
30.478
154.133
76.530
29.930
23.337
27.518
44.909
545.407
Massachusetts
240.784
265.421
203.514
220.172
0.000
6.559
33.135
103.344
78.870
1,151.798
Michigan
129.478
27.019
1.958
43.518
191.413
78.645
53.354
20.648
794.532
1,340.566
Minnesota
93.963
159.106
52.951
177.877
5.700
0.000
42.407
22.554
18.005
572.564
Mississippi
4.074
1.715
22.769
0.000
0.000
21.756
9.419
0.000
17.110
76.844
Missouri
31.551
27.504
62.874
0.000
0.000
112.570
9.297
73.252
54.188
371.236
Montana
17.448
10.621
2.664
0.000
0.000
1.927
4.709
2.038
9.057
48.464
Nebraska
28.344
18.375
12.299
32.472
0.000
6.100
2.977
0.090
3.238
103.896
Nevada
33.047
13.902
1.302
0.000
0.000
28.275
9.894
8.956
18.736
114.112
New Hampshire
34.201
4.582
7.225
0.000
0.000
4.544
11.407
2.373
16.217
80.549
New Jersey
82.639
218.423
73.767
361.436
614.997
0.000
50.883
16.103
72.455
1,490.702
New Mexico
68.684
34.278
20.737
74.691
70.361
1.019
6.133
6.369
22.966
305.238
New York
1,444.193
479.272
120.136
1,296.116
496.529
348.868
431.817
212.620
330.864
5,160.413
North Carolina
34.722
226.371
4.005
0.000
92.153
135.889
43.433
3.574
44.245
584.392
North Dakota
3.857
1.239
3.915
0.000
0.000
24.228
4.941
0.079
0.926
39.184
Ohio
247.480
423.168
82.829
0.000
0.158
18.212
99.060
76.521
248.456
1,195.884
Oklahoma
19.303
59.713
9.208
0.000
0.000
13.408
8.399
0.587
34.063
144.682
Oregon
83.504
11.102
18.507
3.381
11.599
14.496
36.467
23.731
42.954
245.739
CRS-16

Work,
Emergency
Other
Educa-
Refundable
Pre-
and Short-
Benefits
Basic
Child
tion, and
Tax
K/Head
Child
Adminis-
Term
and
Total
State
Assistance
Care
Training
Credits
Start
Welfare
tration
Benefits
Services Spending
Pennsylvania
130.776
482.527
86.953
0.000
219.345
0.000
62.785
9.851
142.789
1,135.026
Rhode Island
21.679
41.607
9.897
22.214
1.190
26.256
5.141
0.000
26.679
154.664
South Carolina
48.818
4.085
8.203
0.000
27.777
5.063
18.961
0.000
53.150
166.057
South Dakota
13.022
0.803
2.798
0.000
0.000
3.494
2.205
3.792
2.823
28.937
Tennessee
23.612
57.000
23.053
0.000
83.207
0.000
32.009
0.000
2.907
221.788
Texas
45.249
0.000
85.947
0.000
339.179
377.214
68.821
4.337
63.466
984.212
Utah
17.343
22.619
14.777
0.000
12.486
1.348
6.507
1.983
19.620
96.684
Vermont
13.144
33.365
0.734
19.246
0.000
8.364
5.114
0.674
14.094
94.735
Virginia
65.836
38.566
36.533
0.186
6.635
56.980
48.434
5.392
41.402
299.964
Washington
139.722
150.607
131.210
0.000
51.343
28.400
54.971
76.080
424.139
1,056.473
West Virginia
40.212
21.096
0.587
0.000
0.000
26.446
14.834
13.620
27.733
144.529
Wisconsin
73.364
195.758
28.987
69.700
0.000
7.317
28.730
32.356
129.978
566.190
Wyoming
11.461
1.554
5.192
0.000
1.709
0.000
3.517
3.220
2.841
29.494
Totals
7,051.079
5,226.926
3,049.091
2,832.324 2,677.958 2,632.197
2,181.733
1,169.148 4,731.712 31,552.168
Source: Congressional Research Service (CRS), based on data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Administration for Children and Families
(ACF), Office of Family Assistance.
Notes: Excludes TANF funds used in the territories and in tribal TANF programs.
CRS-17

Table B-2. Uses of FY2020 TANF and MOE Funds by Category as a Percentage of Total Federal TANF and
State MOE Spending
Work,
Emergency
Other
Education,
Refund-
Pre-
and Short-
Benefits
Basic
Child
and
able Tax
K/Head
Child
Adminis-
Term
and
Total
State
Assistance
Care
Training
Credits
Start
Welfare
tration
Benefits
Services
Spending
Alabama
8.0%
11.9%
3.4%
0.0%
5.2%
19.6%
11.9%
22.7%
17.4%
100.0%
Alaska
49.7
15.2
13.2
0.0
0.0
0.0
7.5
0.4
14.1
100.0
Arizona
12.7
0.0
0.2
0.0
0.0
67.0
5.3
2.6
12.3
100.0
Arkansas
5.1
9.3
14.8
0.0
31.8
1.1
17.8
7.0
13.2
100.0
California
38.8
11.4
23.5
0.0
0.0
0.0
8.2
3.9
14.3
100.0
Colorado
17.8
3.4
1.9
15.9
20.2
11.8
11.4
4.8
12.8
100.0
Connecticut
7.2
12.4
2.1
11.5
14.0
13.5
8.4
3.7
27.3
100.0
Delaware
9.1
65.6
5.1
0.0
0.0
0.0
4.2
1.9
14.0
100.0
District of Columbia
58.6
11.8
12.4
7.5
0.0
0.0
3.7
3.7
2.3
100.0
Florida
14.1
35.9
5.3
0.0
0.0
25.7
10.3
0.1
8.6
100.0
Georgia
22.7
4.6
1.7
0.0
0.0
47.1
4.6
1.2
18.1
100.0
Hawaii
17.5
4.5
18.8
0.0
0.0
0.6
7.1
3.6
47.8
100.0
Idaho
18.1
25.1
6.7
0.0
3.4
3.9
14.8
27.0
0.9
100.0
Il inois
4.4
48.4
1.5
7.5
9.0
20.7
0.0
0.1
8.4
100.0
Indiana
4.8
34.2
1.7
7.5
0.0
0.8
8.5
0.1
42.4
100.0
Iowa
15.9
27.5
4.4
13.3
0.0
24.4
3.4
0.2
10.9
100.0
Kansas
7.4
3.8
0.4
21.7
10.4
24.2
5.6
0.0
26.5
100.0
Kentucky
68.3
12.4
11.3
0.0
0.0
0.0
4.6
0.0
3.5
100.0
Louisiana
7.1
5.9
16.5
9.3
23.9
12.6
7.9
3.2
13.6
100.0
CRS-18

Work,
Emergency
Other
Education,
Refund-
Pre-
and Short-
Benefits
Basic
Child
and
able Tax
K/Head
Child
Adminis-
Term
and
Total
State
Assistance
Care
Training
Credits
Start
Welfare
tration
Benefits
Services
Spending
Maine
29.4
15.7
9.1
5.9
0.4
7.7
5.0
4.1
22.8
100.0
Maryland
28.1
1.0
5.6
28.3
14.0
5.5
4.3
5.0
8.2
100.0
Massachusetts
20.9
23.0
17.7
19.1
0.0
0.6
2.9
9.0
6.8
100.0
Michigan
9.7
2.0
0.1
3.2
14.3
5.9
4.0
1.5
59.3
100.0
Minnesota
16.4
27.8
9.2
31.1
1.0
0.0
7.4
3.9
3.1
100.0
Mississippi
5.3
2.2
29.6
0.0
0.0
28.3
12.3
0.0
22.3
100.0
Missouri
8.5
7.4
16.9
0.0
0.0
30.3
2.5
19.7
14.6
100.0
Montana
36.0
21.9
5.5
0.0
0.0
4.0
9.7
4.2
18.7
100.0
Nebraska
27.3
17.7
11.8
31.3
0.0
5.9
2.9
0.1
3.1
100.0
Nevada
29.0
12.2
1.1
0.0
0.0
24.8
8.7
7.8
16.4
100.0
New Hampshire
42.5
5.7
9.0
0.0
0.0
5.6
14.2
2.9
20.1
100.0
New Jersey
5.5
14.7
4.9
24.2
41.3
0.0
3.4
1.1
4.9
100.0
New Mexico
22.5
11.2
6.8
24.5
23.1
0.3
2.0
2.1
7.5
100.0
New York
28.0
9.3
2.3
25.1
9.6
6.8
8.4
4.1
6.4
100.0
North Carolina
5.9
38.7
0.7
0.0
15.8
23.3
7.4
0.6
7.6
100.0
North Dakota
9.8
3.2
10.0
0.0
0.0
61.8
12.6
0.2
2.4
100.0
Ohio
20.7
35.4
6.9
0.0
0.0
1.5
8.3
6.4
20.8
100.0
Oklahoma
13.3
41.3
6.4
0.0
0.0
9.3
5.8
0.4
23.5
100.0
Oregon
34.0
4.5
7.5
1.4
4.7
5.9
14.8
9.7
17.5
100.0
Pennsylvania
11.5
42.5
7.7
0.0
19.3
0.0
5.5
0.9
12.6
100.0
Rhode Island
14.0
26.9
6.4
14.4
0.8
17.0
3.3
0.0
17.2
100.0
CRS-19

Work,
Emergency
Other
Education,
Refund-
Pre-
and Short-
Benefits
Basic
Child
and
able Tax
K/Head
Child
Adminis-
Term
and
Total
State
Assistance
Care
Training
Credits
Start
Welfare
tration
Benefits
Services
Spending
South Carolina
29.4
2.5
4.9
0.0
16.7
3.0
11.4
0.0
32.0
100.0
South Dakota
45.0
2.8
9.7
0.0
0.0
12.1
7.6
13.1
9.8
100.0
Tennessee
10.6
25.7
10.4
0.0
37.5
0.0
14.4
0.0
1.3
100.0
Texas
4.6
0.0
8.7
0.0
34.5
38.3
7.0
0.4
6.4
100.0
Utah
17.9
23.4
15.3
0.0
12.9
1.4
6.7
2.1
20.3
100.0
Vermont
13.9
35.2
0.8
20.3
0.0
8.8
5.4
0.7
14.9
100.0
Virginia
21.9
12.9
12.2
0.1
2.2
19.0
16.1
1.8
13.8
100.0
Washington
13.2
14.3
12.4
0.0
4.9
2.7
5.2
7.2
40.1
100.0
West Virginia
27.8
14.6
0.4
0.0
0.0
18.3
10.3
9.4
19.2
100.0
Wisconsin
13.0
34.6
5.1
12.3
0.0
1.3
5.1
5.7
23.0
100.0
Wyoming
38.9
5.3
17.6
0.0
5.8
0.0
11.9
10.9
9.6
100.0
Totals
22.3
16.6
9.7
9.0
8.5
8.3
6.9
3.7
15.0
100.0
Source: Congressional Research Service (CRS), based on data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Administration for Children and Families
(ACF), Office of Family Assistance.
Notes: Excludes TANF funds used in the territories and in tribal TANF programs.

CRS-20

The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Block Grant: FAQs

Table B-3. Unspent TANF Funds at the End of FY2020
(September 30, 2020; $ in millions)
Unliquidated
State
Obligations
Unobligated Balance
Alabama
$5.000
$96.385
Alaska
3.823
17.833
Arizona
0.000
38.786
Arkansas
42.772
56.406
California
100.860
0.000
Colorado
0.000
87.486
Connecticut
0.000
0.000
Delaware
5.356
35.457
District of Columbia
0.000
15.236
Florida
50.819
0.000
Georgia
26.758
79.824
Hawaii
15.302
364.301
Idaho
0.000
8.269
Il inois
0.000
0.000
Indiana
13.406
18.647
Iowa
11.008
0.000
Kansas
3.567
57.065
Kentucky
0.000
38.810
Louisiana
0.000
65.375
Maine
22.300
93.075
Maryland
0.000
0.051
Massachusetts
0.000
0.000
Michigan
0.000
94.231
Minnesota
0.000
103.991
Mississippi
0.000
47.037
Missouri
0.000
0.000
Montana
0.000
19.455
Nebraska
39.053
52.068
Nevada
33.445
1.769
New Hampshire
0.000
44.926
New Jersey
27.786
25.000
New Mexico
1.195
60.053
New York
311.017
586.125
North Carolina
55.335
0.000
Congressional Research Service

21

The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Block Grant: FAQs

Unliquidated
State
Obligations
Unobligated Balance
North Dakota
0.000
1.500
Ohio
0.000
582.599
Oklahoma
0.000
264.061
Oregon
0.000
45.203
Pennsylvania
88.075
410.985
Rhode Island
0.000
25.051
South Carolina
0.000
0.000
South Dakota
0.000
22.795
Tennessee
0.000
789.634
Texas
0.000
281.369
Utah
0.000
59.430
Vermont
0.000
0.000
Virginia
7.366
125.804
Washington
25.809
105.845
West Virginia
0.000
101.445
Wisconsin
0.000
204.997
Wyoming
0.000
27.231

Totals
890.054
5,155.608
Source: Congressional Research Service (CRS), based on data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services (HHS), Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Office of Family Assistance.
Note: Excludes TANF funds used in the territories and in tribal TANF programs.

Table B-4. Number of Families, Recipients, Children, and Adults Receiving TANF
Assistance by Jurisdiction, November 2020
State
Families
Recipients Children
Adults
Alabama
7,228
16,719
13,642
3,077
Alaska
2,013
5,376
3,692
1,684
Arizona
7,581
15,342
12,680
2,662
Arkansas
1,953
4,492
3,431
1,061
California
308,432
984,915
704,151
280,764
Colorado
12,359
30,023
22,338
7,685
Connecticut
6,320
13,403
9,791
3,612
Delaware
2,650
7,356
4,296
3,060
District of Columbia
7,465
21,847
16,103
5,744
Florida
41,491
75,073
59,340
15,733
Congressional Research Service

22

The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Block Grant: FAQs

State
Families
Recipients Children
Adults
Georgia
8,060
15,222
13,889
1,333
Guam
437
1,078
834
244
Hawaii
6,881
21,265
13,595
7,670
Idaho
1,773
2,496
2,456
40
Il inois
10,735
21,098
18,996
2,102
Indiana
8,327
19,721
15,351
4,370
Iowa
7,504
17,947
13,759
4,188
Kansas
3,520
3,520
1,882
1,638
Kentucky
14,168
28,696
24,903
3,793
Louisiana
3,855
8,982
7,555
1,427
Maine
11,778
39,372
24,821
14,551
Maryland
23,055
56,580
39,938
16,642
Massachusetts
41,560
108,953
77,773
31,180
Michigan
10,762
26,774
21,444
5,330
Minnesota
19,680
47,585
35,101
12,484
Mississippi
1,877
3,158
2,888
270
Missouri
8,776
20,513
15,579
4,934
Montana
2,438
5,696
4,557
1,139
Nebraska
4,737
11,759
9,644
2,115
Nevada
6,658
17,198
12,826
4,372
New Hampshire
4,422
10,342
7,713
2,629
New Jersey
9,459
22,892
16,902
5,990
New Mexico
11,582
29,935
21,739
8,196
New York
113,201
289,625
198,575
91,050
North Carolina
13,775
25,289
22,273
3,016
North Dakota
1,078
2,820
2,244
576
Ohio
51,566
94,341
84,268
10,073
Oklahoma
5,592
12,901
10,932
1,969
Oregon
25,192
72,859
48,144
24,715
Pennsylvania
29,869
71,549
55,079
16,470
Puerto Rico
4,357
11,800
7,195
4,605
Rhode Island
2,577
6,094
4,622
1,472
South Carolina
8,133
18,749
15,127
3,622
South Dakota
2,716
5,495
5,051
444
Tennessee
15,578
32,436
26,923
5,513
Texas
21,404
44,545
37,455
7,090
Utah
2,657
6,195
4,621
1,574
Congressional Research Service

23

The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Block Grant: FAQs

State
Families
Recipients Children
Adults
Vermont
2,052
4,305
3,233
1,072
Virgin Islands
69
225
156
69
Virginia
18,311
34,337
26,552
7,785
Washington
41,979
99,966
66,093
33,873
West Virginia
5,703
11,121
9,379
1,742
Wisconsin
16,495
37,683
30,420
7,263
Wyoming
487
1,136
869
267

Totals
1,002,327
2,598,799 1,912,820
685,979
Source: Congressional Research Service (CRS), based on data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services (HHS).
Note: 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 Jurisdiction, November of Selected Years
Percentage Change

to 2020 from …
1994-
2019-
1994
2010
2019
2020
2020
2020

Alabama
48,142
23,954
7,456
7,228
-85.0%
-3.1%
Alaska
12,145
3,423
2,110
2,013
-83.4
-4.6
Arizona
72,171
19,406
7,108
7,581
-89.5
6.7
Arkansas
25,039
8,525
2,364
1,953
-92.2
-17.4
California
914,344
593,714
363,509
308,432
-66.3
-15.2
Colorado
39,171
11,998
13,671
12,359
-68.4
-9.6
Connecticut
60,846
16,922
7,659
6,320
-89.6
-17.5
Delaware
11,102
5,794
3,226
2,650
-76.1
-17.9
District of Columbia
27,390
9,963
7,243
7,465
-72.7
3.1
Florida
239,902
57,861
38,479
41,491
-82.7
7.8
Georgia
141,307
20,630
8,719
8,060
-94.3
-7.6
Guam
2,060
1,289
422
437
-78.8
3.6
Hawaii
21,415
10,019
4,022
6,881
-67.9
71.1
Idaho
8,608
1,809
2,014
1,773
-79.4
-12.0
Il inois
239,840
26,014
10,957
10,735
-95.5
-2.0
Indiana
70,161
33,553
5,410
8,327
-88.1
53.9
Iowa
37,941
21,478
8,787
7,504
-80.2
-14.6
Kansas
28,774
15,563
3,984
3,520
-87.8
-11.6
Congressional Research Service

24

The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Block Grant: FAQs

Percentage Change

to 2020 from …
1994-
2019-
1994
2010
2019
2020
2020
2020

Kentucky
77,403
31,175
16,234
14,168
-81.7
-12.7
Louisiana
84,031
11,062
4,478
3,855
-95.4
-13.9
Maine
21,782
15,397
14,586
11,778
-45.9
-19.3
Maryland
80,480
25,347
16,761
23,055
-71.4
37.6
Massachusetts
106,736
50,878
50,505
41,560
-61.1
-17.7
Michigan
211,259
68,790
11,119
10,762
-94.9
-3.2
Minnesota
61,352
24,759
15,087
19,680
-67.9
30.4
Mississippi
53,652
12,052
3,011
1,877
-96.5
-37.7
Missouri
91,205
39,737
9,687
8,776
-90.4
-9.4
Montana
11,464
3,650
3,266
2,438
-78.7
-25.4
Nebraska
15,543
8,381
4,346
4,737
-69.5
9.0
Nevada
15,330
10,778
7,821
6,658
-56.6
-14.9
New Hampshire
11,154
6,097
5,286
4,422
-60.4
-16.3
New Jersey
113,444
34,996
9,003
9,459
-91.7
5.1
New Mexico
34,906
21,447
9,901
11,582
-66.8
17.0
New York
462,309
157,247
112,549
113,201
-75.5
0.6
North Carolina
127,829
23,879
14,236
13,775
-89.2
-3.2
North Dakota
5,290
1,967
972
1,078
-79.6
10.9
Ohio
239,144
104,370
43,736
51,566
-78.4
17.9
Oklahoma
45,863
9,380
5,650
5,592
-87.8
-1.0
Oregon
39,763
32,548
36,514
25,192
-36.6
-31.0
Pennsylvania
209,875
59,090
39,133
29,869
-85.8
-23.7
Puerto Rico
56,378
13,953
4,410
4,357
-92.3
-1.2
Rhode Island
22,581
6,648
3,846
2,577
-88.6
-33.0
South Carolina
50,351
19,371
8,220
8,133
-83.8
-1.1
South Dakota
6,434
3,247
2,928
2,716
-57.8
-7.2
Tennessee
107,498
63,925
18,804
15,578
-85.5
-17.2
Texas
281,897
52,970
21,904
21,404
-92.4
-2.3
Utah
17,387
7,097
3,133
2,657
-84.7
-15.2
Vermont
9,691
3,264
2,665
2,052
-78.8
-23.0
Virgin Islands
1,222
526
101
69
-94.4
-31.7
Virginia
73,692
37,478
16,586
18,311
-75.2
10.4
Washington
102,718
67,762
35,846
41,979
-59.1
17.1
West Virginia
39,299
10,747
6,361
5,703
-85.5
-10.3
Wisconsin
73,730
25,056
14,839
16,495
-77.6
11.2
Congressional Research Service

25

The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Block Grant: FAQs

Percentage Change

to 2020 from …
1994-
2019-
1994
2010
2019
2020
2020
2020

Wyoming
5,457
302
482
487
-91.1
1.0

Totals
4,968,507
1,947,288
1,071,146
1,002,327
-79.8
-6.4
Source: Congressional Research Service (CRS), based on data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services (HHS).
Note: TANF cash assistance caseload includes families receiving assistance in state-funded programs counted
toward the TANF maintenance of effort (MOE) requirement.

Table B-6. TANF Work Participation Standard and Rate, By Jurisdiction for All
Families: FY2020
Effective
Caseload
(after-
Work
Statutory
Reduction
credit)
Participation
Met the
State
Standard
Credit
standard
Rate
Standard?
Alabama
50.0%
50.0%
0.0%
44.3%
Yes
Alaska
50.0
42.4
7.6
38.2
Yes
Arizona
50.0
50.0
0.0
15.2
Yes
Arkansas
50.0
50.0
0.0
17.4
Yes
California
50.0
25.3
24.7
50.5
Yes
Colorado
50.0
35.0
15.0
39.9
Yes
Connecticut
50.0
50.0
0.0
11.3
Yes
Delaware
50.0
50.0
0.0
28.6
Yes
District of Col.
50.0
47.7
2.3
49.9
Yes
Florida
50.0
39.0
11.0
19.1
Yes
Georgia
50.0
50.0
0.0
16.1
Yes
Guam
50.0
50.0
0.0
9.6
Yes
Hawaii
50.0
50.0
0.0
18.2
Yes
Idaho
50.0
0.0
50.0
54.7
Yes
Il inois
50.0
46.1
3.9
66.5
Yes
Indiana
50.0
50.0
0.0
21.3
Yes
Iowa
50.0
50.0
0.0
20.0
Yes
Kansas
50.0
50.0
0.0
31.8
Yes
Kentucky
50.0
50.0
0.0
41.0
Yes
Louisiana
50.0
50.0
0.0
3.5
Yes
Maine
50.0
0.0
50.0
83.5
Yes
Maryland
50.0
50.0
0.0
14.3
Yes
Congressional Research Service

26

The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Block Grant: FAQs

Effective
Caseload
(after-
Work
Statutory
Reduction
credit)
Participation
Met the
State
Standard
Credit
standard
Rate
Standard?
Massachusetts
50.0
25.1
24.9
56.9
Yes
Michigan
50.0
50.0
0.0
32.2
Yes
Minnesota
50.0
44.6
5.4
22.3
Yes
Mississippi
50.0
50.0
0.0
40.3
Yes
Missouri
50.0
50.0
0.0
17.1
Yes
Montana
50.0
18.4
31.6
35.5
Yes
Nebraska
50.0
50.0
0.0
10.2
Yes
Nevada
50.0
39.2
10.8
27.0
Yes
New Hampshire
50.0
0.0
50.0
55.1
Yes
New Jersey
50.0
50.0
0.0
17.4
Yes
New Mexico
50.0
50.0
0.0
25.8
Yes
New York
50.0
48.9
1.1
17.8
Yes
North Carolina
50.0
47.7
2.3
10.0
Yes
North Dakota
50.0
50.0
0.0
35.2
Yes
Ohio
50.0
42.5
7.5
29.4
Yes
Oklahoma
50.0
50.0
0.0
20.1
Yes
Oregon
50.0
0.0
50.0
59.6
Yes
Pennsylvania
50.0
50.0
0.0
14.5
Yes
Puerto Rico
50.0
50.0
0.0
6.6
Yes
Rhode Island
50.0
50.0
0.0
6.8
Yes
South Carolina
50.0
50.0
0.0
20.4
Yes
South Dakota
50.0
0.0
50.0
52.7
Yes
Tennessee
50.0
50.0
0.0
33.6
Yes
Texas
50.0
50.0
0.0
11.3
Yes
Utah
50.0
50.0
0.0
13.0
Yes
Vermont
50.0
46.7
3.3
39.7
Yes
Virgin Islands
50.0
50.0
0.0
4.1
Yes
Virginia
50.0
45.5
4.5
29.3
Yes
Washington
50.0
50.0
0.0
41.8
Yes
West Virginia
50.0
48.6
1.4
24.8
Yes
Wisconsin
50.0
42.2
7.8
37.3
Yes
Wyoming
50.0
0.0
50.0
76.0
Yes
Source: Congressional Research Service (CRS) based on data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services (HHS).
Congressional Research Service

27

The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Block Grant: FAQs

Table B-7. TANF Work Participation Standard and Rate, By Jurisdiction, for
Two-Parent Families: FY2020
(NA Denotes that the Jurisdiction Did Not Have Two-Parent Families Receiving TANF or MOE-Funded
Assistance)
Effective
Caseload
(after-
Work
Statutory
Reduction
credit
Participation
Met the
State
Standard
Credit
standard)
Rate
Standard?
Alabama
90.0%
90.0%
0.0%
48.1%
Yes
Alaska
90.0
54.8
35.2
52.1
Yes
Arizona
90.0
76.0
14.0
27.1
Yes
Arkansas
90.0
75.8
14.2
16.8
Yes
California
90.0
30.5
59.5
27.5
No
Colorado
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
Connecticut
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
Delaware
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
District of Col.
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
Florida
90.0
86.7
3.3
17.1
Yes
Georgia
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
Guam
90.0
52.9
37.1
9.5
No
Hawaii
90.0
77.9
12.1
26.4
Yes
Idaho
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
Il inois
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
Indiana
90.0
83.2
6.8
29.3
Yes
Iowa
90.0
84.5
5.5
13.1
Yes
Kansas
90.0
77.1
12.9
33.8
Yes
Kentucky
90.0
56.0
34.0
43.0
Yes
Louisiana
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
Maine
90.0
0.0
90.0
94.0
Yes
Maryland
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
Massachusetts
90.0
25.1
64.9
86.0
Yes
Michigan
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
Minnesota
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
Mississippi
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
Missouri
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
Montana
90.0
54.8
35.2
41.8
Yes
Nebraska
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
Nevada
90.0
39.2
50.8
38.3
No
New Hampshire
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
New Jersey
90.0
82.9
7.1
94.2
Yes
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The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Block Grant: FAQs

Effective
Caseload
(after-
Work
Statutory
Reduction
credit
Participation
Met the
State
Standard
Credit
standard)
Rate
Standard?
New Mexico
90.0
64.4
25.6
32.0
Yes
New York
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
North Carolina
90.0
47.7
42.3
11.1
No
North Dakota
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
Ohio
90.0
88.6
1.4
27.8
Yes
Oklahoma
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
Oregon
90.0
0.0
90.0
97.8
Yes
Pennsylvania
90.0
89.6
0.4
20.5
Yes
Puerto Rico
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
Rhode Island
90.0
62.4
27.6
7.3
No
South Carolina
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
South Dakota
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
Tennessee
90.0
77.4
12.6
30.9
Yes
Texas
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
Utah
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
Vermont
90.0
63.7
26.3
63.0
Yes
Virgin Islands
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
Virginia
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
Washington
90.0
51.9
38.1
62.4
Yes
West Virginia
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
Wisconsin
90.0
63.4
26.6
45.9
Yes
Wyoming
90.0
0.0
90.0
78.6
No
Source: Congressional Research Service (CRS) based on data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services (HHS).

Author Information

Gene Falk
Patrick A. Landers
Specialist in Social Policy
Analyst in Social Policy

Acknowledgments
Amber Wilhelm and Calvin DeSouza produced this report’s data visualizations.
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The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Block Grant: FAQs

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Congressional Research Service
RL32760 · VERSION 204 · UPDATED
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