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

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

Updated November 5, 2024

Congressional Research Service

https://crsreports.congress.gov

RL32760

Congressional Research Service

SUMMARY

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

The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) block grant funds a wide range of benefits and services for low-income families with children. TANF was created in the Personal 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 on TANF Financing and Federal Requirements, by Gene Falk).

TANF Funding and Expenditures

TANF provides fixed funding for the 50 states, the District of Columbia, 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 to contribute, from their own funds, under a maintenance-of-effort (MOE) requirement. Both the basic block grant and the required MOE spending are based on expenditures in pre-TANF programs in the early- to mid-1990s.

The basic block grant and required spending under the MOE are not adjusted for changes in circumstances (e.g., inflation, population) over time. Adjusted for inflation, in FY2023, the TANF basic block grant was 47% below what its value was in FY1997. The MOE requirements have also not been adjusted for inflation.

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 FY2022, states used a total of $31.3 billion in federal TANF and state MOE dollars. Of that FY2022 total, expenditures on basic assistance were $7.2 billion—23.0% of total federal TANF and MOE dollars. Basic assistance is often—but not exclusively—paid as cash on a monthly basis. The remainder of TANF and MOE funds were spent on a wide range of benefits, services, and activities: 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.

The TANF Assistance Caseload

A total of 1.0 million families, composed of 2.8 million recipients, received TANF- or MOE-funded assistance in September 2023. The bulk of the recipients were children—1.9 million in that month.

Assistance Benefits

TANF assistance benefit amounts are set by states. In July 2022, the maximum monthly benefit for a family of two (single parent and one child) ranged from $915 in New Hampshire to $162 in Arkansas. Only New Hampshire (at 60% of the federal poverty level) had a maximum TANF assistance amount for this sized family in excess of 50% of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) poverty guidelines.

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 FY2022, states achieved, on average, an all-family participation rate of 35.6% and a two-parent rate of 44.0%.

In FY2022, all jurisdictions except Oregon met their all-family participation standard. California, Florida, Guam, Hawaii, Nevada, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, and Wyoming did not meet their two-parent participation standard. Jurisdictions that did not meet their standards are at risk of being penalized through a reduction in their block grants, though they may either enter into a corrective compliance plan or claim good cause to avoid the penalty.

RL32760

November 5, 2024

Gene Falk Specialist in Social Policy

Patrick A. Landers Analyst in Social Policy

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

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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? .......................................................................................... 3

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 individuals currently receive TANF- or MOE-funded

assistance? .............................................................................................................................. 4

How does the current assistance caseload level compare with historical levels? ..................... 5

TANF Cash Benefits: How Much Does a Family Receive in TANF Cash Per Month? .................. 6

TANF Work Participation Standards ............................................................................................... 7

What is the TANF work participation standard states must meet?............................................ 7 What work participation rates have the states achieved? .......................................................... 8

Figures

Figure 1. Uses of TANF and MOE Funds by Spending Category, FY2022 .................................... 3

Figure 2. Number of Families Receiving Assistance, July 1959 to September 2023 ...................... 6

Figure 3. TANF Cash Assistance Benefits for a Single Mother with One Child, by

Jurisdiction, July 2022 .................................................................................................................. 7

Figure 4. National Average TANF Work Participation Rate for All Families,

FY2002-FY2022 .......................................................................................................................... 9

Tables

Table 1. TANF Basic Block Grant Funding in Nominal and Constant Dollars ............................... 2

Table 2. Families and Recipients of TANF- and MOE-Funded Assistance,

September 2023 ............................................................................................................................ 4

Table A-1. Trends in the Cash Assistance Caseload: 1961-2022 ................................................... 10

Table B-1. Uses of FY2022 TANF and State MOE Funds by Spending Category ....................... 13 Table B-2. Uses of FY2022 TANF and State MOE Funds by Spending Category as a

Percent of Total Federal TANF and State MOE Spending ......................................................... 16

Table B-3. Unspent TANF Funds at the End of FY2022 ............................................................... 19

Table B-4. Number of Families, Recipients, Adults, and Children Receiving TANF

Assistance by Jurisdiction, September 2023 .............................................................................. 20

Table B-5. Number of Needy Families with Children Receiving Assistance by

Jurisdiction, September of Selected Years .................................................................................. 22

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Table B-6. TANF Cash Assistance Maximum Monthly Benefit Amounts for a Single-

Parent Family with One Child, By Jurisdiction, July 2022 ........................................................ 24

Table B-7. TANF Work Participation Standard and Rate, By Jurisdiction for All Families:

FY2022 ....................................................................................................................................... 26

Table B-8. TANF Work Participation Standard and Rate, By Jurisdiction, for Two-Parent

Families: FY2022 ....................................................................................................................... 28

Appendixes

Appendix A. Supplementary Tables .............................................................................................. 10 Appendix B. State Tables .............................................................................................................. 13

Contacts

Author Information ........................................................................................................................ 29

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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?

P.L. 118-83, the Continuing Appropriations and Extension Act, 2025, extended TANF funding through December 20, 2024.

How are state TANF programs funded?

TANF programs are funded through a combination of federal and state funds. 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.1 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 a minimum of at least 80% of what they spent in FY1994 on TANF’s predecessor programs. The MOE spending requirement is reduced in states that met their work participation standards to 75% of what a state spent in FY1994.

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—for both the nation 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.

1 American Samoa and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands do not operate TANF programs. The former is eligible but does not operate programs; the latter is ineligible for TANF funds.

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Table 1 shows the state family assistance grant, in both nominal (actual) and constant 1997 (inflation-adjusted) dollars for each year, FY1997 through FY2023. In inflation-adjusted terms, the FY2023 block grant was 47% below its value in FY1997.

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

(dollars in billions)

Fiscal Year

State Family

Assistance Grant:

50 States, DC,

Tribes, and

Territories

State Family

Assistance

Grant

Constant

1997 Dollars

Cumulative

Percentage Change

Since FY1997,

Constant 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

2022 16.512 9.168 -44.7

2023 16.512 8.727 -47.3

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

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How have states used TANF funds?

In FY2022, states used a total of $31.3 billion in combined federal TANF and state MOE dollars (this total includes dollars transferred to other block grant programs, but excludes expenditures in tribal TANF programs or those operated in the territories). Basic assistance—ongoing benefits to families to meet basic needs—represented 23.0% ($7.2 billion) of total FY2022 TANF and MOE dollars.

Figure 1 categorizes TANF benefits and services and shows the national total spending for them. Spending on child care—both directly and through transfers to the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF)—ranked second in spending among the categories, totaling $4.9 billion in FY2022, 15% of all TANF and MOE dollars for that year. Pre-K and early childhood services ranked third at $3.2 billion. This was followed, in order, by state refundable tax credits to families with children; work, education, and training; administrative expenditures; and emergency and short- term benefits. The “Other Services” shown in the figure represents a range of additional services (including programs promoting responsible fatherhood and healthy marriage and financial literacy).

There is variation among the states in how they use TANF and MOE dollars. For state-specific information on the use of TANF funds, see Table B-1 and Table B-2.

Figure 1. Uses of TANF and MOE Funds by Spending Category, FY2022

(dollars 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: Excludes TANF funds used in the territories and in tribal TANF programs. Excludes spending from the Pandemic Emergency Assistance fund, which is reported separately.

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 FY2022 (September 30, 2022), a total of $9.0 billion of federal TANF funding remained neither transferred nor spent. However, some of these unspent funds represent monies

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that states had already committed to spend later. Of this amount, states had made such commitments to spend (i.e., had obligated) a total of approximately $2.5 billion. At the end of FY2022, states had approximately $6.5 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.2 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 individuals currently receive TANF- or MOE-funded assistance?

Table 2 provides assistance caseload information. A total of approximately 1.0 million families, composed of 2.8 million individual recipients, received TANF- or MOE-funded assistance in September 2023. The bulk of the recipients were children—1.9 million in that month. For state- by-state assistance caseloads, see Table B-4.

Table 2. Families and Recipients of TANF- and MOE-Funded Assistance,

September 2023

Category Number

Total Families 986,792

Total Recipients 2,751,447

Total Adults 819,232

Total Children 1,932,215

Source: Congressional Research Service (CRS), based on data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Data as of February 21, 2024, and subject to revision.

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.

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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 2023. 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 COVID-19 pandemic, there was a brief uptick in the number of families receiving assistance. That response to the pandemic was short-lived.3 After a brief uptick in the number of families receiving assistance in 2022, by the end of FY2023 (September 2023) the number of families receiving assistance had declined to 1.0 million.

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

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, Unemployment Insurance (UI) Benefits: Permanent-Law Programs and the COVID-19 Pandemic Response. For estimates of the impact of the poverty interventions in response to the economic downturn associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, 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, July 1959 to September 2023

Source: Congressional Research Service (CRS), with data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Notes: Shaded areas indicate periods of economic recession. Since FY2000, data include families receiving assistance in separate state programs, funded with state dollars and accounted for separately but with spending 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.

Figure 3 displays the maximum monthly TANF cash benefit by state for a single parent caring for one child (family of two) in July 2022.4 For a family of two, the maximum TANF benefit paid in July 2022 varied from $915 per month in New Hampshire to $162 per month in Arkansas. The map shows a regional pattern to the maximum monthly benefit paid, with lower benefit amounts in general in the South compared to 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 the HHS poverty guidelines.

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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Figure 3. TANF Cash Assistance Benefits for a Single Mother with One Child, by

Jurisdiction, July 2022

Source: Congressional Research Service (CRS), based on data from the Welfare Rules Database, funded by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and maintained by the Urban Institute,

Table B-6 shows these benefit amounts by jurisdiction in dollars and as a percentage of the HHS poverty guidelines.

TANF Work Participation Standards

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

What is the TANF work participation standard states must meet?

The TANF statute requires states to have 50% of their caseload meet standards of participation in work or activities—that is, a family member must be in specified activities for a minimum number of hours.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.

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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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.

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 4 shows the national average all-families work participation rate for FY2002 through FY2022. For the period FY2002 through FY2011, states achieved an average all-families work participation rate hovering around 30%. Subsequently, the work participation rate increased. In FY2016, it exceeded 50% for the first time since TANF was established. However, the increase in the work participation rate did not come from an increase in the number of recipients in regular TANF assistance programs who were either working or in job preparation activities. This increase stemmed 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.

The national average TANF work participation rate for all families declined from FY2018 through FY2021. In FY2021, a year affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and its economic fallout, the national average all-families rate was 33.6%. In 2022, the national average all- families rate had increased to 35.6% In FY2022, all jurisdictions except Oregon met their all- families standard.

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Figure 4. National Average TANF Work Participation Rate for All Families,

FY2002-FY2022

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

In FY2022, 9 jurisdictions (California, Florida, Guam, Hawaii, Nevada, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, and Wyoming) did not meet the separate, higher two-parent standard. Table B-7 provides information for each jurisdiction on the TANF work standard, caseload reduction credit, and work participation rate for all families for FY2022. Table B-8 provides that information for two-parent families. The table shows that 26 jurisdictions 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. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, HHS, under the Trump Administration, 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.”6 HHS has not revised this statement under the Biden Administration.

6 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: 1961-2022

TANF Child Recipients

Calendar

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

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TANF Child Recipients

Calendar

Year

Families

(millions)

Recipients

(millions)

Adults

(millions)

Children

(millions)

As a

Percentage

of All

Children

As a

Percentage

of All Poor

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

2020 1.052 2.757 0.728 2.029 2.8 17.2

2021 0.931 2.450 0.661 1.788 2.5 16.0

2022 0.974 2.652 0.747 1.905 2.7 17.7

Source: Congressional Research Service (CRS), based on data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the U.S. Census Bureau. Notes: NA denotes not available. During transition reporting from AFDC to TANF, caseload statistics on adult and child recipients were not collected. For those years, TANF children as a percentage of all children and

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Congressional Research Service 12

percentage 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. 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.

CRS-13

Appendix B. State Tables

Table B-1. Uses of FY2022 TANF and State MOE Funds by Spending Category

(dollars in millions)

State

Basic

Assistance Child Care

Pre-K and

Early

Childhood

Services

Child

Welfare Benefits

and

Services

Refundable

Tax Credits

Work,

Education

and

Training

Adminis-

trative

Expend-

itures

Emergency

and Short-

Term

Benefits

and

Services

Other

Services

Total

TANF

Dollars

All jurisdictions $7,223.0 $4,850.6 $3,246.0 $2,799.7 $2,625.3 $2,525.8 $2,270.7 $1,154.4 $4,647.2 $31,342.6

Alabama 12.8 24.9 38.0 23.0 0.0 5.2 7.8 50.0 34.9 196.6

Alaska 31.8 12.4 0.0 0.0 0.0 8.7 7.0 0.3 13.1 73.4

Arizona 35.9 0.0 0.0 279.5 0.0 0.6 17.7 6.3 43.0 383.0

Arkansas 3.3 0.0 37.9 4.4 0.0 18.1 22.8 5.3 24.3 116.0

California 2,877.8 961.2 0.0 0.0 0.0 1,038.1 715.6 244.7 917.4 6,754.8

Colorado 61.4 15.0 86.0 43.1 70.9 5.9 52.8 5.2 57.7 397.9

Connecticut 24.5 85.3 85.7 75.3 76.2 10.6 46.4 17.2 131.3 552.4

Delaware 7.2 56.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 40.0 4.0 1.7 40.3 149.3

District of Columbia 172.8 22.2 18.2 0.0 18.4 33.4 11.8 14.5 10.4 301.6

Florida 117.0 292.8 0.0 220.6 0.0 44.6 47.7 1.1 73.4 797.2

Georgia 85.1 22.2 0.0 261.8 0.0 5.5 20.2 4.1 62.0 460.9

Hawaii 33.0 28.7 0.2 10.9 0.0 44.1 13.5 9.7 58.9 199.0

Idaho 6.3 9.0 1.5 7.0 0.0 2.7 6.3 9.4 0.9 43.2

Illinois 42.9 552.0 117.5 240.2 86.5 19.5 0.0 1.0 127.3 1,186.9

Indiana 13.7 84.2 0.0 1.1 42.8 1.4 21.7 0.0 104.1 269.0

Iowa 24.3 41.5 0.0 60.2 24.0 8.5 6.6 0.4 21.1 186.6

CRS-14

State

Basic

Assistance Child Care

Pre-K and

Early

Childhood

Services

Child

Welfare Benefits

and

Services

Refundable

Tax Credits

Work,

Education

and

Training

Adminis-

trative

Expend-

itures

Emergency

and Short-

Term

Benefits

and

Services

Other

Services

Total

TANF

Dollars

Kansas 10.3 6.7 21.7 32.5 35.0 0.8 9.7 0.0 42.8 159.4

Kentucky 162.6 19.7 0.0 0.0 0.0 19.7 13.0 0.0 3.1 218.1

Louisiana 20.8 0.0 55.9 35.1 19.4 66.4 19.3 8.5 31.0 256.3

Maine 37.4 6.8 0.5 13.2 23.8 11.3 5.5 16.1 28.2 142.9

Maryland 74.4 5.9 74.9 48.2 284.7 27.8 19.4 52.1 50.0 637.5

Massachusetts 296.8 358.6 0.0 10.4 164.6 151.9 41.4 66.2 88.1 1,178.1

Michigan 99.0 27.8 232.8 75.3 38.1 3.8 57.7 23.9 772.3 1,330.7

Minnesota 109.0 111.3 5.7 0.0 94.4 64.6 47.4 18.0 16.4 466.8

Mississippi 4.3 0.0 0.0 10.6 0.0 24.1 5.5 0.0 15.6 60.1

Missouri 21.6 21.8 0.0 122.0 0.0 71.4 13.9 90.6 49.8 391.1

Montana 8.1 6.8 0.0 1.2 0.0 2.8 3.6 1.8 8.7 33.0

Nebraska 19.2 17.8 0.0 4.0 36.7 8.4 3.3 0.0 10.5 100.0

Nevada 31.1 16.8 0.0 32.1 0.0 1.6 14.7 8.5 16.4 121.1

New Hampshire 26.6 4.6 0.0 6.6 0.0 6.3 6.9 1.1 9.1 61.2

New Jersey 82.2 186.6 640.5 0.0 335.9 58.8 49.9 15.9 72.2 1,441.9

New Mexico 52.3 31.5 29.7 0.7 270.9 10.7 5.5 17.4 25.0 443.8

New York 1,576.5 103.2 894.7 375.6 911.5 123.0 429.5 266.5 350.7 5,031.1

North Carolina 26.1 222.1 71.8 144.2 0.0 2.5 44.3 3.2 40.2 554.4

North Dakota 2.7 1.2 0.0 15.9 0.0 3.7 4.3 0.0 0.8 28.7

Ohio 205.9 418.3 0.9 21.0 0.0 85.3 103.8 57.9 258.3 1,151.3

Oklahoma 11.3 77.3 0.0 12.5 0.0 20.2 6.2 0.4 32.6 160.5

CRS-15

State

Basic

Assistance Child Care

Pre-K and

Early

Childhood

Services

Child

Welfare Benefits

and

Services

Refundable

Tax Credits

Work,

Education

and

Training

Adminis-

trative

Expend-

itures

Emergency

and Short-

Term

Benefits

and

Services

Other

Services

Total

TANF

Dollars

Oregon 76.9 28.5 17.7 11.4 3.4 18.5 14.9 24.1 22.3 217.8

Pennsylvania 101.4 428.8 276.4 0.0 0.0 95.6 58.6 9.1 123.3 1,093.1

Rhode Island 20.3 24.0 1.2 19.0 19.5 9.6 6.0 4.7 29.7 134.1

South Carolina 30.7 4.1 27.1 7.1 0.0 20.7 17.9 0.0 55.4 163.0

South Dakota 12.3 0.8 0.0 4.2 0.0 3.1 2.0 3.0 3.1 28.5

Tennessee 68.4 1.7 84.4 32.2 0.0 32.2 28.5 0.0 22.8 270.3

Texas 19.4 0.0 343.6 416.8 0.0 74.8 59.9 24.2 102.3 1,041.1

Utah 13.7 22.2 6.2 2.1 0.0 14.5 7.2 1.8 18.1 85.7

Vermont 13.3 35.3 0.0 8.5 14.6 0.2 6.1 1.6 12.1 91.8

Virginia 98.2 39.9 7.7 61.8 0.2 33.4 49.7 6.4 46.0 343.2

Washington 211.3 224.3 66.0 8.0 0.0 131.5 65.1 30.8 415.5 1,152.3

West Virginia 45.7 21.1 0.0 29.3 0.0 0.3 12.9 1.9 26.0 137.3

Wisconsin 69.8 166.5 0.0 10.9 53.9 35.2 32.9 25.0 127.0 521.1

Wyoming 13.2 1.6 1.5 0.0 0.0 4.0 2.3 2.9 1.8 27.4

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 total because of rounding. Excludes TANF funds used in the territories and in tribal TANF programs. Also excludes spending from the Pandemic Emergency Assistance Fund.

CRS-16

Table B-2. Uses of FY2022 TANF and State MOE Funds by Spending Category as a Percent of T otal Federal TANF and

State MOE Spending

State

Basic

Assistance Child Care

Pre-K and

Early

Childhood

Services

Child

Welfare Benefits

and

Services

Refundable

Tax Credits

Work,

Education,

and

Training

Adminis-

trative

Expend-

itures

Emergency

and Short-

Term

Benefits

and

Services

Other

Services

Total

TANF

Dollars

All jurisdictions 23.0% 15.5% 10.4% 8.9% 8.4% 8.1% 7.2% 3.7% 14.8% 100.0%

Alabama 6.5 12.7 19.4 11.7 0.0 2.7 3.9 25.4 17.8 100.0

Alaska 43.3 16.9 0.0 0.0 0.0 11.9 9.5 0.5 17.8 100.0

Arizona 9.4 0.0 0.0 73.0 0.0 0.2 4.6 1.6 11.2 100.0

Arkansas 2.8 0.0 32.7 3.8 0.0 15.6 19.6 4.6 20.9 100.0

California 42.6 14.2 0.0 0.0 0.0 15.4 10.6 3.6 13.6 100.0

Colorado 15.4 3.8 21.6 10.8 17.8 1.5 13.3 1.3 14.5 100.0

Connecticut 4.4 15.4 15.5 13.6 13.8 1.9 8.4 3.1 23.8 100.0

Delaware 4.8 37.5 0.0 0.0 0.0 26.8 2.7 1.2 27.0 100.0

District of Columbia 57.3 7.3 6.0 0.0 6.1 11.1 3.9 4.8 3.5 100.0

Florida 14.7 36.7 0.0 27.7 0.0 5.6 6.0 0.1 9.2 100.0

Georgia 18.5 4.8 0.0 56.8 0.0 1.2 4.4 0.9 13.5 100.0

Hawaii 16.6 14.4 0.1 5.5 0.0 22.2 6.8 4.9 29.6 100.0

Idaho 14.7 20.8 3.5 16.3 0.0 6.3 14.6 21.7 2.1 100.0

Illinois 3.6 46.5 9.9 20.2 7.3 1.6 0.0 0.1 10.7 100.0

Indiana 5.1 31.3 0.0 0.4 15.9 0.5 8.1 0.0 38.7 100.0

Iowa 13.0 22.3 0.0 32.3 12.8 4.6 3.5 0.2 11.3 100.0

Kansas 6.5 4.2 13.6 20.4 22.0 0.5 6.1 0.0 26.8 100.0

Kentucky 74.6 9.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 9.0 6.0 0.0 1.4 100.0

CRS-17

State

Basic

Assistance Child Care

Pre-K and

Early

Childhood

Services

Child

Welfare Benefits

and

Services

Refundable

Tax Credits

Work,

Education,

and

Training

Adminis-

trative

Expend-

itures

Emergency

and Short-

Term

Benefits

and

Services

Other

Services

Total

TANF

Dollars

Louisiana 8.1 0.0 21.8 13.7 7.6 25.9 7.5 3.3 12.1 100.0

Maine 26.2 4.8 0.4 9.2 16.7 7.9 3.8 11.3 19.8 100.0

Maryland 11.7 0.9 11.7 7.6 44.7 4.4 3.0 8.2 7.8 100.0

Massachusetts 25.2 30.4 0.0 0.9 14.0 12.9 3.5 5.6 7.5 100.0

Michigan 7.4 2.1 17.5 5.7 2.9 0.3 4.3 1.8 58.0 100.0

Minnesota 23.4 23.8 1.2 0.0 20.2 13.8 10.2 3.9 3.5 100.0

Mississippi 7.2 0.0 0.0 17.7 0.0 40.1 9.1 0.0 25.9 100.0

Missouri 5.5 5.6 0.0 31.2 0.0 18.3 3.6 23.2 12.7 100.0

Montana 24.6 20.6 0.0 3.7 0.0 8.6 11.0 5.3 26.2 100.0

Nebraska 19.2 17.8 0.0 4.0 36.7 8.3 3.3 0.0 10.5 100.0

Nevada 25.7 13.9 0.0 26.5 0.0 1.3 12.1 7.0 13.6 100.0

New Hampshire 43.4 7.5 0.0 10.9 0.0 10.4 11.2 1.8 14.9 100.0

New Jersey 5.7 12.9 44.4 0.0 23.3 4.1 3.5 1.1 5.0 100.0

New Mexico 11.8 7.1 6.7 0.2 61.1 2.4 1.2 3.9 5.6 100.0

New York 31.3 2.1 17.8 7.5 18.1 2.4 8.5 5.3 7.0 100.0

North Carolina 4.7 40.1 13.0 26.0 0.0 0.4 8.0 0.6 7.2 100.0

North Dakota 9.4 4.2 0.0 55.5 0.0 13.1 15.0 0.1 2.8 100.0

Ohio 17.9 36.3 0.1 1.8 0.0 7.4 9.0 5.0 22.4 100.0

Oklahoma 7.1 48.2 0.0 7.8 0.0 12.6 3.9 0.2 20.3 100.0

Oregon 35.3 13.1 8.1 5.2 1.6 8.5 6.9 11.1 10.2 100.0

Pennsylvania 9.3 39.2 25.3 0.0 0.0 8.7 5.4 0.8 11.3 100.0

CRS-18

State

Basic

Assistance Child Care

Pre-K and

Early

Childhood

Services

Child

Welfare Benefits

and

Services

Refundable

Tax Credits

Work,

Education,

and

Training

Adminis-

trative

Expend-

itures

Emergency

and Short-

Term

Benefits

and

Services

Other

Services

Total

TANF

Dollars

Rhode Island 15.2 17.9 0.9 14.2 14.5 7.1 4.5 3.5 22.1 100.0

South Carolina 18.8 2.5 16.6 4.4 0.0 12.7 11.0 0.0 34.0 100.0

South Dakota 43.0 2.8 0.0 14.7 0.0 10.8 7.1 10.4 11.0 100.0

Tennessee 25.3 0.6 31.2 11.9 0.0 11.9 10.5 0.0 8.4 100.0

Texas 1.9 0.0 33.0 40.0 0.0 7.2 5.8 2.3 9.8 100.0

Utah 16.0 25.9 7.2 2.5 0.0 17.0 8.3 2.1 21.1 100.0

Vermont 14.5 38.5 0.0 9.3 15.9 0.2 6.7 1.7 13.2 100.0

Virginia 28.6 11.6 2.2 18.0 0.1 9.7 14.5 1.9 13.4 100.0

Washington 18.3 19.5 5.7 0.7 0.0 11.4 5.6 2.7 36.1 100.0

West Virginia 33.3 15.4 0.0 21.3 0.0 0.2 9.4 1.4 19.0 100.0

Wisconsin 13.4 31.9 0.0 2.1 10.3 6.8 6.3 4.8 24.4 100.0

Wyoming 48.3 5.7 5.6 0.0 0.0 14.5 8.5 10.8 6.6 100.0

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: Detail may not add to total because of rounding. Excludes TANF funds used in the territories and in tribal TANF programs. Also excludes spending from the Pandemic Emergency Assistance Fund.

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Congressional Research Service 19

Table B-3. Unspent TANF Funds at the End of FY2022

(dollars in millions; as of September 30, 2022)

State Obligated but Unspent Unobligated Balance

All jurisdictions $2,501.9 $6,452.8

Alabama 0.0 122.7

Alaska 25.3 0.5

Arizona 0.0 60.4

Arkansas 36.7 65.9

California 755.2 0.0

Colorado 0.0 107.9

Connecticut 0.0 0.0

Delaware 0.0 20.2

District of Columbia 3.5 31.6

Florida 0.0 221.9

Georgia 40.8 160.0

Hawaii 19.3 402.3

Idaho 0.0 10.9

Illinois 0.0 0.0

Indiana 16.3 114.0

Iowa 0.0 45.5

Kansas 3.2 64.6

Kentucky 0.0 107.9

Louisiana 63.3 0.0

Maine 13.2 89.1

Maryland 0.0 54.4

Massachusetts 0.0 0.0

Michigan 0.0 124.4

Minnesota 203.1 50.9

Mississippi 0.0 146.0

Missouri 0.0 0.0

Montana 0.0 60.8

Nebraska 6.3 119.8

Nevada 0.0 45.4

New Hampshire 0.0 61.8

New Jersey 146.6 0.0

New Mexico 63.8 0.0

New York 142.2 1,117.6

North Carolina 55.4 0.0

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

Congressional Research Service 20

State Obligated but Unspent Unobligated Balance

North Dakota 0.0 12.9

Ohio 646.6 0.0

Oklahoma 74.3 294.2

Oregon 0.0 181.1

Pennsylvania 180.6 776.0

Rhode Island 0.0 82.4

South Carolina 0.0 10.1

South Dakota 0.0 24.5

Tennessee 0.0 808.2

Texas 0.0 237.4

Utah 0.0 91.1

Vermont 0.0 0.0

Virginia 6.3 56.2

Washington 0.0 60.0

West Virginia 0.0 117.2

Wisconsin 0.0 268.8

Wyoming 0.0 26.1

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.

Table B-4. Number of Families, Recipients, Adults, and Children Receiving TANF

Assistance by Jurisdiction, September 2023

State Families

Total

Recipients Adults Children

Alabama 5,556 12,965 2,292 10,673

Alaska 1,056 2,946 871 2,075

Arizona 5,173 10,609 1,907 8,702

Arkansas 887 2,155 530 1,625

California 362,158 1,215,272 380,423 834,849

Colorado 12,578 30,830 8,418 22,412

Connecticut 5,125 12,159 3,404 8,755

Delaware 2,834 8,031 3,220 4,811

District of Columbia 4,222 11,199 2,817 8,382

Florida 35,095 72,184 26,698 45,486

Georgia 4,594 8,037 233 7,804

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

Congressional Research Service 21

State Families

Total

Recipients Adults Children

Hawaii 3,112 8,649 2,638 6,011

Idaho 1,488 2,055 21 2,034

Illinois 9,882 19,911 2,396 17,515

Indiana 5,256 12,440 3,200 9,240

Iowa 4,782 11,968 2,824 9,144

Kansas 2,945 2,945 1,472 1,473

Kentucky 13,171 29,210 5,891 23,319

Louisiana 4,753 12,243 2,335 9,908

Maine 13,673 46,474 17,577 28,897

Maryland 14,792 46,670 14,067 32,603

Massachusetts 59,409 162,060 48,986 113,074

Michigan 8,395 22,474 4,803 17,671

Minnesota 13,494 31,484 7,847 23,637

Mississippi 1,648 3,033 402 2,631

Missouri 5,526 12,914 2,884 10,030

Montana 1,685 3,856 677 3,179

Nebraska 2,890 6,772 981 5,791

Nevada 5,859 14,951 3,801 11,150

New Hampshire 3,941 9,642 2,451 7,191

New Jersey 9,216 22,384 6,546 15,838

New Mexico 6,768 16,308 3,868 12,440

New York 121,383 314,162 110,499 203,663

North Carolina 7,346 13,163 1,231 11,932

North Dakota 559 1,366 193 1,173

Ohio 40,325 72,020 7,129 64,891

Oklahoma 3,585 7,667 798 6,869

Oregon 41,732 127,997 44,991 83,006

Pennsylvania 25,905 64,619 15,634 48,985

Puerto Rico 2,380 6,601 2,446 4,155

Rhode Island 3,245 8,512 2,553 5,959

South Carolina 5,599 12,845 2,388 10,457

South Dakota 2,431 4,813 334 4,479

Tennessee 10,033 21,563 4,323 17,240

Texas 9,621 18,978 2,453 16,525

Utah 1,995 4,671 1,226 3,445

Vermont 2,009 4,628 1,260 3,368

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

Congressional Research Service 22

State Families

Total

Recipients Adults Children

Virginia 14,860 34,044 8,177 25,867

Washington 44,127 111,325 40,694 70,631

West Virginia 4,926 9,699 1,621 8,078

Wisconsin 12,073 26,182 4,406 21,776

Wyoming 485 1,201 283 918

Guam 153 364 56 308

Virgin Islands 57 197 57 140

All Jurisdictions 986,792 2,751,447 819,232 1,932,215

Source: Congressional Research Service (CRS), based on data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Data as of February 21, 2024, and subject to revision. 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

Jurisdiction, September of Selected Years

Percentage Change

State 1994 2019 2022 2023

1994 to

2023

2022 to

2023

Alabama 48,752 7,687 5,821 5,556 -88.6% -4.6%

Alaska 12,450 2,245 1,319 1,056 -91.5 -19.9

Arizona 72,728 7,010 5,531 5,173 -92.9 -6.5

Arkansas 25,298 2,357 939 887 -96.5 -5.5

California 916,795 367,313 382,764 362,158 -60.5 -5.4

Colorado 40,544 14,226 12,195 12,578 -69.0 3.1

Connecticut 60,336 7,724 4,971 5,125 -91.5 3.1

Delaware 11,408 3,249 2,945 2,834 -75.2 -3.8

District of Columbia 27,320 7,745 6,779 4,222 -84.5 -37.7

Florida 239,702 38,093 30,686 35,095 -85.4 14.4

Georgia 141,596 8,837 5,734 4,594 -96.8 -19.9

Hawaii 21,312 4,029 3,681 3,112 -85.4 -15.5

Idaho 8,635 2,043 1,522 1,488 -82.8 -2.2

Illinois 241,290 10,874 10,058 9,882 -95.9 -1.7

Indiana 72,654 5,164 4,117 5,256 -92.8 27.7

Iowa 39,137 8,922 5,108 4,782 -87.8 -6.4

Kansas 29,524 4,039 2,940 2,945 -90.0 0.2

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

Congressional Research Service 23

Percentage Change

State 1994 2019 2022 2023

1994 to

2023

2022 to

2023

Kentucky 78,720 16,586 11,359 13,171 -83.3 16.0

Louisiana 84,162 4,726 4,259 4,753 -94.4 11.6

Maine 22,322 14,634 12,735 13,673 -38.7 7.4

Maryland 80,266 16,469 16,773 14,792 -81.6 -11.8

Massachusetts 108,985 50,166 55,310 59,409 -45.5 7.4

Michigan 215,873 10,788 8,751 8,395 -96.1 -4.1

Minnesota 59,987 15,399 13,697 13,494 -77.5 -1.5

Mississippi 55,232 3,083 1,687 1,648 -97.0 -2.3

Missouri 91,875 9,760 6,047 5,526 -94.0 -8.6

Montana 11,416 3,236 1,854 1,685 -85.2 -9.1

Nebraska 15,435 4,364 3,072 2,890 -81.3 -5.9

Nevada 14,620 8,042 6,245 5,859 -59.9 -6.2

New Hampshire 11,398 5,206 3,746 3,941 -65.4 5.2

New Jersey 122,376 8,857 9,539 9,216 -92.5 -3.4

New Mexico 34,535 10,087 9,540 6,768 -80.4 -29.1

New York 461,751 113,971 115,984 121,383 -73.7 4.7

North Carolina 129,258 13,064 11,907 7,346 -94.3 -38.3

North Dakota 5,410 957 596 559 -89.7 -6.2

Ohio 244,099 51,140 41,983 40,325 -83.5 -3.9

Oklahoma 46,572 5,949 3,542 3,585 -92.3 1.2

Oregon 40,504 36,971 38,587 41,732 3.0 8.2

Pennsylvania 212,457 39,746 29,470 25,905 -87.8 -12.1

Puerto Rico 57,337 4,475 3,158 2,380 -95.8 -24.6

Rhode Island 22,776 4,002 3,150 3,245 -85.8 3.0

South Carolina 50,430 7,649 6,233 5,599 -88.9 -10.2

South Dakota 6,601 2,923 2,393 2,431 -63.2 1.6

Tennessee 109,678 19,221 13,852 10,033 -90.9 -27.6

Texas 284,973 22,821 10,879 9,621 -96.6 -11.6

Utah 17,505 3,170 1,924 1,995 -88.6 3.7

Vermont 9,761 2,669 2,085 2,009 -79.4 -3.6

Virginia 74,257 16,649 20,419 14,860 -80.0 -27.2

Washington 101,542 36,023 44,355 44,127 -56.5 -0.5

West Virginia 40,279 6,331 5,257 4,926 -87.8 -6.3

Wisconsin 75,086 15,122 12,156 12,073 -83.9 -0.7

Wyoming 5,351 504 441 485 -90.9 10.0

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Percentage Change

State 1994 2019 2022 2023

1994 to

2023

2022 to

2023

Guam 2,089 439 343 153 -92.7 -55.4

Virgin Islands 1,146 96 61 57 -95.0 -6.6

All Jurisdictions 5,015,545 1,086,852 1,020,499 986,792 -80.3 -3.3

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. The years were selected for the table based on the following: 1994 reflects the number of families receiving assistance in the pre-TANF program of cash assistance (Aid to Families with Dependent Children) and the year the number of families receiving assistance reached its historic peak; 2019 reflects the last year before the COVID-19 pandemic; and 2022 is the year prior to the last year for which data are available (2023).

Table B-6. TANF Cash Assistance Maximum Monthly Benefit Amounts for a Single-

Parent Family with One Child, By Jurisdiction, July 2022

Monthly Benefit as a Percentage of the HHS Poverty Guidelines for a Family of Two

Jurisdiction

Maximum

Benefit Family

Size of Two

Percentage of the

HHS Poverty

Guidelines for

2022

Alabama $190 12.5%

Alaska 821 43.0

Arizona 220 14.4

Arkansas 162 10.6

California 733 48.0

Colorado 440 28.8

Connecticut 614 40.2

Delaware 270 17.7

District of Columbia 521 34.1

Florida 241 15.8

Georgia 235 15.4

Guam 258 16.9

Hawaii 485 27.6

Idaho 309 20.2

Illinois 435 28.5

Indiana 229 15.0

Iowa 361 23.7

Kansas 352 23.1

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Jurisdiction

Maximum

Benefit Family

Size of Two

Percentage of the

HHS Poverty

Guidelines for

2022

Kentucky 225 14.7

Louisiana 376 24.6

Maine 469 30.7

Maryland 665 43.6

Massachusetts 629 41.2

Michigan 403 26.4

Minnesota 545 35.7

Mississippi 236 15.5

Missouri 234 15.3

Montana 467 30.6

Nebraska 408 26.7

Nevada 320 21.0

New Hampshire 915 60.0

New Jersey 425 27.9

New Mexico 357 23.4

New York 574 37.6

North Carolina 236 15.5

North Dakota 385 25.2

Ohio 442 29.0

Oklahoma 225 14.7

Oregon 432 28.3

Pennsylvania 316 20.7

Puerto Rico 712 46.7

Rhode Island 584 38.3

South Carolina 244 16.0

South Dakota 563 36.9

Tennessee 343 22.5

Texas 270 17.7

Utah 399 26.1

Vermont 665 43.6

Virgin Islands 260 17.0

Virginia 489 32.0

Washington 528 34.6

West Virginia 480 31.5

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Jurisdiction

Maximum

Benefit Family

Size of Two

Percentage of the

HHS Poverty

Guidelines for

2022

Wisconsin 653 42.8

Wyoming 734 48.1

Source: Congressional Research Service (CRS), based on data from the Welfare Rules Database, funded by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and maintained at the Urban Institute. The HHS poverty guidelines for 2022 can be found at https://aspe.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/documents/ 4b515876c4674466423975826ac57583/Guidelines-2022.pdf.

Table B-7. TANF Work Participation Standard and Rate,

By Jurisdiction for All Families: FY2022

State

Statutory

Standard

Caseload

Reduction

Credit

(percentage

points)

Effective

After

Credit

Standard

Work

Participation

Rate

Met

Standard?

Alabama 50.0% 50.0 0.0% 44.9% Yes

Alaska 50.0 50.0 0.0 31.1 Yes

Arizona 50.0 50.0 0.0 12.9 Yes

Arkansas 50.0 50.0 0.0 14.6 Yes

California 50.0 40.8 9.2 47.6 Yes

Colorado 50.0 50.0 0.0 43.1 Yes

Connecticut 50.0 50.0 0.0 3.7 Yes

Delaware 50.0 50.0 0.0 17.8 Yes

District of Columbia 50.0 39.3 10.7 20.5 Yes

Florida 50.0 37.7 12.3 12.4 Yes

Georgia 50.0 50.0 0.0 7.0 Yes

Guam 50.0 50.0 0.0 1.9 Yes

Hawaii 50.0 50.0 0.0 13.2 Yes

Idaho 50.0 0.0 50.0 64.2 Yes

Illinois 50.0 33.8 16.2 48.4 Yes

Indiana 50.0 50.0 0.0 14.0 Yes

Iowa 50.0 50.0 0.0 17.3 Yes

Kansas 50.0 50.0 0.0 30.2 Yes

Kentucky 50.0 50.0 0.0 20.1 Yes

Louisiana 50.0 50.0 0.0 4.7 Yes

Maine 50.0 0.0 50.0 78.0 Yes

Maryland 50.0 38.2 11.8 12.0 Yes

Massachusetts 50.0 36.4 13.6 50.4 Yes

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State

Statutory

Standard

Caseload

Reduction

Credit

(percentage

points)

Effective

After

Credit

Standard

Work

Participation

Rate

Met

Standard?

Michigan 50.0 50.0 0.0 44.7 Yes

Minnesota 50.0 39.9 10.1 20.4 Yes

Mississippi 50.0 50.0 0.0 43.3 Yes

Missouri 50.0 50.0 0.0 17.5 Yes

Montana 50.0 50.0 0.0 34.4 Yes

Nebraska 50.0 50.0 0.0 10.3 Yes

Nevada 50.0 50.0 0.0 23.5 Yes

New Hampshire 50.0 0.0 50.0 61.7 Yes

New Jersey 50.0 50.0 0.0 5.5 Yes

New Mexico 50.0 50.0 0.0 7.5 Yes

New York 50.0 50.0 0.0 11.5 Yes

North Carolina 50.0 49.1 0.9 5.4 Yes

North Dakota 50.0 50.0 0.0 40.6 Yes

Ohio 50.0 45.2 4.8 35.5 Yes

Oklahoma 50.0 50.0 0.0 15.5 Yes

Oregon 50.0 0.0 50.0 47.6 No

Pennsylvania 50.0 50.0 0.0 17.9 Yes

Puerto Rico 50.0 50.0 0.0 6.8 Yes

Rhode Island 50.0 50.0 0.0 7.6 Yes

South Carolina 50.0 50.0 0.0 6.4 Yes

South Dakota 50.0 0.0 50.0 54.5 Yes

Tennessee 50.0 50.0 0.0 32.5 Yes

Texas 50.0 50.0 0.0 16.1 Yes

Utah 50.0 50.0 0.0 11.8 Yes

Vermont 50.0 47.1 2.9 32.6 Yes

Virgin Islands 50.0 50.0 0.0 2.5 Yes

Virginia 50.0 50.0 0.0 13.5 Yes

Washington 50.0 50.0 0.0 33.9 Yes

West Virginia 50.0 50.0 0.0 23.8 Yes

Wisconsin 50.0 37.7 12.3 57.0 Yes

Wyoming 50.0 0.0 50.0 74.5 Yes

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

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Table B-8. TANF Work Participation Standard and Rate, By Jurisdiction,

for T wo-Parent Families: FY2022

State

Statutory

Standard

Caseload

Reduction

Credit

(percentage

points)

Effective

After

Credit

Standard

Work

Participation

Rate

Met

Standard?

Alabama 90.0% 90.0 0.0% 40.1% Yes

Alaska 90.0 61.6 28.4 38.7 Yes

Arizona 90.0 79.1 10.9 20.0 Yes

Arkansas 90.0 83.6 6.4 32.2 Yes

California 90.0 49.4 40.6 24.0 No

Colorado NA NA NA NA NA

Connecticut NA NA NA NA NA

Delaware NA NA NA NA NA

District of Columbia NA NA NA NA NA

Florida 90.0 37.7 52.3 10.5 No

Georgia NA NA NA NA NA

Guam 90.0 61.2 28.8 0.4 No

Hawaii 90.0 57.8 32.2 18.4 No

Idaho NA NA NA NA NA

Illinois NA NA NA NA NA

Indiana 90.0 80.8 9.2 9.7 Yes

Iowa 90.0 85.6 4.4 12.0 Yes

Kansas 90.0 72.8 17.2 32.8 Yes

Kentucky 90.0 76.3 13.7 25.1 Yes

Louisiana NA NA NA NA NA

Maine 90.0 0.0 90.0 91.6 Yes

Maryland NA NA NA NA NA

Massachusetts 90.0 36.4 53.6 94.8 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 83.2 6.8 36.3 Yes

Nebraska NA NA NA NA NA

Nevada 90.0 59.5 30.5 29.5 No

New Hampshire NA NA NA NA NA

New Jersey 90.0 86.5 3.5 93.7 Yes

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State

Statutory

Standard

Caseload

Reduction

Credit

(percentage

points)

Effective

After

Credit

Standard

Work

Participation

Rate

Met

Standard?

New Mexico 90.0 72.8 17.2 17.8 Yes

New York NA NA NA NA NA

North Carolina 90.0 49.1 40.9 13.2 No

North Dakota NA NA NA NA NA

Ohio 90.0 85.7 4.3 31.5 Yes

Oklahoma NA NA NA NA NA

Oregon 90.0 0.0 90.0 88.3 No

Pennsylvania 90.0 90.0 0.0 32.9 Yes

Puerto Rico NA NA NA NA NA

Rhode Island 90.0 74.8 15.2 8.9 No

South Carolina NA NA NA NA NA

South Dakota NA NA NA NA NA

Tennessee 90.0 79.9 10.1 37.7 Yes

Texas NA NA NA NA NA

Utah NA NA NA NA NA

Vermont 90.0 55.1 34.9 44.1 Yes

Virgin Islands NA NA NA NA NA

Virginia NA NA NA NA NA

Washington 90.0 55.0 35.0 55.7 Yes

West Virginia NA NA NA NA NA

Wisconsin 90.0 55.7 34.3 51.0 Yes

Wyoming 90.0 0.0 90.0 74.5 No

Source: Congressional Research Service (CRS), based on data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Note: NA denotes that the jurisdiction did not have two-parent families receiving TANF or MOE funded assistance.

Author Information

Gene Falk Specialist in Social Policy

Patrick A. Landers

Analyst in Social Policy

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

Congressional Research Service RL32760 · VERSION 229 · UPDATED 30

Acknowledgments

CRS Graphics Specialist Amber Wilhelm produced this report’s data visualizations.

Disclaimer

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