Download - Welfare Reform
Welfare Reform
TANF Work Requirements and the Family
Presented by Rose Maxon, Jennifer Davis, Timothy Green, Sylvia Jones, Lorenzo James and Jennipher Nieves
Welfare Works: No Turning Back
Purpose To increase employment and education for
adults currently receiving welfare assistance. Also, to ensure applicants are being notified of
resources available and decrease the cycle of families receiving welfare assistance.
Introduction
Also, to ensure applicants are being notified of resources available and decrease the cycle of families receiving welfare assistance.
Much of the stigma has been caused by the pre-reform welfare system of lifetime recipients.
Many people are unaware of the guidelines that have been put forth by the United States government in terms of benefit disbursement.
Introduction In order to understand out campaign, one must
understand the literature of the welfare reform bills. The following slides will discuss:Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity
Reconciliation Act of 1996(PRWORA) Basics Requirements
Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Act of 1996 (PRWORA)
Basics This act instituted TANF (Temporary Assistance for
Needy Families) Placed a time limit on receiving benefits:
Must obtain work within two (2) years of receiving benefits
Lifetime limit of five (5) years of receiving benefits Welfare is no longer an entitlement or permanent
program
Federal Work Requirements for TANF Recipients must work as soon as job ready/24months Failure to work can result in reduction/termination of benefits Single Parent Family
30 hour weekly average work activity for Single parent 20 hour weekly average work activity with children under 6
Two Parent Family 35 hour weekly average work activity 55 hour weekly average work activity with federal child
care assistance
(Office of Family Assistance, 2009)
Work Activities Unsubsidized/subsidized employment
Work experience
On-the-job training
Job search/readiness assistance
Community service
Providing childcare for individuals performing community service
(Office of Family Assistance, 2009)
Work Activities
Vocational educational training
Job skills training related to work
Education directly related to employment
Secondary school attendance
(Office of Family Assistance, 2009)
WELFARE REFORMWhat is the Issue?
You Decide
What the American people hope -– what they deserve -– is for all of us, Democrats and Republicans, to work through our differences; to overcome the numbing weight of our politics. For while the people who sent us here have different backgrounds, different stories, different beliefs, the anxieties they face are the same. The aspirations they hold are shared: a job that pays the bills; a chance to get ahead; most of all, the ability to give their children a better life.
BARACK OBAMA, State of the Union Address, Jan. 27, 2010
Why Is Welfare Reform So Important?
There are more people on welfare than in the past
Research has demonstrated that people with limited education or work experience, those raising young children, those in poor physical or mental health, those caring for a severely disabled child, or those with limited English proficiency are less likely to be working (Zaslow, 2001)
Work among welfare recipients facing two or more of these barriers increased four-fold, from 5% to 20% (Zaslow, 2001)
The Point Cont., Welfare recipients who go to work in low-paying
jobs are more likely to remain eligible for a cash payment than they were in the past. With workers staying on the welfare rolls longer, the percentage of the caseload made up of workers increases (Zaslow, 2001)
So the question becomes:
Increase in Caseload There are 2 groups long-term and short-term recipients
Have of the case is long-term while short-term receive benefits over a period of time
Among those who left welfare between 1997 and 1999, 22% were back on the rolls (Zaslow, 2001)
47% had been on it consistently for the past two years, 26% were on for the first time, and 23%had returned to the rolls after a period off welfare (Zaslow, 2001)
Off Welfare Working for Lower Wages
Adults who leave welfare and work full-time for a full year at the median wage and receive all supplementary benefits for which they are eligible could move their families out of poverty However, most do not receive all of these wage supplements (Zaslow, 2001
1 in 7 adults who leave welfare report no visible means of support. These welfare leavers are not employed, are not in a family with someone who is employed, are not receiving disability benefits, and have not returned to the welfare rolls where they will obtain benefits. Little is known about how these families survive and why they have completely disconnected from the welfare system(Zaslow, 2001)
Hardship has Increased
Former welfare families who now work in the low-wage labor market are likely to have difficulty meeting work-associated expenses such as child care and transportation costs (Gundersen, 2001)
Given the extra income often required just to participate in the workforce, these families also may have difficulty meeting other basic needs, such as food, housing, and medical care (Gundersen, 2001)
Unemployment has Increased
Poverty Status
Effect on Children
Being raised on Welfare also increases the probability that a child will drop out of school and will be on Welfare as an adult (Rector, 2001)
behavioral and emotional problems; suffer from physical abuse; engage in early sexual activity, and do poorly in school (Rector, 2001)
Boys raised in single parent households are more likely to engage in crime (Rector, 2001)
girls are more likely themselves to give birth outside of marriage (Rector, 2001)
Solutions
Sample Application
Are you currently employed?
Yes No
Do you currently have your GED or High School diploma?
GED High School DiplomaYes No Yes No
Do you currently have a skill or trade with previous experience?
List your skill or work experience
What kind of employment interests you?
Sales
Con-struc-tion
FoodService
Healthcare
Environ-mental
Childcare
Do you need Childcare?
How many children need care?
What resources do you currently need?
Medical Yes NoChildcare Yes NoEducation Yes NoCash Assistance
Yes No
Food Stamps
Yes No
Housing Yes NoEmployment
Yes No
How many are currently in your household?
List age of each person below.
How many over age 18 are employed?
Have you ever applied for assistance before?
Yes, enter dates and number of months.
No
Do you receive child support and how much?
Yes NoAmount Applied?
Sample Application Checklist
If you answered all the questions on the application or need further assistance contact your case worker at the number provided.
If you need assistance with education, employment, childcare, housing, cash assistance, food stamps, contact your case worker and resources will be provided.
1-800-casewrk
Group C Bloghttp://soci4080week5groupc.blogspot.com/2012/02/personal-responsibility-work.html?showComment=1329875158223#c5871900351530617307
Multimedia Tools
Internet YouTube Commercials on social
networking sites Blog Social Network Website
Hardcopy Letters to the Editor Fliers Billboards Radio & TV Ads Letters to Government
representatives
Advantages and Disadvantages of Media Tools
Advantages
Help get the message across Allows others to interact Shine light on the issue at
hand Fast way to communicate It’s repetitive Easier to target your
audience
Disadvantages
Negative Feedback People may not be receptive
to the information Cost may be to high Lack of interest Message and audience do
not match
Personal Contact
Door-to-door
Phone solicitation
Attend community meeting
Address local political assemblies
Solicit clergy support
Government Representatives Contact Information
Email addresses to state representatives
www.usa.gov/contact/elected.shtml
www.senate.gov
www.governor.state
www.house.gov/writerep
Contact the President
The White House1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NWWashington, DC 20500
http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/write-or-call#write
Five Year Goals
Community colleges supporting low cost classes
Local business providing On-the-job training
Churches and community centers providing GED classes
Ten Year Goals
Change in federal mandate for TANF work requirements to include mandatory GED or specific job related skills training
Minimum wage to support self-sufficiency
30% reduction in long-term dependency on TANF
Conclusion TANF numbers are down Work requirements exist Lack of skills or education Low wage employment
References Bousley, Heather, and Bethany Gundersen. "The Economic Policy
Institute." When Work Just Isn’t Enough: Measuring Hardships Faced by Families after Moving from Welfare to Work. 1 June 2001. Web. 20 Feb. 2012. <http://www.epi.org/publication/briefingpapers_hardships/>.
Rector, Robert. "The Effects of Welfare Reform." The Effects of Welfare Reform. 15 Mar. 2001. Web. 20 Feb. 2012. <http://www.heritage.org/research/testimony/the-effects-of-welfare-reform>.
Zaslow, Martha, Kathryn Tout, Christopher Bostko, and Kristin Moore. "Welfare Reform and Children." : Potential Implications. 1 June 2001. Web. 20 Feb. 2012. <http://www.urban.org/publications/308014.html>.