Many income and work support programs include a component aimed to increase the employment and earnings of participants. For example, in the most recent year, states reported spending $557 million of TANF and related state spending on employment and training programs.
CLASP advocates for high-quality employment programs for recipients of work support programs, informed by understanding of both the labor market and the circumstances of recipients, and provides technical assistance to states and localities on how to operate such programs within the framework of the federal programs. CLASP opposes work requirements with harsh sanctions that act as a barrier to access to benefits.
Recently renewed efforts to impose work requirements to receive public benefits reflect a profound misunderstanding of the realities of low-wage jobs. Strong evidence shows that work requirements frequently lead to a loss of benefits, which only makes it harder to work. Further, there is little evidence that work requirements increase employment outcomes or reduce poverty. Finally, work requirements create an unnecessary burden for workers and state governments.
This brief, part of the TANF 101 series, describes the work participation rate which services as the only measure of performance states under Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF).
Policymakers have threatened to implement policies that would make SNAP food benefits harder to access for certain groups, including the disabled community.
Republicans introduced a harmful bill that would raise the age of people subject to time limits in SNAP and expand them to parents of children ages 7-17.
The Biden Administration has significantly improved access to affordable health care during the past year, including by breaking down barriers for enrolling in Medicaid.
Attaching work requirements to the expanded CTC benefits would deny the credit to many of the people who need it the most. This would leave children, families, and our communities worse off.
TANF is critical in limiting the economic fallout of COVID-19; yet, there are many barriers to access. States should reduce barriers to TANF during this health crisis to help families remain economically stable.
We anticipate 2020 will be another busy year for Medicaid waivers. States submitted several dangerous proposals to the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) at the end of last year, and we’re awaiting the outcomes. Other bad waivers are scheduled to take effect in…
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