Innovation in Welfare Policy: Evaluating State Efforts to Encourage Work among Low-Income Families <link rid="en1">-super-1 </link>
This article examines what states are doing to help Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) recipients move into the workforce and become self-supporting. We first present documentation regarding many different state TANF policies aimed at encouraging work, including benefit structures, time limits, work requirements, sanctions, and work supports. We then discuss how effective these policies are at helping welfare recipients get jobs and increase their income, by reviewing research on each of these elements. We conclude that the TANF program has been effective in increasing employment and decreasing welfare caseloads and expenses, but that this has not resulted in overall income gains for welfare recipients in the long run. We also conclude that the most promising state programs have a strong employment focus combined with focused training and educational opportunities. In addition, we also find that sanctions appear to be harming those most in need of assistance, and therefore that such policies should be reevaluated and refocused. Copyright 2005 by The Policy Studies Organization.
Year of publication: |
2005
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Authors: | Bryner, Gary ; Martin, Ryan |
Published in: |
Review of Policy Research. - Policy Studies Organization - IPSO, ISSN 1541-1338. - Vol. 22.2005, 3, p. 325-343
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Publisher: |
Policy Studies Organization - IPSO |
Saved in:
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