Based on four rounds of annual follow-up surveys with an early group of NJ TANF recipients, this issue brief focuses on those who have left the welfare rolls and are not working. About one in four recipients in this group were in this status throughout much of the study's follow-up period. The...

Notes that the mix of families remaining on cash assistance has changed, with child-only cases—in which only children are receiving assistance—becoming a growing portion of New Jersey’s welfare caseload. These cases grew from 17 percent of the state’s caseload in 1995 to 33...

When TANF was created in 1996, the program imposed new requirements on states to compel welfare recipients to work and place time limits on their benefits. It also offered states substantial flexibility in meeting these federal requirements. As we enter TANF's second decade, it is useful to...

Notes that case management, the program's central feature, was valued by participants, but more concrete services, such as help with child care, transportation, or work-related issues, may be helpful.

Provides an early, in-depth look at newly employed welfare recipients in Allegheny County, PA, who are taking part in a voluntary employment retention program, finding that most are keeping their jobs but may need help with job advancement.

Ten years ago, Congress reformed welfare by creating Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), which required most welfare recipients to work and imposed time limits on benefits for the first time. Recent changes to federal TANF rules place additional pressure on states to move more...

Examines the extent to which former welfare recipients who find jobs are likely to have monetary eligibility for Unemployment Insurance, how sensitive these rates are to varying eligibility rules, and the extent to which those who lose jobs file UI claims. Finds that potential monetary...