The Temporary Assistance to Needy Families program (TANF), created under the 1996 welfare reform law known as the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act, revamped the nation’s welfare program for families. The law changed welfare (previously known as Aid to Families with Dependent Children) from a federally-administered entitlement program to a block grant program that gives states funding and responsibility for program administration. The law also made some other significant changes, including adopting a lifetime time limit (five years) that restricted the number of years in which a family could receive benefits, and a requirement that parents must begin work within two years of receiving assistance. TANF was reauthorized as part of the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005, with some further changes.
A major emphasis in TANF is the promotion of economic self-sufficiency through job preparation and employment. In addition to cash assistance, families are eligible for social and support services, including mental health services, to help them move off of welfare. States are required to meet certain standards in terms of the percentages of individuals they move into work, although a limited number of individuals can be exempted from work requirements. Various forms of training or receipt of services can also count towards fulfilling work requirements.
While the number of families on welfare has been reduced as a result of changes since 1996, overall people with mental health needs (and also those with other disabilities) have been hurt by reform. Research indicates that approximately 40 percent of the adults served in the TANF program have a disability, such as severe depression, general anxiety disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, learning disabilities, low intelligence, and physical impairments. Such impairments can make it difficult for a parent to work or to understand and comply with state rules concerning TANF eligibility.
Having a child with a disability can also make it hard for parents to meet the program's work requirements because they may miss work to deal with their children's needs or have difficulty finding appropriate childcare. Many state TANF programs are not providing adequate supports to families where there is a child or parent with a disability and these families are disproportionately likely to lose their cash assistance as their five years of income support ends.
Federal, state and local governments must ensure that people with disabilities have equal and meaningful access to the TANF program. The needs of TANF recipients with mental and physical disabilities must be met by ensuring that appropriate work supports and services are available. This can be accomplished through flexibility to ensure that work activities are tailored to the unique needs of families. TANF recipients should not fall deeper into poverty due to a lack of essential services that address their barriers to work.