PRWORA & Welfare

Paper Summary:

This paper shows research from several state welfare systems. It demonstrates which states benefited and suffered from the passage of the PRWORA in terms of welfare to work requirements. The paper demonstrates why this difficulty occurred and proves that this legislation created unbalanced federalism because many states have different requirements of welfare recipients, which makes it difficult for states to work together.

Outline:
Goals of the PRWORA
TANF Requirements
State Powers

From the Paper:

"Besides New York, many other states went through hardships after the PRWORA was implemented. For example, Texas has no state general relief program, and in 2000 its TANF benefit level was the fifth lowest in the United States (above only Louisiana, Tennessee, Mississippi, and Alabama). Time limits in Texas also differ from other states. Texas is the only state with a tiered system of time limits that include 12-, 24-, and 36-month limits, depending on their schooling and recent work experience. The 12-month tier is the lowest time limit in any state, though Florida and Massachusetts also have 24-month limits. Sanctions for noncompliance with work requirements are imposed swiftly and frequently in both Houston and El Paso. Though some other states have used the flexibility of TANF to impose full-family sanction policies, in Texas the penalty for failure to participate in the program affects the caretaker's portion of the total grant. Work noncompliance penalties amount to a maximum of $78 monthly for a single parent and $125 for a two-parent case. "

Sample of Sources Used:

• Capps, Randolph. Recent Changes in Texas Welfare and Work, Child Care, and Child Welfare Systems. June 01, 2001. Internet. Available at: http://www.urban.org/Template.cfm?NavMenuID=24&Template=/TaggedC ntent/ViewByPubID.cfm&PubID=310182#n10
• Cammisa, Anne Marie. From Rhetoric to Reform: Welfare Policy in American Politics. Westview Press: 1998.
• DeLyn, Shelley. The End of America As We Know It. March 1998. Internet. Available at: http://www.geocities.com/CapitolHill/Senate/5401/thesis.htl
• Hird, John A. and Reese, Michael. Controversies in American Public Policy. Worth Publishing.
• Knox, Virginia. "Reforming Welfare and Rewarding Work: A Summary of the Final Report on the Minnesota Family Investment Program." Manpower Demonstration Research Corporation, September 2000.

More papers on PRWORA & Welfare:

• Essay # 54195 : "Federal Work Requirements and Welfare (TANF) Policy Reform"
• Essay # 7823 : "Impact of the Welfare Reforms on the Welfare System"
• Research Proposal # 26167 : "Unwed Mothers Moving from Welfare to Work"

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