Trump administration reverses little-used welfare waivers
The Trump administration on Wednesday reversed an Obama-era policy that allowed states to seek waivers to welfare’s work requirements, saying it wants to promote employment and economic independence “as goals for every family.” No waivers were granted by the previous administration. Acting Assistant Secretary for Children and Families Steven Wagner said the waiver option offered in 2012 by former President Barack Obama is being replaced “by an expectation that work should always be encouraged as a condition for receiving welfare.” In the announcement, Office of Family Assistance Director Clarence Carter said, “We cannot achieve the goal of self-sufficiency if meaningful work participation is divorced from welfare cash assistance.” In 2012, the Obama administration said it would be willing to grant states waivers to some of the requirements to the Clinton-era welfare reform law of 1996 – as long as governors could show they could accomplish the same welfare-to-work goals using different methods. Republicans skewered Obama, and Mitt Romney made it a campaign issue in his run for the White House. Ohio was the only state that applied for a waiver, a state run by Republican Gov. John Kasich. The application was neither approved nor denied by the Obama administration. On Wednesday, the state was informed that its application from nearly two years ago was being denied. The 1996 welfare reform law replaced a federal entitlement with grants to the states, placed a time limit on how long families can get aid and required recipients to eventually go to work. About 1.1 million families currently receive welfare assistance through the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program, or TANF. Republished with permission from the Associated Press.
Trump administration reverses little-used welfare-work waivers
The Trump administration on Wednesday reversed an Obama-era policy that allowed states to seek waivers to welfare’s work requirements, saying it wants to promote employment and economic independence “as goals for every family.” No waivers were granted by the previous administration. Acting Assistant Secretary for Children and Families Steven Wagner said the waiver option offered in 2012 by former President Barack Obama is being replaced “by an expectation that work should always be encouraged as a condition for receiving welfare.” In the announcement, Office of Family Assistance Director Clarence Carter said, “We cannot achieve the goal of self-sufficiency if meaningful work participation is divorced from welfare cash assistance.” In 2012, the Obama administration said it would be willing to grant states waivers to some of the requirements to the Clinton-era welfare reform law of 1996 — as long as governors could show they could accomplish the same welfare-to-work goals using different methods. Republicans skewered Obama, and Mitt Romney made it a campaign issue in his run for the White House. Ohio was the only state that applied for a waiver, a state run by Republican Gov. John Kasich. The application was neither approved nor denied by the Obama administration. On Wednesday, the state was informed that its application from nearly two years ago was being denied. The 1996 welfare reform law replaced a federal entitlement with grants to the states, placed a time limit on how long families can get aid and required recipients to eventually go to work. About 1.1 million families currently receive welfare assistance through the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program, or TANF. Republished with permission from the Associated Press.
Felony drug offenders now eligible for SNAP, TANF benefits in Alabama
On Saturday Alabama joined most U.S. states by allowing people with a past felony drug conviction to receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, as well as Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) assistance, according to a news release by Alabama Arise. The lifetime ban on SNAP, formerly known as the Food Stamp Program, and TANF benefits for drug offenders grew out of a 1996 federal welfare reform law enacted by former President Bill Clinton, though the law does allow states to request a waiver. Though most other states requested a waiver before, Alabama included reinstating the benefits in a 2015 prison reform law sponsored by Sen. Cam Ward (R-Alabaster) with a floor amendment offered by Sen. Linda Coleman (D-Birmingham). Restrictions still apply to drug offenders seeking benefits, including the completion of their sentence and probation requirements. Further, persons with a drug offense in the past five years may be required to pass a drug test to receive TANF benefits. People previously denied Snap or TANF benefits because of a drug offense can apply at a local Department of Human Resources office after Monday. Further, households already receiving benefits but have a household member not included because of a drug conviction can report the “newly eligible person” to the household’s caseworker. “The end of Alabama’s SNAP and TANF bans is good news for state budget and for families,” the Arise news release said. “The policy change will help cut corrections costs in the cash-strapped General Fund budget by making it easier for released prisoners to reintegrate into the community, which will help reduce recidivism. Importantly, restoring SNAP and TANF benefits also will help prevent hunger and homelessness among some of Alabama’s most vulnerable families.” Officials with Alabama Arise estimate that 30,000 to 80,000 Alabamians would become eligible for SNAP benefits under the change, with TNF benefits being harder to monitor because they are more difficult to secure. Both programs are funded by federal dollars, so the influx of new beneficiaries will add no new costs to the state.
