Welfare Deadline Puts Families at Risk

With the economy officially in recession and the dreaded federal TANF deadline only two months away, at-risk families and social service agencies are looking to the Schweiker Administration for answers.

Department of Public Welfare (DPW) officials have promised to publicize the Administration's plans by mid-December. Speaking at a December 5th conference sponsored by the United Way of PA, Welfare Secretary Feather O. Houstoun tried to calm the fears of her listeners. "Nearly all families facing the TANF deadline will have an opportunity for additional support," said the Secretary, "so long as they are prepared to shoulder additional obligations in preparation for self-sufficiency."

Houstoun acknowledged the difficulty of implementing a deadline at a time when many former welfare recipients are losing their jobs. However, she also reminded her audience that many parents are better able to weather hard times because of the work skills acquired over the past several years.

Key Policy Issues

After nearly five years, two key aspects of welfare reform remain uncertain.

The first is which families will be permitted to continue receiving federal TANF funds even though they already have used 60 months of such assistance. Under federal law, some 16,000 families may qualify for an unlimited hardship extension. Before that can happen, however, Pennsylvania must define "hardship" and describe the terms and conditions of such an extension.

The second unresolved matter is the process by which at-risk families will be evaluated. Will the parent who faces termination have the responsibility to understand the various options and ask for the correct one? Or will DPW staff have the responsibility to match the family with the support program for which the family qualifies?

In written comments to DPW, Hunger Action emphasized the importance of adopting the latter approach.

During the past five years the Department has engaged in a vigorous campaign to communicate the time limit aspect of federal law. A steady stream of written and verbal messages to low-income families and to community-based agencies has repeated the phrase "an adult may receive cash assistance for only five years in a lifetime". This message has been accepted by much of the public as the simple truth. As a result, we anticipate that needy families will drop out of the TANF program due to the mistaken fear that there is no publicly funded help available to them.

In addition to a TANF hardship extension, state-funded General Assistance also is available to help. GA is available without time limit to needy persons who fit one of the following categories: (a) children; (b) parents in two-parent households in which the children are under age 13; (c) adults who are unable to work because of a physical or mental disability; (d) adults who are caring for children under age 13 who are not their own; (e) adults undergoing active treatment for substance abuse; (f) pregnant women; and (g) victims of domestic abuse who are receiving protective services.

As we approach the March deadline, community agencies will have a heightened responsibility to counsel at-risk families about these options.

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