State General Assistance Programs Very Limited in Half the States and Nonexistent in Others, Despite Need

State General Assistance (GA) programs, meant to provide a safety net of last resort for people who are very poor and do not qualify for other cash assistance, often fail to perform that basic task. There is no federally supported cash assistance program for poor adults without minor children other than those with disabilities serious enough to qualify for Supplemental Security Income (SSI); state Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) programs only serve families with minor children. Thus, state or local GA programs are generally the only cash assistance for which poor childless adults can qualify. Yet only half the states provide any type of general assistance, and often it is available only to a limited slice of those in need.

"Only half of states provide any type of general assistance, and often it is available only to a limited slice of those in need."

Moreover, state GA programs have weakened considerably in the last three decades. The number of states with GA programs has fallen from 38 to 25 since 1989, and benefits have shrunk in inflation-adjusted terms in nearly every state since 1998. The result is that, as our nation faces the most serious economic crisis since the Great Depression, general assistance for people experiencing great need is unavailable in many states and very limited in the others. Also, in a number of states individuals who cannot work and have no minor children at home may have only limited access to non-cash benefits, such as SNAP (formerly food stamps) or health coverage.

The 25 states with GA programs generally serve very poor individuals who do not have minor children, are not disabled enough to qualify for (or do not yet receive) SSI, and are not elderly.^[2] Only 11 of the 25 states provide any benefits to childless adults who do not have some disability; the others only serve childless adults the state has deemed “unemployable,” generally due to a physical or mental condition.^[3] (See Figure 1.) Some are uniform statewide programs; others have mandatory state guidelines but allow county programs to adopt varying eligibility standards. (See Appendices II and III for greater detail.)

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General Assistance benefits are extremely modest. In nearly all states with programs, the maximum benefit is below half of the poverty line for an individual; in half of those states it is below one-quarter of the poverty line. In many states, benefit levels have not changed in decades and thus have shrunk significantly in inflation-adjusted terms. Some states have cut benefits further, reducing them in nominal dollars. Some other states have raised benefits at some point over the last 25 years, but generally not by enough to restore the lost purchasing power.

In each of the past three decades, some states have eliminated their General Assistance programs and others have cut funding, restricted eligibility, imposed time limits, and/or cut benefits. Between the late 1980s and late 1990s, 12 states eliminated General Assistance for people who do not have a disability, and three other states eliminated their state GA programs altogether. Between 1998 and 2010, five additional states terminated their GA programs, and at least ten other states cut their programs back. Since 2011, four more states have ended their statewide programs and several others have reduced funding or tightened eligibility.

This report describes the weakening of General Assistance programs over the years and provides an overview of program policies across the 25 states with programs in 2020. The information in this report is based on our updated national survey of General Assistance programs.^[4]

Overview of General Assistance Programs

As of April 1, 2020, 25 states had a GA program that either operated statewide or was mandated and governed by statewide guidelines. (See Figure 1.) This section reviews key eligibility provisions and related benefits for these states; see Appendices II and III for more details.

Eligibility Groups

Every state General Assistance program assists individuals with disabilities. Some also assist other individuals.

• Individuals with a disability. GA programs in 25 states serve needy individuals who are unable to work due to incapacity or disability but are not receiving SSI. Some of these programs assist those deemed “employable” and individuals with a disability alike, based solely on financial need. Most, however, only serve individuals who have a disability or are otherwise deemed “unemployable.”

  Programs limited to individuals with a disability require some type of medical documentation of incapacity. Most states require a minimum duration of disability — that is, the disability must be expected to last for anywhere from at least 30 days to at least 48 months, depending on the state. State policies vary in the severity of the disability that qualifies an individual for General Assistance, ranging from a temporary inability to work due to incapacity to the much more severe SSI disability standard (a disability expected to last at least 12 months or to cause death). Some of the states using the SSI disability standard require GA recipients to apply for SSI, often requiring them to sign an interim assistance agreement to repay the state once they begin receiving SSI. Claims for SSI are often denied, and claimants face long delays as they pursue appeals.

• Other individuals deemed “unemployable.” In addition to individuals with a disability, seven states serve other categories of individuals who are deemed “unemployable” because they are, for example, over age 55, have a learning disability or limited literacy that prevents employment, or are needed at home to care for a young child or a family member with a disability.
• Individuals deemed “employable.” Some 11 states assist individuals whom the state considers “employable” but who are ineligible for other cash public assistance programs, though benefits are very limited. (These states also serve those deemed “unemployable,” in the same program or a separate one; some states have different eligibility criteria, benefit levels, or administrative structure for the two groups. For example, in New Jersey, maximum benefits are $185 per month for an “employable” recipient and $277 for an “unemployable” recipient.)

Time Limits

Seven of the 25 states have statewide limits on how long an individual can receive aid, ranging from one month out of a year to five years total in a lifetime. The length, nature, and application of time-limit policies vary across and within states.

• Who is subject to time limits? Maryland, Utah, and New Jersey apply time limits to all GA recipients. California, Colorado, Delaware, and Nevada apply different time limit policies based on eligibility category. For example, in California, those deemed “employable” can receive benefits for nine months out of every year, while those deemed “unemployable” have no limit.^[5]
• What is the duration of the time limits? Colorado, Delaware, and New Jersey impose cumulative time limits over an individual’s lifetime. For example, New Jersey has a lifetime limit of five years. California, Maryland, Nevada, and Utah have intermittent time limits. For example, in Maryland, individuals may receive benefits for 12 out of every 36 months.

Some states that do not have statewide time limits may have variable limits across specific categories. For example, Polk County, Iowa, has no time limit, but other Iowa counties have limits as low as one month out of a year. Similarly, Douglas County, Nebraska, has no time limit, but two other Nebraska counties have limits of 12 months in a lifetime and six months out of a 12-month period.

Benefit Levels

General Assistance benefit levels are very low. Most state or county guidelines set maximum standard benefit levels. These maximum levels are below half of the federal poverty level for an individual in all but two states and below one-quarter of the federal poverty level in half of the programs.

Some of the states with the lowest benefits only serve individuals meeting the state’s criteria for disabilities or other specified work-limiting conditions, even though such individuals are, by definition, unable to supplement their benefits with earnings. (See Figure 2.) For example, Delaware and Maryland, which serve only those deemed “unemployable,” set the maximum benefit level at $79 and $185, respectively.

Some states provide benefits to recipients either in cash or through vouchers; others make all payments directly to landlords or service providers. GA benefits are intended to help recipients meet basic needs such as shelter and utilities, though the specific needs covered vary by state.

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General Assistance Has Eroded Severely

General Assistance has become a much weaker safety net over the years. Many states have eliminated their programs or scaled them back by reducing funding, imposing tighter eligibility restrictions and/or time limits, and/or reducing benefits. These cutbacks continued during and after the Great Recession, despite high unemployment and a rise in the number of jobless workers who have exhausted their unemployment insurance benefits.

"Because General Assistance benefits are funded with state or local dollars, they are particularly vulnerable during state fiscal crises."

Because General Assistance benefits are funded with state or local dollars (with no federal funding), they are particularly vulnerable during state fiscal crises. For example, states may cut these programs further in light of the current health and economic crisis, which has caused a steep drop in state and local revenues. The likelihood of such cuts depends in part on the extent to which the federal government provides ample fiscal relief to states and localities to help them cope with the current crisis.

The last three decades show a gradual crumbling of access to state General Assistance. Between 1989 and 1998, Montana, South Carolina, and Wyoming eliminated their state programs altogether and 12 other states eliminated GA for those deemed “employable,” while continuing some aid to those deemed “unemployable.” By 1998, only 13 states offered any aid to individuals deemed “employable.” (See Figure 3.) Between 1998 and 2010, another five states — Missouri, Oregon, Arizona, Wisconsin, and Idaho — eliminated their statewide programs,^[6] and Utah eliminated GA for those deemed “employable” while maintaining it for those deemed “unemployable.”

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This erosion continued over the last decade. In 2011 and 2012, Illinois,^[7] Kansas, and Pennsylvania^[8] eliminated their state GA programs. Most recently, Ohio phased out its Disability Financial Assistance program at the end of 2017.

Almost all the states that did not eliminate their programs over the last two decades provide lower benefits now than in 1998, after adjusting for inflation, as Figure 4 shows. Among the 18 states for which we have comparable data, only in Maryland and the District of Columbia do benefits exceed the 1998 level, and Maryland’s benefits are extremely small: less than one-quarter of the federal poverty line.

Since 2011, eight states have raised benefits in nominal terms (Colorado, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, and Utah), while four states have cut them (Delaware, Michigan, South Dakota, and Washington).

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Conclusion

By and large, the federal government has left it up to states to provide basic assistance to childless adults who are not elderly and do not meet the severe disability standard to receive SSI. States have never provided substantial support for this group, and the safety net for these individuals has weakened significantly over the past 30 years and continues to erode.

Few states serve adults without minor children at home if they are deemed “employable,” even though many of these individuals may not have the ability or opportunity to work and may not receive unemployment insurance benefits. These individuals are vulnerable to severe hardship. Moreover, half of the states have no statewide GA program for individuals even if they are unable to earn income to meet their basic needs due to disability. When benefits are available, they are often meager and subject to tight eligibility rules. These individuals who can get only limited cash help or none at all may also have very limited access to SNAP benefits due to a three-month limit on SNAP benefits. (While that limited has been temporarily suspended, it would apply in normal economic times.)

As a result, our nation — which is now facing the greatest economic crisis since the Great Depression — has no effective safety net for childless adults that is broadly available across the nation.

Appendix I: Methodology

We collected information on General Assistance current policies and proposals for 2020 by checking state and county public assistance agency websites (including manuals and rules) and, where needed, directly contacting agencies in states to seek or confirm information. We looked at policies and benefit levels as of April 2020.

Not all state programs are named “General Assistance.” We included state-funded programs available to individuals who are ineligible for other forms of cash public assistance, including programs such as Interim Assistance, State Disability Assistance, and Local Welfare (see Appendices II and III). Some state GA programs also serve families that are ineligible for other aid; we have included this information in Appendix II, but the details in this report focus on program features that apply to individuals.

For historical information, we relied on reports from the Urban Institute, which include information for 1998 and comparative information back to 1989. Urban has published several comprehensive national surveys of General Assistance programs; its most recent published data is from a 1998 survey of states and a shorter policy brief. ^[9] Because we compared 2020 program information to Urban’s 1998 and 1989 data, we generally followed Urban’s classifications for states with county variability and gathered information for the same county used for the earlier Urban reports (which was, and often still is, the county with the largest population). In some cases, we included different information or classified it differently than in the earlier Urban reports.^[10]

This report focuses on the 25 states with a statewide program or statewide mandate for county or local programs. Some counties in some other states may operate their own programs; Appendix II provides the information we collected but is not necessarily comprehensive. (We did not otherwise collect information on specific county programs.) In some cases, historical data from the Urban reports indicate that a county operated a program in the past but we were unable to determine whether it still does.