How the TANF Block Grant Falls Short:
Spending, Benefits and Reaching People in Need

States’ experience with TANF provides strong evidence that punitive work requirements and block granting exacerbate deep poverty and should not be extended to other programs.

States spend slightly more than half of their combined federal and state dollars under Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) on the core welfare reform areas of basic assistance for families with children, child care for low-income families, and work-related activities or supports. 

A core purpose of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program is to provide families that have fallen on hard economic times with direct financial assistance, or cash assistance, to...