For other versions of this document, see http://wikileaks.org/wiki/CRS-RL32598 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Order Code RL32598 CRS Report for Congress Received through the CRS Web TANF Cash Benefits as of January 1, 2004 Updated September 12, 2005 Meridith Walters, Gene Falk, and Vee Burke Domestic Social Policy Division Congressional Research Service ~ The Library of Congress TANF Cash Benefits as of January 1, 2004 Summary The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) block grant is a major source of cash assistance -- commonly referred to as "welfare" -- for low income families with children. TANF also provides funds to states for a wide range of benefits and services for both families receiving cash assistance and other families. Though the federal government provides TANF funds to states, the states themselves determine cash benefit amounts. As of January 1, 2004, maximum benefit amounts vary greatly by state: for a family of three, benefits vary from $923 per month in Alaska to $170 per month in Mississippi. TANF was created by the 1996 welfare reform law, which ended the Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) program. States also determined AFDC benefit amounts, and most have retained their pre-1996 benefit structure under TANF. During the debate on welfare reform in the mid-1990s, some feared that fixed funding would lead states to cut benefits in a "race-to-the-bottom." The race to the bottom did not happen. In 24 jurisdictions, there was no change in maximum benefits from July 1996 to January 2004. Twenty-one jurisdictions increased their benefits; eight of these had benefit increases sufficient to offset inflation over the period. Six jurisdictions cut benefits. Maximum benefits are generally paid to families without a wage earner. However, almost all jurisdictions have increased rewards for recipients who work, effectively raising the amount of earnings a recipient may keep before she becomes ineligible for cash assistance. The percent of adult recipients reported as "employed" climbed from 11% in FY1996 to 26% in FY2002. State TANF programs generally disregard a sizable share of earnings for at least a period of time (some disregard 100% of earnings for the first few months on a job). The rules for treating families with earnings vary greatly from state to state, and thus the level of earnings at which a family becomes ineligible for TANF varies greatly by state. A recipient in a family of three (single mother, two children) who obtains a job and works 20 hours a week at a minimum wage job remains eligible for TANF in most states, though in some she becomes ineligible for assistance in a few months. However, in most states her earnings plus the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and food stamps would be insufficient to raise her total income above the poverty line. A recipient in a family of three who obtains a job and works 40 hours per week at the minimum wage remains eligible for TANF in the first month on the job in 29 states. However, after a year on the job, she would be eligible for TANF cash in only 17 states. In all cases, with or without TANF, the family with year- round, 40 hour per week, minimum wage earnings would have total income (counting federally determined food stamps and EITC) slightly about the poverty threshold. This report will be updated when information about January 2005 benefit levels becomes available. Contents Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Maximum Benefit Amounts under TANF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Maximum Benefits by Family Size . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Maximum Combined TANF and Food Stamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Changes in Maximum Benefits from 1996 to 2004 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 From Welfare to Work: Eligibility and Benefit Amounts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Income Eligibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Countable Income . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Earnings Disregards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Gross Income Test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Maximum Earnings Eligibility Thresholds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Maximum Hours a Minimum Wage Earner Can Work and Retain Eligibility for TANF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Family Income by Hours per Week of Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Earnings Disregards and TANF Work Participation Standards . . . . . . . . . . 25 Appendix A. Resource Limits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Appendix B. TANF Exit Points, Monthly Earnings That End Eligibility, Family of Three, January 1, 2004 ($) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Appendix C. State Benefit Computation Methods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 List of Tables Table 1. Maximum Monthly TANF Benefit for Single Parent Families of One to Six Persons on January 1, 2004 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Table 2. Maximum Combined TANF and Food Stamps Benefit for Single Parent Families of One to Six Persons on January 1, 2004 . . . . . 5 Table 3. TANF Maximum Monthly Benefits for a Family of Three (Single Parent Families): 1996-2004 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Table 4. TANF Maximum Monthly Benefits, Earnings Disregards, and Exit Points for a Family of Three (Single Parent Families), January 1, 2004 . . . 11 Table 5. Maximum Hours per Week That a Minimum Wage Earner Can Work and Retain Eligibility for TANF Cash Assistance (Based on January 2004 Benefit Levels and Minimum Wages) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Table 6. Annualized Earnings and Income from Selected Benefit Programs for a Single Parent with Two Children, Working 20 Hours per Week at Minimum Wage, in the 13th Month of Work, January 1, 2004 . . . 19 Table 7. Annualized Earnings and Income from Selected Benefit Programs for a Single Parent with Two Children, Working 40 Hours per Week at Minimum Wage, in the 13th Month of Work, January 1, 2004 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Table A1. TANF Resource Limits and Vehicle Disregards, January 2004 . . . . 26 Table C1. Benefit Computation Methods Used by States for TANF Cash Assistance, January 2004 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 TANF Cash Benefits as of January 1, 2004 Introduction The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA. P.L. 104-193), also known as the 1996 welfare reform law, ended the entitlement program of Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) and replaced it with the state block grant program of Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF). TANF gives states broad flexibility in the design of their programs. States have adopted a wide range of financial eligibility and benefit rules in their cash assistance programs to further the policy objectives of moving families from welfare to work, supporting work, and moving families off the cash benefit rolls. TANF is a major source of cash assistance for low-income families with children. However, ongoing cash assistance is only one use of TANF funds. States may use TANF funds on other types of benefits and services, such as child care, short-term emergency benefits, work programs, or education programs. Following the state and federal welfare reforms of the mid-1990s, the cash assistance caseload declined markedly, from a historical high of 5.1 million families in March 1994 to 2.2 million families in September 2003. The shrinkage in the cash assistance caseload has resulted in a decline in the share of TANF funds devoted to ongoing cash assistance and an increase in the share of funds spent on other TANF benefits and services. This report describes cash assistance benefits paid to families by state TANF programs on January 1, 2004, with historical data to portray changes in benefit payments over time. It discusses the rules for determining eligibility and benefit amounts for a recipient who gets a job, showing the maximum amount of earnings a family may have and remain eligible for cash welfare. Finally, this report examines the interaction of TANF with two other federal benefit programs, food stamps and the earned income tax credit. The report shows total income available from these sources plus wages at various hours of weekly work, state by state. This report does not discuss nonfinancial eligibility rules in state TANF cash assistance programs nor does it cover eligibility rules for the wider range of TANF benefits and services provided to families. The information in this report is based on responses to a Congressional Research Service (CRS) survey of state cash benefit programs. It is possible that in some cases CRS may have misinterpreted the information provided by the states or failed to ask the correct questions to elicit the appropriate response. CRS-2 Maximum Benefit Amounts under TANF The pre-1996 program of AFDC entitled families with children who met a state-determined test of need to cash assistance. Federal funding was unlimited. States determined the amount of cash paid to needy families, subject to minimal federal guidelines. The block grant of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) established in the 1996 law (P.L. 104-193) eliminated the entitlement to cash welfare for needy families as well as those federal guidelines. States are not required to use the TANF block grant to pay cash welfare -- it may be used for other benefits and services to achieve TANF goals -- although all states have continued a cash assistance program. Under AFDC, states based benefits on financial "need," which varied by family size. Financial need was greater the larger the family. The degree of a family's need also depended on its nonwelfare income, so maximum AFDC benefits generally were paid to those with no income other than the welfare benefit. Most states continue to pay greater maximum benefits for larger families, but there are some exceptions. Wisconsin pays benefits based on the work activity of the adult in the family, and its benefit amount is based on the type and hours of work performed by the adult, not the size of the family. Idaho has the same maximum benefit ($309) for families of all sizes. Additionally, a number of states have adopted "family cap" policies that pay a reduced or zero benefit for a new baby born to a welfare family. A few states have also restructured their benefits to pay lower maximum benefits for those families with adults who are expected to work. Under TANF, the maximum benefit still is paid to a family with no income other than welfare. However, in order to receive the maximum TANF benefit, families must also be in compliance with work rules and cooperate in establishing child support orders, because federal TANF law requires states to penalize families that fail to do so. AFDC benefits varied greatly among the states. Large variations in benefits among the states have continued under TANF. In January 2004, maximum benefits for a family of three ranged from a low of $170 a month in Mississippi to $923 in Alaska. Maximum Benefits by Family Size Table 1 shows maximum monthly benefits by family size for January 2004. Maximum benefits are generally paid to a family with no income other than the welfare benefit. The table shows benefits for a family with a single adult. Some states pay different benefits to families without adult recipients (the "child-only" cases) or to two-parent families. Some states vary benefit payments by geographic locations, usually for differences in housing costs. The table generally shows the highest benefit paid in the state for recipients expected to work, though benefit amounts are shown for New York City and Wayne County (Detroit) in Michigan CRS-3 because of the size of the caseload in these localities.1 Also shown is whether the state has implemented a "family cap." Table 1. Maximum Monthly TANF Benefit for Single Parent Families of One to Six Persons on January 1, 2004 Family size State Onea Two Three Four Five Six Family cap Alabama $165 $190 $215 $245 $275 $305 No Alaska 514 821 923 1,025 1,127 1,229 No Arizona 204 275 347 418 489 561 Yes Arkansas 81 162 204 247 286 331 Yes California 349 568 704 839 954 1,072 Yes Colorado 214 280 356 432 512 590 No Connecticut 402 513 636 741 835 935 Yes. Partial increase for additional child Delaware 201 270 338 407 475 544 Yes D.C. 239 298 379 463 533 627 No Florida 180 241 303 364 426 487 Yes. Partial increase for first additional child. Georgia 155 235 280 330 378 410 Yes Hawaii 335 452 570 687 805 922 No Idaho 309 309 309 309 309 309 n/a Illinois 223 292 396 435 509 572 No Indiana 139 229 288 346 405 463 Yes Iowa 183 361 426 495 548 610 No Kansas 267 352 429 497 558 619 No Kentucky 220 253 289 325 361 398 No Louisiana 122 188 240 284 327 366 No Maine 230 363 485 611 733 856 No Maryland 213 376 477 577 668 735 No Massachusetts 418 518 618 713 812 912 Yes Michigan 276 371 459 563 659 792 No Minnesota 250 437 532 621 697 773 Yes. (New policy, first capped child would be born in May 2004) 1 The highest maximum benefits paid in Michigan in Jan. 2004 were in Washtenaw County ($489 per month for a family of three). The highest maximum benefits paid in New York state in Jan. 2004 were in Suffolk County ($738 per month for a family of three). CRS-4 Family size State Onea Two Three Four Five Six Family cap Mississippi 110 146 170 194 218 242 Yes Missouri 136 234 292 342 388 431 No Montana 221 298 375 452 530 607 No Nebraska 222 293 364 435 506 577 Yes Nevada 230 289 348 407 466 525 No New Hampshire 489 556 625 688 748 829 No New Jersey 162 322 424 488 552 616 Yes New Mexico 231 310 389 469 548 627 No New York 414 501 691 825 964 1,059 No North Carolina 181 236 272 297 324 349 Yes North Dakota 282 378 477 573 670 767 Yes Ohio 223 305 373 461 539 600 No Oklahoma 180 225 292 361 422 483 Yes. Increase paid as a non- cash voucher. Oregon 310 395 460 565 660 755 No Pennsylvania 215 330 421 514 607 687 No Rhode Island 327 449 554 634 714 794 No South Carolina 121 163 205 248 290 333 Yes South Dakota 360 441 493 544 596 649 No Tennessee 95 142 185 226 264 305 Yes Texas 90 188 217 261 290 333 No Utah 274 380 474 555 632 696 No Vermont 503 604 709 795 885 946 No Virginia 242 323 389 451 537 587 Yes Washington 349 440 546 642 740 841 No West Virginia 349 401 453 512 560 613 No b Wisconsin 0 673 673 673 673 673 n/a Wyoming 195 320 340 340 360 360 Yes Source: Table prepared by the Congressional Research Service (CRS) based on a survey of state TANF cash assistance programs. a. A family size of one is a pregnant woman. Two states, Colorado and Texas have separate payment schedules for cases that consist of a pregnant woman. b. Wisconsin does not pay a benefit under its regular W-2 (TANF) program for a pregnant woman with no other eligible dependent children. CRS-5 Maximum Combined TANF and Food Stamps Most households composed entirely of TANF recipients are automatically eligible for food stamps without regard to food stamp tests of need. The combined cash welfare benefit plus the food stamp benefit used to be referred to as the "guarantee" level of income that a family eligible for welfare would receive without work. In the post-welfare reform era of benefits conditioned upon work, the combined cash and food stamp benefit refers to the amount of income a family would receive if it had no other countable income and complied with all program requirements (including work requirements). Table 2 shows the maximum monthly combined benefit from TANF and food stamps in each state on January 1, 2004. The food stamp program treats TANF benefits as income and reduces food stamp benefits accordingly. The calculations in the table assume no earned income and no food stamp excess-shelter deduction.2 Hawaii and Alaska have higher food stamp benefit amounts than other jurisdictions. Table 2. Maximum Combined TANF and Food Stamps Benefit for Single Parent Families of One to Six Persons on January 1, 2004 Family size State 1 2 3 4 5 6 Alabama $296 $432 $561 $682 $797 $936 Alaska 595 950 1,153 1,344 1,520 1,724 Arizona 324 491 654 803 947 1,116 Arkansas 222 412 554 684 804 955 California 425 696 904 1,098 1,272 1,473 Colorado 331 495 660 813 963 1,136 Connecticut 462 658 856 1,029 1,189 1,377 Delaware 321 488 647 796 937 1,104 D.C 348 507 676 835 977 1,162 Florida 307 467 623 766 902 1,064 Georgia 289 463 607 742 869 1,010 Hawaii 501 759 1,008 1,239 1,454 1,705 Idaho 397 515 627 727 821 939 Illinois 337 503 688 815 961 1,123 Indiana 278 459 612 753 888 1,047 Iowa 309 551 709 857 988 1,150 Kansas 368 545 711 859 995 1,156 2 The excess shelter deduction is for excessively high, but not all, shelter costs. Generally, these are costs above about one-third of a household's total cash income. CRS-6 Family size State 1 2 3 4 5 6 Kentucky 335 476 613 738 857 1,001 Louisiana 263 430 579 710 833 979 Maine 342 553 750 938 1,117 1,322 Maryland 330 562 745 915 1,072 1,237 Massachusetts 473 661 843 1,010 1,173 1,361 Michigan 374 558 732 905 1,066 1,277 Minnesota 356 605 783 945 1,092 1,264 Mississippi 251 401 530 647 757 892 Missouri 276 463 615 750 876 1,025 Montana 335 507 673 827 975 1,148 Nebraska 336 504 666 815 958 1,127 Nevada 342 501 654 796 930 1,090 New Hampshire 523 688 848 992 1,128 1,303 New Jersey 294 524 708 852 991 1,154 New Mexico 342 516 683 839 988 1,162 New York 471 649 894 1,088 1,279 1,464 North Carolina 307 464 601 719 831 967 North Dakota 378 563 745 912 1,073 1,260 Ohio 337 512 672 833 982 1,143 Oklahoma 307 456 615 763 900 1,061 Oregon 398 575 733 906 1,066 1,251 Pennsylvania 331 530 705 871 1,029 1,204 Rhode Island 410 613 799 955 1,104 1,279 South Carolina 262 413 554 684 807 956 South Dakota 433 607 756 892 1,021 1,177 Tennessee 236 398 540 669 789 936 Texas 231 430 563 693 807 956 Utah 373 565 743 899 1,047 1,210 Vermont 533 722 907 1,067 1,224 1,385 Virginia 350 525 683 826 980 1,134 Washington 425 607 793 960 1,122 1,312 West Virginia 425 579 728 869 996 1,152 a Wisconsin 141 770 882 982 1,075 1,194 Wyoming 317 523 649 749 856 975 Source: Table prepared by the Congressional Research Service (CRS) based on a survey of state TANF cash assistance programs. CRS-7 Note: Food stamp calculations assume that the family does not receive an excess shelter cost deduction. In very low TANF benefit states, combined benefits shown reflect the maximum food stamp allotment for the family size, but in some states the excess shelter deduction would increase benefits by up to $83 monthly -- more in Alaska and Hawaii. a. Wisconsin has no one-person families in its TANF program. Pregnant women without children are ineligible. Changes in Maximum Benefits from 1996 to 2004 During discussions of welfare reform in the mid-1990s, it was feared by some that states facing limited federal funding would engage in a "race-to-the bottom" by cutting benefit amounts. Some thought that a state that had higher benefit levels than its neighbors would attract welfare families from other states. These factors would set in motion a competitive downward spiral, the "race-to-the bottom," of benefit levels among the states. This "race-to-the-bottom" did not happen. Twenty-four states paid the same maximum monthly benefits in January 2004 as they did in 1996; however, a few states did reduce benefits. Hawaii reduced maximum benefits for families with an adult expected to work. Benefits were also cut in the District of Columbia, Idaho, Montana, Oklahoma, and Wyoming. Table 3 shows maximum benefits for a family of three (headed by a single adult) by state for July 1996 to January 2004. Under TANF, benefits generally have fallen in real value. Twenty-one states have increased benefit levels during the July 1996 to January 2004 period. In eight of these (Alabama, California, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, New York, West Virginia, and Wisconsin) benefits increased by more than the increases in prices between July 1996 and January 2004. Table 3. TANF Maximum Monthly Benefits for a Family of Three (Single Parent Families): 1996-2004 % Real change from July 96 to State July 96 July 98 Jan. 00 Jan. 02 Jan. 04 Jan. 2004 Alabama 164 164 164 164 215 11.14% Alaska 923 923 923 923 923 -15.23% Arizona 347 347 347 347 347 -15.23% Arkansas 204 204 204 204 204 -15.23% California 596 565 626 679 704 0.14% Colorado 356 356 356 356 356 -15.23% Connecticut 636 636 636 636 636 -15.23% Delaware 338 338 338 338 338 -15.23% District of Columbia 415 379 379 379 379 -22.58% Florida 303 303 303 303 303 -15.23% Georgia 280 280 280 280 280 -15.23% CRS-8 % Real change from July 96 to State July 96 July 98 Jan. 00 Jan. 02 Jan. 04 Jan. 2004 Hawaii 712 570 570 570 570 -32.13% Idaho 317 276 293 293 309 -17.36% Illinois 377 377 377 377 396 -10.95% Indiana 288 288 288 288 288 -15.23% Iowa 426 426 426 426 426 -15.23% Kansas 429 429 429 429 429 -15.23% Kentucky 262 262 262 262 289 -6.49% Louisiana 190 190 190 240 240 7.08% Maine 418 439 461 485 485 -1.64% Maryland 373 388 417 472 477 8.41% Massachusetts 565 565 565 618 618 -7.27% Michigan 459 459 459 459 459 -15.23% Minnesota 532 532 532 532 532 -15.23% Mississippi 120 120 170 170 170 20.10% Missouri 292 292 292 292 292 -15.23% Montana 438 461 469 494 375 -27.42% Nebraska 364 364 364 364 364 -15.23% Nevada 348 348 348 348 348 -15.23% New Hampshire 550 550 575 600 625 -3.67% New Jersey 424 424 424 424 424 -15.23% New Mexico 389 439 439 389 389 -15.23% New York 577 577 577 577 691 1.52% North Carolina 272 272 272 272 272 -15.23% North Dakota 431 440 457 477 477 -6.18% Ohio 341 362 373 373 373 -7.27% Oklahoma 307 292 292 292 292 -19.37% Oregon 460 460 460 460 460 -15.23% Pennsylvania 421 421 421 421 421 -15.23% Rhode Island 554 554 554 554 554 -15.23% South Carolina 200 201 204 205 205 -13.11% South Dakota 430 430 430 469 493 -2.81% Tennessee 185 185 185 185 185 -15.23% Texas 188 188 201 201 217 -2.15% Utah 416 451 451 474 474 -3.41% Vermont 633 656 708 709 709 -5.05% Virginia 354 354 354 389 389 -6.84% CRS-9 % Real change from July 96 to State July 96 July 98 Jan. 00 Jan. 02 Jan. 04 Jan. 2004 Washington 546 546 546 546 546 -15.23% West Virginia 253 253 328 453 453 51.79% Wisconsin 517 673 673 673 673 10.35% Wyoming 360 340 340 340 340 -19.94% Source: Table prepared by the Congressional Research Service (CRS) based on a survey of the state TANF cash assistance programs. Note: The inflation factor used to convert July 1996 dollars to Jan. 2004 dollars was 1.1796 (representing the change in the Consumer Price Index for all Urban Consumers from July 1996 to Jan. 2004). From Welfare to Work: Eligibility and Benefit Amounts The preceding section described cash assistance benefits for families with no income other than welfare. However, under TANF, more families are combining cash assistance with work. This section describes the maximum level of earnings a family may have and retain eligibility for TANF cash aid and shows how the TANF benefit contributes to total family income as a recipient increases her work effort. Income Eligibility Federal law requires that TANF cash be paid to needy families with children, and all states require that a family have income below specified income eligibility thresholds to receive cash aid. All states except Ohio and Virginia also require that a family have assets valued below a certain threshold; see Appendix A for a discussion of TANF resource limits. Determining if a family is financially eligible for TANF is often a complicated process with considerable variation among the states. The majority of states (33) have different income eligibility rules for initial eligibility (new applicants) and for continued eligibility for families already enrolled. Most of the differences concern the treatment of earnings. This report will focus on the rules for families already on the rolls. As was generally the case under AFDC, states may determine the eligibility threshold for cash aid. Further, TANF does not specify federal rules for what types of income -- and how much of each type of income -- must be counted in determining eligibility for cash aid. In particular, states have developed a diverse set of rules for the treatment of earnings. Countable Income. Whether a family with a working member remains eligible for cash assistance often depends on its circumstances: what type of income it has, what types of expenses (for example, child care) it incurs, and how long CRS-10 working recipients have been on the job. Most states base eligibility, at least in part, on a family's countable income. Countable income is the family's income minus deductions specified in a state's program rules for working expenses and a portion of earnings disregarded as an incentive to work. Earnings Disregards. In most states, the maximum level of earnings a family may have and retain eligibility for cash assistance depends on its benefit amount and "earnings disregards." Most states reduce benefits for families with earnings, though the size of the benefit reduction varies by state. States generally do not count some earnings when determining benefits, sometimes to compensate for work expenses and sometimes as an incentive for recipients to get a job. Under AFDC, federal law specified that earnings disregards were provided for only a short period of time, so that soon after a family member went to work most families became ineligible for cash assistance.3 Under TANF, states are free to set their own earnings disregards and, today, almost all jurisdictions have increased rewards for recipients who work. State TANF programs generally disregard a sizable share of earnings for at least a year, and some disregard 100% of earnings for new job holders for the first few months. Higher earnings disregards increase the "exit point" from TANF, the amount of income recipients can earn before cash benefits are terminated. (Also, they raise the income eligibility entry point in the18 jurisdictions that do not have different rules for treating the earnings of applicants.) Gross Income Test. Some states have adopted a second income test to determine whether a family with a working member remains eligible for benefits based on gross income. These "gross income tests" cut off eligibility to a family at a certain income level, generally without regard to its individual circumstances. That is, a family is made ineligible at a certain level of income without regard to earnings disregards that otherwise apply and any deductions allowed for expenses. Federal AFDC law required states to impose a gross income test. TANF does not require states to adopt a gross income test, but 26 have retained such tests in their programs. Maximum Earnings Eligibility Thresholds. Table 4 provides TANF benefit levels at zero income, earnings disregard rules, and the TANF "exit point" by state for a family of three as of January 2004. It shows that 33 states now disregard from 20% to 75% of all earnings in all months, and two states -- Connecticut and Virginia -- disregard all earnings until total income reaches the poverty level. Five states disregard 100% of earnings from one to three months. However, eight states (three in all months, five after four-six months of work) use flat dollar disregards, under which extra earnings reduce benefits. Table 4 shows that in 10 states TANF benefits for a three-person family would not end until gross earnings exceeded or came very close to the 2004 poverty guideline of $1,272 monthly for a family of three: Alaska ($1,931 in the first 12 3 Under AFDC, earnings disregards were taken in the following order: both applicants and recipients received a $90 work expense earnings disregard, then recipients received an additional $30 earnings disregard for the first 12 months of employment. In the first four months of employment, recipients also received an additional 33.33% earnings disregard. CRS-11 months of work): California ($1,613); Colorado ($1,227 in the first 12 months of work); Connecticut ($1,272); District of Columbia ($1,267); Hawaii, ($1,343); New Hampshire ($1230); New York ($1,272 in New York City); Rhode Island, ($1,258); and Virginia ($1,262). Higher or equal exit points exist in some other states, for three to six months (see Delaware, Louisiana, North Dakota, and Texas). At the other extreme are these low TANF-exit points: Alabama, $256 (after three months); Mississippi, $441; and Georgia, $534 (after four months); and Wyoming, $530. The complexity and variation in policy can be illustrated by considering hypothetical single-parent families with two children in five states: California, Connecticut, Louisiana, and New York (New York City), and Virginia. Assume that each has gross monthly earnings of $1,000. So long as the adult had not reached the state's time limit on benefits, the family in Connecticut would receive a full TANF benefit of $636 monthly; in New York City, a reduced benefit of $245; in California, a reduced benefit of $316. In Louisiana, the family would receive a full benefit of $240 for six months in a lifetime, but would be ineligible for TANF after this period. In Virginia, the family would receive a full benefit of $389 for the first four months of work, a reduced benefit of $372 for the next eight months and thereafter a reduced benefit of $342. Table 4. TANF Maximum Monthly Benefits, Earnings Disregards, and Exit Points for a Family of Three (Single Parent Families), January 1, 2004 Benefit Earnings disregarded TANF exit point at zero and when (gross earnings)b State incomea Alabama $215 100%, months 1-3; No limit, months 1-3 20% after 3 months $256 after 3 months Alaska $923 $150 + 33% of the rest, $1,961 year 1, dropping year 1 to $1,363 by year 5 $150 + declining %, years 2-5. Arizona $347 $90 + 30% of the rest $571 all months Arkansas $204 20% + 60% of the rest $696 all months California $704 $225 + 50% of the $1,613 rest all months Colorado $356 66.67% (up to 12 $1,227 (for 12 cumulative months); cumulative months) then use old AFDC dropping to $499 after 2 rules. See Delaware. years. CRS-12 Benefit Earnings disregarded TANF exit point at zero and when (gross earnings)b State incomea Connecticut $636 100% (up to poverty $1,272 gross earnings guideline of $1,272) limit, all months all months Delaware $338 Old AFDC rules: $1,520 months 1-4 $120 + 1/3 of the rest, $1,054 months 5-12 months 1-4; $120, months 5-12; $90 thereafter D.C. $379 $160 + 66.67% of the $1,267 rest all months Florida $303 $200 +50% of the rest $786 all months Georgia $280 Old AFDC rules. See $740 months 1-4 Delaware $534 months 5-12 Hawaii $570 20% + $200 + 36% of $1,343 the rest all months Idaho $309 40% all months $631 Illinois $396 66.67% all months $1,185 Indiana $288 75% $1,148 Iowa $426 20% + 50% of the $1,040 rest, all months Kansas $429 $90 + 40% of the rest, $788 all months Kentucky $289 100% for 2 months in No limit, months 1 and lifetime (time chosen 2 (recipient assumed to by recipient) make this choice) $120 + 1/3 of the rest, $881 months 3-6 months 3-6, $628 months 7-14 $120 months 7-14 $90 thereafter Louisiana $240 $900 (6 months in $1,250, 6 months in lifetime) lifetime. $350 $120 all other months thereafter. Maine $485 $108 plus 50% of the $1,023, gross income rest, all months test, all months Maryland $477 40% all months $778 Massachusetts $618 $120 + 50% of the $1,143 gross income rest, all months test, all months CRS-13 Benefit Earnings disregarded TANF exit point at zero and when (gross earnings)b State incomea Michigan $459c $200 + 20% of the $761 (Wayne County) rest, all months Minnesota $532d 36% all months $914d Mississippi $170 $90 all months $441 Missouri $292 66.67% + $90 all $1,116 months Montana $375 $200 + 25% of the $700 rest, all months Nebraska $364 20% all months $751 Nevada $348 100% months 1-3 No limit, months 1-3 50% months 4-12 $845 months 4-12 New Hampshire $625 50% all months $1,230 New Jersey $424 100%, 1st full month No limit, first month of work $848 after month 1 50% after month 1 New Mexico $389 $125 + 50% of the $901 + (in the 1st 24 rest. Plus, for the 1st months) earnings from 24 months, all "excess" hours of work earnings from work hours above minimum required New York $691e $90 + 51% of the rest $1,272 (New York City) all months (100% of poverty-based, gross income limit, all months) North Carolina $272 100% months 1-3 No limit, months 1-3 (standard counties)f $681 after 3 months 27.5% after 3 months (all counties) North Dakota $477 27% or $180 (if $1,279 months 1-6 greater) plus: $984 months 7-9 50% months 1-6 $852 months 10-13 35% months 7-9 25% months 10-13 Ohio $373 $250 + 50% of the $976 rest, all months Oklahoma $292 $120 + 50% of the $684 rest, all months CRS-14 Benefit Earnings disregarded TANF exit point at zero and when (gross earnings)b State incomea Oregon $460 50% all months $616 gross income limit, all months Pennsylvania $421 50% all months $822 Rhode Island $554 $170 +50% of the $1,258 rest, all months South Carolina $205 50% months 1-4 $1,174 gross income $100 after month 4 limit, months 1-4 $704 after 4 months South Dakota $493 $90 + 20% of the rest, $694 all months Tennessee $185 $150 all months $1,020 Texas $217 $120 + (for 4 months) $1,727 months 1-4 90% of the rest, but $327 thereafter disregard (including the $120) cannot exceed $1,400. Utah $474 $100 + 50% of the $1,050 rest, all months Vermont $683g $150 + 25% of the $1,082 (in Chittenden rest, all months County) Virginia $389 Old AFDC rules used $1,252 to determine countable income (see Delaware). Countable income is subtracted from poverty guideline. As long as countable income + full benefits (and gross income alone) are below the poverty guideline of $1,252, full benefits are paid. Washington $546 50% all months $1,072 West Virginia $453 40% all months $755, gross income limit, all months CRS-15 Benefit Earnings disregarded TANF exit point at zero and when (gross earnings)b State incomea Wisconsin $673h No disregards. Gross income limit: $628i Recipient cannot work 115% of federal poverty more than 29 hours level -- $1,462 per week and remain eligible for the program. As long as gross income test is met and participants fulfill work hour rules, benefits are paid based on number of hours of participation. Wyoming $340 $200 all months $530 Source: Table prepared by the Congressional Research Service (CRS) based on a survey of the states. a. In cases where states differentiate between families required to work and exempt from work, this column shows benefits for the former group. Similarly, where states pay higher benefits to groups with greater housing need (no housing subsidy, no sharing of housing, etc.) this column shows these higher amounts. In some regions of some states, benefits may be different from those shown here. Note: Table takes no account of child care disregards, which many states provide. They would raise exit points. b. Thirty-nine jurisdictions pay no benefit smaller than $10 monthly; one (North Carolina) pays no benefit smaller than $25 in most counties. The remaining 11 states do not impose a minimum benefit to qualify for actual cash (Arkansas, Indiana, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Dakota, Connecticut, Illinois, Minnesota, Montana, West Virginia, and Wisconsin). Calculations in the table reflect state minimum benefit policies, which lower TANF exit points. c. Wayne County (Detroit) d. Minnesota combines TANF and food stamps in a single benefit. This number reflects only the cash portion of the grant. e. New York City f. Standard counties operate programs under state rules. In addition, North Carolina's program allows certain "electing counties" to have more flexibility in their program rules. "Electing counties" decide whether to offer the three-month 100% disregard. g. Chittenden County h. For community service (all family sizes). i. For participation in W-2 transition program (all family sizes). CRS-16 Maximum Hours a Minimum Wage Earner Can Work and Retain Eligibility for TANF. Another way to illustrate how states treat families with earners is to consider a minimum wage worker and how many hours she may work and remain eligible for TANF. That is, in how many states can a minimum wage earner work 20 hours or 40 hours per week and remain eligible for TANF? Table 5 shows the maximum number of hours per week a person earning the minimum wage could work and still retain eligibility for TANF cash assistance as of January 1, 2004. (For the dollar amounts by month of employment see Appendix B.) In states where the minimum wage is above the federal $5.15 per hour, the higher state minimum wage was used in the calculation. The information in the table is based on the rules for a family of three (the average family size for those on cash assistance). Because the rules for counting or disregarding earnings sometimes change depending on how long a recipient has been working -- states sometimes have generous disregards of earnings for the first few months on the job -- these maximum hours are shown for months one through 13 on the job. Most recipients working 20 hours per week remain eligible for TANF cash. The table shows that all states except Mississippi allow a minimum wage earner, with a family of three, working 20 hours per week to have her family remain on TANF in the first month of employment. However, after the third month on a job, this family would no longer be eligible for cash benefits in Alabama; after the fourth month on a job, the family would no longer be eligible for cash benefits in Texas. After a year working (month 13 on a job) a recipient remains eligible for some TANF cash in 46 jurisdictions. On the other hand, TANF recipients working 40 hours a week often lose eligibility for TANF cash -- though in a majority of states TANF cash is still paid, albeit in some states for a short period of time. In the first month on a job, a recipient who gets a minimum wage job and works 40 hours per week remains eligible for TANF cash assistance in 29 jurisdictions. However, after a year of work (month 13 on a job), she would remain eligible for TANF cash in only 17 jurisdictions. Table 5. Maximum Hours per Week That a Minimum Wage Earner Can Work and Retain Eligibility for TANF Cash Assistance (Based on January 2004 Benefit Levels and Minimum Wages) Month on a job State 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Alabama n/a n/a n/a 11 11 11 11 11 11 11 11 11 11 Alaska 63 63 63 63 63 63 63 63 63 63 63 63 57 Arizona 25 25 25 25 25 25 25 25 25 25 25 25 25 Arkansas 31 31 31 31 31 31 31 31 31 31 31 31 31 California 55 55 55 55 55 55 55 55 55 55 55 55 55 Colorado 55 55 55 55 55 55 55 55 55 55 55 55 32 Connecticut 41 41 41 41 41 41 41 41 41 41 41 41 41 CRS-17 Month on a job State 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Delaware 57 57 57 57 39 39 39 39 39 39 39 39 38 District of 47 47 47 47 47 47 47 47 47 47 47 47 47 Columbia Florida 35 35 35 35 35 35 35 35 35 35 35 35 35 Georgia 33 33 33 33 23 23 23 23 23 23 23 23 22 Hawaii 49 49 49 49 49 49 49 49 49 49 49 49 49 Idaho 28 28 28 28 28 28 28 28 28 28 28 28 28 Illinois 49 49 49 49 49 49 49 49 49 49 49 49 49 Indiana 51 51 51 51 51 51 51 51 51 51 51 51 51 Iowa 46 46 46 46 46 46 46 46 46 46 46 46 46 Kansas 35 35 35 35 35 35 35 35 35 35 35 35 35 Kentucky n/a n/a 39 39 39 39 28 28 28 28 28 28 28 Louisiana 56 56 56 56 56 56 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 Maine 37 37 37 37 37 37 37 37 37 37 37 37 37 Maryland 34 34 34 34 34 34 34 34 34 34 34 34 34 Massachusetts 39 39 39 39 39 39 39 39 39 39 39 39 39 Michigan 34 34 34 34 34 34 34 34 34 34 34 34 34 Minnesota 40 40 40 40 40 40 40 40 40 40 40 40 40 Mississippi 19 19 19 19 19 19 19 19 19 19 19 19 19 Missouri 50 50 50 50 50 50 50 50 50 50 50 50 16 Montana 31 31 31 31 31 31 31 31 31 31 31 31 31 Nebraska 33 33 33 33 33 33 33 33 33 33 33 33 33 Nevada n/a n/a n/a 37 37 37 37 37 37 37 37 37 19 New Hampshire 55 55 55 55 55 55 55 55 55 55 55 55 55 New Jersey n/a 38 38 38 38 38 38 38 38 38 38 38 38 New Mexico 40 40 40 40 40 40 40 40 40 40 40 40 40 New York 57 57 57 57 57 57 57 57 57 57 57 57 57 North Carolina n/a n/a n/a 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 North Dakota 57 57 57 57 57 57 44 44 44 38 38 38 38 Ohio 43 43 43 43 43 43 43 43 43 43 43 43 43 Oklahoma 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 Oregon 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 Pennsylvania 36 36 36 36 36 36 36 36 36 36 36 36 36 Rhode Island 43 43 43 43 43 43 43 43 43 43 43 43 43 South Carolina 52 52 52 52 31 31 31 31 31 31 31 31 31 South Dakota 31 31 31 31 31 31 31 31 31 31 31 31 31 Tennessee 45 45 45 45 45 45 45 45 45 45 45 45 45 Texas 77 77 77 77 14 14 14 14 14 14 14 14 14 Utah 47 47 47 47 47 47 47 47 47 47 47 47 47 Vermont 37 37 37 37 37 37 37 37 37 37 37 37 37 Virginia 56 56 56 56 56 56 56 56 56 56 56 56 56 Washington 34 34 34 34 34 34 34 34 34 34 34 34 34 West Virginia 33 33 33 33 33 33 33 33 33 33 33 33 33 Wisconsin 29 29 29 29 29 29 29 29 29 29 29 29 29 Wyoming 23 23 23 23 23 23 23 23 23 23 23 23 23 Source: Congressional Research Service (CRS) based on a survey of state TANF cash assistance programs. Minimum wage data by state are from the Department of Labor (DoL). CRS-18 Family Income by Hours per Week of Work Most states still base TANF cash welfare payments on the degree of a family's financial need, and reduce cash benefits for a family with nonwelfare income such as earnings. That is, a one dollar increase in earnings often yields a family less than a one dollar increase in total income. However, the combined family income of families with the same work effort (20 hours per week, 40 hours per week) varies widely by state depending on their TANF cash benefit amounts and how they count the earnings of family workers. Table 6 shows the net earned income, tax credits, food stamp benefits, and TANF benefits for a family of three who begin working 20 hours per week at minimum wage for one year. When a state has a minimum wage rate higher than the national minimum wage, the state's minimum wage is used in calculating earnings. The net earnings column shows gross earnings less employee Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA) taxes. The EITC column shows the effect of the EITC on gross earnings.4 The TANF column shows the monthly benefit at month 13 of employment annualized.5 The food stamp column shows the annualized food stamp benefit based upon monthly gross earnings and TANF benefits. The combined total column shows the summation of income from the four previous columns. The columns to the right show the respective dollar amounts on the left as a percent of the 2004 poverty threshold issued by the Department of Health and Human Services. In month 13 of employment, no TANF benefits are paid to half-time minimum wage workers in Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, and Nevada. In seven states -- Alaska, California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Vermont -- the combined total exceeds the federal poverty threshold. Table 7 shows the same information as Table 6, except that the worker is employed for 40 hours per week for one year. At this level of income, 17 states pay a TANF benefit for a family of three in month 13 on a job. Families in every state have combined total incomes above the poverty threshold based on federally- determined EITC and food stamp benefits. Earnings plus EITC and food stamps yield an income for a family of three equal to 105% of the poverty threshold in the 48 contiguous states and the District of Columbia (Alaska and Hawaii have different poverty thresholds). However, at this level of earned income, the largest component of income is earnings, followed by EITC. 4 For more information on EITC, see CRS Report RS21477, The Earned Income Tax Credit: Policy and Legislative Issues, by Christine Scott. 5 Benefits may be zero in some months. In Alabama, for example, a recipient working 20 hours per week at minimum wage would receive a TANF benefit only in months one through four. CRS-19 Table 6. Annualized Earnings and Income from Selected Benefit Programs for a Single Parent with Two Children, Working 20 Hours per Week at Minimum Wage, in the 13th Month of Work, January 1, 2004 Net Food Combined earnings EITC as a TANF as a stamps as a total as a Net Food Combined as a % of % of % of % of % of State earnings EITC TANF stamps total poverty poverty poverty poverty poverty Alabama $4,942 $2,141 $0 $3,648 $10,731 32% 14% 0% 23% 68% Alaska 6,862 2,972 7,920 1,932 19,686 35 15 40 10 100 Arizona 4,942 2,141 1,164 3,300 11,547 32 14 7 21 74 Arkansas 4,942 2,141 2,448 2,904 12,435 32 14 16 19 79 California 6,478 2,806 6,288 1,356 16,928 41 18 40 9 108 Colorado 4,942 2,141 2,064 3,024 12,171 32 14 13 19 78 Connecticut 6,814 2,951 7,632 864 18,261 45 19 49 6 120 Delaware 5,902 2,556 3,060 2,472 13,990 38 16 20 16 89 District of Columbia 5,902 2,556 3,048 2,484 13,990 38 16 19 16 89 Florida 4,942 2,141 2,160 3,000 12,243 32 14 14 19 78 Georgia 4,942 2,141 816 3,396 11,295 32 14 5 22 72 Hawaii 5,998 2,598 5,040 4,320 17,956 33 14 28 24 100 Idaho 4,942 2,141 1,452 3,204 11,739 32 14 9 20 75 Illinois 5,278 2,286 2,844 2,700 13,108 35 15 19 18 86 Indiana 4,942 2,141 2,112 3,012 12,207 32 14 13 19 78 Iowa 4,942 2,141 2,964 2,760 12,807 32 14 19 18 82 Kansas 4,942 2,141 2,580 2,868 12,531 32 14 16 18 80 Kentucky 4,942 2,141 1,320 3,252 11,655 32 14 8 21 74 Louisiana 4,942 2,141 0 3,648 10,731 32 14 0 23 68 Maine 5,998 2,598 4,836 1,920 15,352 38 17 31 12 98 Maryland 4,942 2,141 2,508 2,892 12,483 32 14 16 18 80 Massachusetts 6,478 2,806 4,620 1,860 15,764 41 18 29 12 101 CRS-20 Net Food Combined earnings EITC as a TANF as a stamps as a total as a Net Food Combined as a % of % of % of % of % of State earnings EITC TANF stamps total poverty poverty poverty poverty poverty Michigan 4,942 2,141 3,144 2,700 12,927 32 14 20 17 82 Minnesota 4,942 2,141 3,696 3,840 14,619 32 14 24 25 93 Mississippi 4,942 2,141 0 3,648 10,731 32 14 0 23 68 Missouri 4,942 2,141 0 3,648 10,731 32 14 0 23 68 Montana 4,942 2,141 2,280 2,964 12,327 32 14 15 19 79 Nebraska 4,942 2,141 3,048 2,724 12,855 32 14 19 17 82 Nevada 4,942 2,141 0 3,648 10,731 32 14 0 23 68 New Hampshire 4,942 2,141 4,824 2,196 14,103 32 14 31 14 90 New Jersey 4,942 2,141 2,412 2,916 12,411 32 14 15 19 79 New Mexico 4,942 2,141 2,736 2,820 12,639 32 14 17 18 81 New York 4,942 2,141 6,192 1,788 15,063 32 14 40 11 96 North Carolina 4,942 2,141 1,320 3,252 11,655 32 14 8 21 74 North Dakota 4,942 2,141 3,324 2,652 13,059 32 14 21 17 83 Ohio 4,942 2,141 3,300 2,652 13,035 32 14 21 17 83 Oklahoma 4,942 2,141 1,548 3,180 11,811 32 14 10 20 75 Oregon 6,622 2,868 1,932 2,628 14,050 42 18 12 17 90 Pennsylvania 4,942 2,141 2,376 2,928 12,387 32 14 15 19 79 Rhode Island 6,478 2,806 4,152 2,004 15,440 43 18 27 13 101 South Carolina 4,942 2,141 1,116 3,312 11,511 32 14 7 21 73 South Dakota 4,942 2,141 2,496 2,892 12,471 32 14 16 18 80 Tennessee 4,942 2,141 2,220 2,976 12,279 32 14 14 19 78 Texas 4,942 2,141 0 3,648 10,731 32 14 0 23 68 Utah 4,942 2,141 4,740 2,220 14,043 32 14 30 14 90 Vermont 6,478 2,806 4,596 1,872 15,752 43 18 30 12 103 CRS-21 Net Food Combined earnings EITC as a TANF as a stamps as a total as a Net Food Combined as a % of % of % of % of % of State earnings EITC TANF stamps total poverty poverty poverty poverty poverty Virginia 4,942 2,141 4,668 2,244 13,995 32 14 30 14 89 Washington 6,872 2,976 2,820 2,292 14,960 45 20 19 15 98 West Virginia 4,942 2,141 2,220 2,976 12,279 32 14 14 19 78 Wisconsin 4,942 2,141 2,760 2,820 12,663 32 14 18 18 81 Wyoming 4,942 2,141 1,128 3,300 11,511 32 14 7 21 73 Source: Congressional Research Service (CRS) based on a survey of state TANF cash assistance programs. CRS-22 Table 7. Annualized Earnings and Income from Selected Benefit Programs for a Single Parent with Two Children, Working 40 Hours per Week at Minimum Wage, in the 13th Month of Work, January 1, 2004 Net Food Combined earnings EITC TANF stamps total Food Combined as a % of as a % of as a % of as a % of as a % of State Earnings EITC TANF stamps total poverty poverty poverty poverty poverty Alabama $9,885 $4,282 $0 $2,364 $16,531 63% 27% 0% 15% 105% Alaska 13,724 4,127 3,708 1,404 22,963 70 21 19 7 117 Arizona 9,885 4,282 0 2,364 16,531 63 27 0 15 105 Arkansas 9,885 4,282 0 2,364 16,531 63 27 0 15 105 California 12,956 4,300 2,772 732 20,760 83 27 18 5 132 Colorado 9,885 4,282 0 2,364 16,531 63 27 0 15 105 Connecticut 13,628 4,149 7,632 0 25,409 87 27 49 0 162 Delaware 11,804 4,300 0 1,860 17,964 75 27 0 12 115 District of Columbia 11,804 4,300 924 1,584 18,612 75 27 6 10 119 Florida 9,885 4,282 0 2,364 16,531 63 27 0 15 105 Georgia 9,885 4,282 0 2,364 16,531 63 27 0 15 105 Hawaii 11,996 4,300 1,716 3,768 21,780 67 24 10 21 121 Idaho 9,885 4,282 0 2,364 16,531 63 27 0 15 105 Illinois 10,557 4,300 936 1,908 17,701 67 27 6 12 113 Indiana 9,885 4,282 780 2,124 17,071 63 27 5 14 109 Iowa 9,885 4,282 828 2,112 17,107 63 27 5 13 109 Kansas 9,885 4,282 0 2,364 16,531 63 27 0 15 105 Kentucky 9,885 4,282 0 2,364 16,531 63 27 0 15 105 Louisiana 9,885 4,282 0 2,364 16,531 63 27 0 15 105 Maine 11,996 4,300 0 1,812 18,108 77 27 0 12 116 Maryland 9,885 4,282 0 2,364 16,531 63 27 0 15 105 Massachusetts 12,956 4,300 0 1,560 18,816 83 27 0 10 120 CRS-23 Net Food Combined earnings EITC TANF stamps total Food Combined as a % of as a % of as a % of as a % of as a % of State Earnings EITC TANF stamps total poverty poverty poverty poverty poverty Michigan 9,885 4,282 0 2,364 16,531 63 27 0 15 105 Minnesota 9,885 4,282 372 3,840 18,379 63 27 2 25 117 Mississippi 9,885 4,282 0 2,364 16,531 63 27 0 15 105 Missouri 9,885 4,282 0 2,364 16,531 63 27 0 15 105 Montana 9,885 4,282 0 2,364 16,531 63 27 0 15 105 Nebraska 9,885 4,282 0 2,364 16,531 63 27 0 15 105 Nevada 9,885 4,282 0 2,364 16,531 63 27 0 15 105 New Hampshire 9,885 4,282 2,148 1,716 18,031 63 27 14 11 115 New Jersey 9,885 4,282 0 2,364 16,531 63 27 0 15 105 New Mexico 9,885 4,282 2,196 1,704 18,067 63 27 14 11 115 New York 9,885 4,282 3,576 1,284 19,027 63 27 23 8 121 North Carolina 9,885 4,282 0 2,364 16,531 63 27 0 15 105 North Dakota 9,885 4,282 0 2,364 16,531 63 27 0 15 105 Ohio 9,885 4,282 624 2,172 16,963 63 27 4 14 108 Oklahoma 9,885 4,282 0 2,364 16,531 63 27 0 15 105 Oregon 13,244 4,237 0 1,488 18,969 85 27 0 9 121 Pennsylvania 9,885 4,282 0 2,364 16,531 63 27 0 15 105 Rhode Island 12,956 4,300 648 1,368 19,272 83 27 4 9 123 South Carolina 9,885 4,282 0 2,364 16,531 63 27 0 15 105 South Dakota 9,885 4,282 0 2,364 16,531 63 27 0 15 105 Tennessee 9,885 4,282 1,656 1,860 17,683 63 27 11 12 113 Texas 9,885 4,282 0 2,364 16,531 63 27 0 15 105 Utah 9,885 4,282 2,064 1,740 17,971 63 27 13 11 115 Vermont 12,956 4,300 0 1,560 18,816 83 27 0 10 120 CRS-24 Net Food Combined earnings EITC TANF stamps total Food Combined as a % of as a % of as a % of as a % of as a % of State Earnings EITC TANF stamps total poverty poverty poverty poverty poverty Virginia 9,885 4,282 4,668 960 19,795 63 27 30 6 126 Washington 13,743 4,123 0 1,356 19,222 87 26 0 9 123 West Virginia 9,885 4,282 0 2,364 16,531 63 27 0 15 105 Wisconsin 9,885 4,282 0 2,364 16,531 63 27 0 15 105 Wyoming 9,885 4,282 0 2,364 16,531 63 27 0 15 105 Source: Congressional Research Service (CRS) based on a survey of state TANF cash assistance programs. CRS-25 Earnings Disregards and TANF Work Participation Standards The adoption of more generous earnings disregards -- and consequent expansion of eligibility for families on the rolls who have earnings -- is one of the most profound changes states made to their cash assistance programs once freed from federal rules for how they must count the earnings of a family with a working adult. These more generous disregards have been seen as increasing incentives to work: the more generous disregards mean that the implicit "tax rate" on earnings (reduced welfare benefits as earnings increase) is reduced. More generous earnings disregards also have been seen as part of strategies to help "make work pay," as continued cash welfare benefits supplement the earnings of low wage earners. From the state's perspective the more generous earnings disregards also have a practical consequence: they help states meet TANF work participation standards. TANF law requires states to meet minimum standards of work participation, and the share of all families (with an adult) who must engage in specified work activities for minimum hours weekly climbed from a statutory level of 25% in FY1997 to 50% in FY2002 and following years. One of the specified work activities creditable toward states meeting work participation standards is "unsubsidized employment," combining welfare and work. This differs from the pre-1996 program, the Job Opportunity and Basic Skills (JOBS) training program, which counted "unsubsidized employment" only in the first month on a job toward participation standards. In other months, recipients who worked 35 hours per week or more were excluded from the participation rate calculation. Under pre-1996 federal rules, recipients who went to work soon became ineligible for cash assistance. With the adoption of more generous earnings disregards under TANF, the proportion of adults who combine welfare with unsubsidized work has risen sharply from 11% in FY1996 to 26% in FY2002. Combining welfare and work is by far the most common activity among TANF adults -- job search ranks a distant second in terms of the percent of TANF adults engaged in an activity at 6%. Though the work reward policies of states help them meet TANF work participation requirements, reduce disincentives to work, and help "make work pay," research shows that they tend to increase the amount of time families spend on cash welfare.6 Thus, the work reward policies implicitly conflict with TANF time limits on cash assistance and the federal law's statutory goal of ending dependence on government benefits.7 Longer use of cash welfare, even by parents with jobs, sometimes is viewed as prolonging welfare "dependence." 6 See U.S. Congress, House Ways and Means Committee, 2004 Green Book, Appendix L, "Assessing the Effects of Welfare Reform Initiatives," Mar. 2004. 7 TANF sets a 60-month time limit on the use of federal funds to pay cash assistance to a family with an adult. To continue the work incentive for more than 60 months, states must use their own funds -- though state funds spent for families who passed the time limit are counted toward meeting TANF's maintenance of effort (MOE) requirement. CRS-26 Appendix A. Resource Limits Under AFDC, states could not set their countable resource limit above $1,000 for both applicants and recipients. Under TANF, states have the flexibility to establish their own financial eligibility guidelines, and most states have raised their resource limits. Of the states that raised their resource limits, the majority have adopted rules similar to that of the food stamp program. The resource limit for most families in the food stamp program is $2,000 per family. Although the definition of what constitutes a resource varies from state to state, it generally includes savings accounts and other liquid assets. States do not count the primary residence against the resource limit and some states disregard life insurance policies as an asset. A number of states allow recipients to set up individual development accounts (IDAs) for specific purposes, such as education, home purchase, and business start-up capital. The savings in these accounts may be excluded. Additionally, eight states exclude all vehicles from countable assets and 21 states exclude one vehicle per family. Other states exclude a portion of the auto's value. Table A1. TANF Resource Limits and Vehicle Disregards, January 2004 State Resource limits Vehicle disregards Alabama Applicants and recipients: All vehicles Household without aged or disabled member: $2,000 Household with an aged or disabled member: $3,000 Alaska Applicants and recipients: Any vehicle used for Household without a member 60+ family transportation, to years: $2,000 produce self-employment Household w/ a member 60+ years: income, or participate in $3,000 an approved work activity Arizona Applicants and recipients: $2,000 All vehicles Arkansas Applicants and recipients: $3,000 1 vehicle California Applicants and recipients: $4,650 of fair market Household without aged or disabled value member: $2,000 Household with an aged or disabled member: $3,000 Colorado Applicants and recipients: $2,000 1 vehicle Connecticut Applicants and recipients: $3,000 $9,500 of equity value Delaware Applicants and recipients: $1,000 $4,650 of equity value District of Applicants and recipients: All vehicles Columbia Household without a member 60+ years: $2,000 Household with a member 60+ years: $3,000 CRS-27 State Resource limits Vehicle disregards Florida Applicants and recipients: $2,000 $8,500 of equity value Georgia Applicants and recipients: $1,000 Employed, engaged in training, or actively seeking employment: $4,650 of equity value Not employed, in training, or actively seeking employment: $1,500 of equity value Hawaii Applicants and recipients: $5,000 All vehicles Idaho Applicants and recipients: $2,000 $4,650 of fair market value Illinois Applicants and recipients: 1 vehicle Family size 1: $2,000 Family size 2: $3,000 Family size 3: $3,050 Family size 4: $3,100 Family size 5: $3,150 Family size 6: $3,200 Family size 7: $3,250 Family size 8: $3,300 Indiana Applicants only: $1,000 $5,000 of equity value Recipients only: $1,500 Iowa Applicants only: $2,000 $4,115 of equity value for Recipients only: $5,000 each adult Kansas Applicants and recipients: $2,000 All vehicles Kentucky Applicants and recipients: $2,000 All vehicles Louisiana Applicants and recipients: $2,000 All vehicles Maine Applicants and recipients: $2,000 1 vehicle Maryland Applicants and recipients: All vehicles $2,000 Massachusetts Applicants and recipients: $2,500 $5,000 of equity value and $10,000 of "fair market value" Michigan Applicants and recipients: $3,000 All vehicles Minnesota Applicants only: $2,000 $7,500 of loan value Recipients only: $5,000 Mississippi Applicants and recipients: $2,000 Any vehicle used for personal and household transportation Missouri Applicants only: $1,000 1 vehicle Recipients only: $5,000 2nd vehicle: $1,500 equity value Montana Applicants and recipients: $3,000 1 vehicle Nebraska Applicants and recipients: 1 vehicle One person: $4,000 Two or more persons: $6,000 Nevada Applicants and recipients: 1 vehicle $2,000 CRS-28 State Resource limits Vehicle disregards New Applicants and recipients: 1 vehicle per adult Hampshire Received benefits in last 6 months: $2,000 Applicants only: Received no benefits in last 6 months: $1,000 New Jersey Applicants and recipients: $2,000 $9,500 of fair market value 2nd vehicle: $4,650 of fair market value New Mexico Applicants and recipients: Liquid 1 vehicle in areas of resource limit of $1,500. Non-liquid public transportation. In resource limit of $2,000 other areas, 1 vehicle for each adult. New York Applicants and recipients: $9,300 of fair market Household without 60+ member: value if used for $2,000 employment or seeking Household with a 60+ member: employment (localities $3,000 have the option to set this limit higher); $4,650 of fair market value otherwise. North Carolina Applicants and recipients: $3,000 1 vehicle per adult North Dakota Applicants and recipients: 1 vehicle One person: $3,000; Two people: $6,000, plus $25 per additional family member Ohio No resource limit No resource limit Oklahoma Applicants and recipients: $1,000 $5,000 of equity value Oregon Applicants and recipients: $10,000 of equity value Someone in JOBS program: $10,000 No one in JOBS program: $2,500 Pennsylvania Applicants and recipients:$1,000 1 vehicle Rhode Island Applicants and recipients: $1,000 One vehicle per adult, not to exceed two vehicles per household South Carolina Applicants and recipients: $2,500 1 vehicle per driver South Dakota Applicants and recipients: $2,000 1 vehicle 2nd vehicle: $4,650 of fair market value Tennessee Applicants and recipients: $2,000 $4,600 of equity value Texas Applicants and recipients: $4,650 of fair market $1,000 value CRS-29 State Resource limits Vehicle disregards Utah Applicants and recipients: $2,000 Household with a disabled member/ transportation: 1 vehicle No disabled member / transportation: $8,000 of equity value Vermont Applicants and recipients: $1,000 1 vehicle per adult with a maximum of 2 vehicles per household Virginia No resource test No resource test Washington Applicants and recipients: $1,000 $5,000 of equity value West Virginia Applicants and recipients: $2,000 1 vehicle Wyoming Applicants and recipients: $2,500 $12,000 of fair market value Wisconsin Applicants and recipients: $2,500 $10,000 of equity value Wyoming Applicants and recipients: $2,500 $12,000 of fair market value Source: Table prepared by the Congressional Research Service (CRS) based on a survey of state TANF cash assistance programs. CRS-30 Appendix B. TANF Exit Points, Monthly Earnings That End Eligibility, Family of Three, January 1, 2004 ($) State 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Alabama n/a n/a n/a 256 256 256 256 256 256 256 256 256 256 Alaska 1,961 1,961 1,961 1,961 1,961 1,961 1,961 1,961 1,961 1,961 1,961 1,961 1,768 Arizona 571 571 571 571 571 571 571 571 571 571 571 571 571 Arkansas 696 696 696 696 696 696 696 696 696 696 696 696 696 California 1,613 1,613 1,613 1,613 1,613 1,613 1,613 1,613 1,613 1,613 1,613 1,613 1,613 Colorado 1,227 1,227 1,227 1,227 1,227 1,227 1,227 1,227 1,227 1,227 1,227 1,227 733 Connecticut 1,272 1,272 1,272 1,272 1,272 1,272 1,272 1,272 1,272 1,272 1,272 1,272 1,272 Delaware 1,520 1,520 1,520 1,520 1,054 1,054 1,054 1,054 1,054 1,054 1,054 1,054 1,024 District of Columbia 1,267 1,267 1,267 1,267 1,267 1,267 1,267 1,267 1,267 1,267 1,267 1,267 1,267 Florida 786 786 786 786 786 786 786 786 786 786 786 786 786 Georgia 740 740 740 740 534 534 534 534 534 534 534 534 504 Hawaii 1,343 1,343 1,343 1,343 1,343 1,343 1,343 1,343 1,343 1,343 1,343 1,343 1,343 Idaho 631 631 631 631 631 631 631 631 631 631 631 631 631 Illinois 1,185 1,185 1,185 1,185 1,185 1,185 1,185 1,185 1,185 1,185 1,185 1,185 1,185 Indiana 1,148 1,148 1,148 1,148 1,148 1,148 1,148 1,148 1,148 1,148 1,148 1,148 1,148 Iowa 1,040 1,040 1,040 1,040 1,040 1,040 1,040 1,040 1,040 1,040 1,040 1,040 1,040 Kansas 788 788 788 788 788 788 788 788 788 788 788 788 788 Kentucky n/a n/a 881 881 881 881 628 628 628 628 628 628 628 Louisiana 1,250 1,250 1,250 1,250 1,250 1,250 350 350 350 350 350 350 350 Maine 1,023 1,023 1,023 1,023 1,023 1,023 1,023 1,023 1,023 1,023 1,023 1,023 1,023 Maryland 778 778 778 778 778 778 778 778 778 778 778 778 778 Massachusetts 1,143 1,143 1,143 1,143 1,143 1,143 1,143 1,143 1,143 1,143 1,143 1,143 1,143 Michigan 761 761 761 761 761 761 761 761 761 761 761 761 761 Minnesota 914 914 914 914 914 914 914 914 914 914 914 914 914 Mississippi 441 441 441 441 441 441 441 441 441 441 441 441 441 CRS-31 State 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Missouri 1,116 1,116 1,116 1,116 1,116 1,116 1,116 1,116 1,116 1,116 1,116 1,116 1,116 Montana 700 700 700 700 700 700 700 700 700 700 700 700 700 Nebraska 751 751 751 751 751 751 751 751 751 751 751 751 751 Nevada n/a n/a n/a 845 845 845 845 845 845 845 845 845 428 New Hampshire 1,230 1,230 1,230 1,230 1,230 1,230 1,230 1,230 1,230 1,230 1,230 1,230 1,230 New Jersey n/a 848 848 848 848 848 848 848 848 848 848 848 848 New Mexico 901 901 901 901 901 901 901 901 901 901 901 901 901 New York 1,272 1,272 1,272 1,272 1,272 1,272 1,272 1,272 1,272 1,272 1,272 1,272 1,272 North Carolina n/a n/a n/a 681 681 681 681 681 681 681 681 681 681 North Dakota 1,279 1,279 1,279 1,279 1,279 1,279 984 984 984 852 852 852 852 Ohio 976 976 976 976 976 976 976 976 976 976 976 976 976 Oklahoma 684 684 684 684 684 684 684 684 684 684 684 684 684 Oregon 616 616 616 616 616 616 616 616 616 616 616 616 616 Pennsylvania 822 822 822 822 822 822 822 822 822 822 822 822 822 Rhode Island 1,258 1,258 1,258 1,258 1,258 1,258 1,258 1,258 1,258 1,258 1,258 1,258 1,258 South Carolina 1,174 1,174 1,174 1,174 704 704 704 704 704 704 704 704 704 South Dakota 694 694 694 694 694 694 694 694 694 694 694 694 694 Tennessee 1,020 1,020 1,020 1,020 1,020 1,020 1,020 1,020 1,020 1,020 1,020 1,020 1,020 Texas 1,727 1,727 1,727 1,727 327 327 327 327 327 327 327 327 327 Utah 1,050 1,050 1,050 1,050 1,050 1,050 1,050 1,050 1,050 1,050 1,050 1,050 1,050 Vermont 1,082 1,082 1,082 1,082 1,082 1,082 1,082 1,082 1,082 1,082 1,082 1,082 1,082 Virginia 1,252 1,252 1,252 1,252 1,252 1,252 1,252 1,252 1,252 1,252 1,252 1,252 1,252 Washington 1,072 1,072 1,072 1,072 1,072 1,072 1,072 1,072 1,072 1,072 1,072 1,072 1,072 West Virginia 755 755 755 755 755 755 755 755 755 755 755 755 755 Wisconsin 1,462 1,462 1,462 1,462 1,462 1,462 1,462 1,462 1,462 1,462 1,462 1,462 1,462 Wyoming 530 530 530 530 530 530 530 530 530 530 530 530 530 Source: Congressional Research Service (CRS) based on a survey of state TANF cash assistance programs. CRS-32 Appendix C. State Benefit Computation Methods The formula for computing benefits varies among the states. This appendix provides a description of benefit computation formulas. Most states pay reduced benefits to families with nonwelfare income. Generally, countable income is subtracted from a dollar standard (called the "payment standard") to determine benefits. The most common benefit computation formula subtracts countable income from a payment standard, and the benefit amount is the difference between the payment standard and income. However, some states have maximum benefit payments that constrain benefit payment; others pay a percentage of the difference between the state's payment standard and countable income. Table C1 provides a typology of computation methods used by states in their TANF cash assistance programs. CRS-33 Table C1. Benefit Computation Methods Used by States for TANF Cash Assistance, January 2004 Benefit = Benefit = the Benefit = Benefit = the Other benefit payment lesser of the payment lesser of the computation standard - payment standard - payment methods countable standard - countable standard - income countable income * countable income or the ratable income * maximum reduction ratable benefit reduction or the maximum benefit Alabama Georgia North Carolina Alaska Arkansas Arizona Maine South Carolina Delaware Connecticut California Minnesota Colorado Virginia District of Nebraska Kentucky Columbia North Dakota Mississippi Florida Tennessee Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Louisiana Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Missouri Montana Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Dakota Texas Utah Vermont Washington West Virginia Wyoming Source: Congressional Research Service (CRS) based on a survey of state TANF cash assistance programs. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ For other versions of this document, see http://wikileaks.org/wiki/CRS-RL32598