HARRISBURG – As low-income Pennsylvania families continue moving from welfare to work, the number of those receiving Temporary Assistance for Needy Families is lower than anytime since 1961, Secretary of Public Welfare Estelle B. Richman announced today.
The decline in the number of families receiving TANF has saved Pennsylvania taxpayers nearly $82 million since October 2005.
“Our county assistance office staff and employment and training partners have been working tirelessly with families to provide the support they need to help them move from the welfare rolls into permanent employment,” Secretary Richman said. “As a result, fewer families are relying on TANF and more hard-working parents are achieving independence every day.”
At the same time, Pennsylvania’s work participation rate continues to exceed the federal requirement of 50 percent. July’s work participation rate of 51.6 percent – the percentage of adults receiving TANF who are working or enrolled in qualifying employment and training programs – marks the fourth consecutive month that Pennsylvania has exceeded the federal benchmark and is down slightly from the highest rate seen in Pennsylvania since the federal TANF program was enacted over a decade ago.
More than 50,000 fewer families are relying on TANF today than in October 2005, Richman said. Of the 217,562 individuals currently receiving TANF, approximately 70 percent are children and almost 14,000 are adults with disabilities.
As Pennsylvania’s economy continues to show signs of strength along with expanded employment opportunities, the Department of Welfare has redesigned its systems to better help recipients develop the skills they need to move their families from welfare to work and independence. Changes started in 2003 have begun to help the department better perform assessments that match clients with jobs, emphasize career-building and long-term employment and invest in needed supports such as child care.
Pennsylvania’s TANF program provides short-term assistance to families when the support of one or both parents is interrupted, or provides supplemental support when family income from employment and other sources does not meet basic needs. Adults undergo skills and employment assessments and are required to engage in activities that enhance self-sufficiency and ensure the well-being of their children.
For more information on TANF, visit here.