FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Tuesday, May 21, 2002
Contact: ACF Press Office (202) 401-9215

NO INCREASE IN NATIONAL WELFARE CASELOAD, HHS REPORTS

HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson today announced that the number of people receiving assistance under the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program declined slightly between October 2001 and December 2001, the latest reporting period in which individual state figures are available.

The latest statistics from HHS' Administration for Children and Families (ACF) show that during that time, the number of recipients of TANF benefits declined by 1 percent from 5,336,717 to 5,284,711. The number of families receiving TANF cash assistance at the end of December 2001 was 2,098,930, compared with the 2,098,432 families who received assistance at the beginning of October 2001.

"Despite the soft economy and the tragic events of Sept. 11, the national welfare caseload did not increase. This is a testimony to the resilience of the TANF program and of TANF recipients themselves," Secretary Thompson said. "Our reformed welfare system rose to the challenge. It continued to help recipients move toward work, and it continued to provide aid when needed. We need to stay the course and reauthorize TANF to do even better in helping needy Americans get training, education and employment."

Since the welfare reform law creating the TANF program was enacted on Aug. 22, 1996, the number of welfare recipients has declined by nearly 57 percent. There are nearly 7 million fewer people receiving welfare assistance since the passage of the law, which must be reauthorized this year.

"State and local leaders have done a tremendous job under welfare reform," said Secretary Thompson. "The progress we make in the next phase of welfare reform will also depend on them, and it is crucial that we pay close attention to their needs."

While the national number of TANF recipients declined slightly between October 2001 and December 2001, trends at the state level varied. Thirty-seven states saw some growth in caseloads, however this was more than offset by declines in other states.

"Although some states saw some growth in welfare caseloads, the changes were modest," said Assistant Secretary for Children and Families Wade Horn, Ph.D., whose agency is responsible for the oversight of the TANF program. "These numbers reflect continuing progress in moving families off welfare and into the workplace where they can attain and maintain self-sufficiency. They also show that the partnership between the states and the federal government has been a significant factor in the program's ability to meet the needs of the children and families the law was designed to assist."

The full report is at http://www.acf.dhhs.gov/news/stats/tanf.htm.

President Bush's proposal to reauthorize TANF takes the next step in welfare reform by strengthening work requirements, providing the assistance families need to climb the career ladder and granting states more flexibility to run successful programs. Information on the administration's proposal is available on the Internet at: http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2002/02/20020226.html.

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Note: All HHS press releases, fact sheets and other press materials are available at http://www.hhs.gov/news.