News Releases
Office of Governor Gary Locke
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - November 6, 2001
Contact:  Governor's Communications Office, 360-902-4136
Alt Contact:  Ken Miller, 360-902-0580

Locke announces limited extension of TANF benefits

OLYMPIA – In an effort to maintain a safety net for children with parents who receive public assistance, Gov. Gary Locke today announced the extension of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) benefits with strengthened accountability standards for families participating in the state’s WorkFirst program.

The extension and new accountability standards will apply to approximately 3,200 families (6 percent of the state’s total workload) who participate in the state’s program and who could reach the TANF 60-month time limit on August 1, 2002.

“With rising unemployment in the state, this is not the time to pull the rug out from under families who are making an effort to succeed,” Locke said. “We can and should continue to provide a safety net, to offer hope and opportunity to families struggling to support themselves, and at the same time, to raise the bar on our expectations and make consequences swift and meaningful for parents who refuse to put in the effort.”

“Even though some parents refuse to cooperate with WorkFirst requirements, their children should not suffer because of it” Locke said. Locke’s policy protects the children while holding the parents accountable for their choices. Along with the time limits policy, the governor is also reinforcing the fact that tough consequences await any WorkFirst client who refuses to participate in the program’s work requirements.

WorkFirst is Washington state's welfare-to-work strategy. It is based on the belief that everyone has abilities needed in today's workforce, and those who can work should. Washington initiated the WorkFirst program in August 1997 to help low-income families become self-sufficient by providing training and support services necessary for parents to get a job, keep a job and move up a career ladder.

When creating WorkFirst, Washington chose to limit federally-funded cash benefits to 60 months in a lifetime, the maximum allowed by federal law. Federal law allows states to extend TANF benefits beyond the time limit to 20 percent of their caseload. Criteria for these so-called “hardship extensions” are left up to the states. Washington’s 20 percent limit is estimated to be about 11,000 cases.

“WorkFirst has succeeded in helping people move from welfare to work beyond what anyone anticipated,” the governor said. “We have reduced the caseload by 45 percent since 1997 and helped more than 114,000 parents get off welfare. We have earned national awards for our Community Jobs programs and our innovative efforts to help working families move up the career ladder. And, for the first time, we are breaking the cycle of welfare dependency as fewer and fewer women on welfare choose to have more children.”

In announcing the extension, the governor outlined new policies and accountability standards for three distinct categories of WorkFirst families about to reach the 60-month time limit.

1. Those who cannot and should not be expected to work
This includes people with physical or mental disabilities so chronic and severe that they cannot reasonably go to work. Also in this group are primary caregivers of a disabled child or relative, and older adults (55 years and older) caring for related children, such as grandmothers raising their grandchildren.

This category of about 550 long-term TANF recipients will be exempt from the 60-month time limit, as long as they have minor children in their home. They will not be required to participate in work or job search activities, but may do so voluntarily.

2. Those playing by the rules
Of all long-term TANF recipients more than three-quarters (about 2,500 families) are working, looking for work or preparing for work. Despite extensive help and support, some families have not been able to move off public assistance quickly enough.

Parents receiving TANF who are fully participating in the WorkFirst requirements will receive extensions on their benefits when they reach the five-year limit. The extensions will be temporary and each case will be reviewed periodically by WorkFirst staff to determine their status.

3. Those who refuse to participate
A small number of TANF recipients have refused to look for or prepare for work, as WorkFirst requires. As a result, they have been placed in sanction and their grant amount progressively reduced. Currently, about 120 families who are at risk of reaching a time limit next summer are also in long-term sanction.

Under Locke’s time limits policy, parents in this category will lose their TANF grant when they reach the 60-month limit. However, a state-contracted third party will manage new Child-SafetyNet Payments to assure that the children in these households continue to have their basic needs met. The payment will be 60 percent of the family’s TANF grant amount and protective payees will use that money to pay for rent, utilities and other items necessary to support the children.

The first sanction lasts for a minimum of three months, however, the parent can earn back the rest of their grant at 10 percent per week for each week they fully participate. A second incident of nonparticipation will result in a sanction lasting at least six months.

Washington WorkFirst is jointly administered by four state agencies: Department of Social and Health Services; Employment Security Department; State Board for Community and Technical Colleges; and Office of Trade and Economic Development.

Parents enrolled in WorkFirst are required to be actively engaged in activities leading to employment for between 32 and 40 hours each week. These activities may include work, job search, basic skills training, a non-paid position or Community Job, treatment or counseling, or addressing an emergency situation such as homelessness or domestic violence.
Related Links:
- Washington State Department of Social and Health Services
- Washington State Office of Trade and Economic Development
- Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges
- Washington WorkFirst
- Washington State Employment Security Department


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