Thirty Years of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families: What Changed, What Didn’t, and What It Means for Today’s Work Requirement Debates
By Elizabeth Lower-Basch
CLASP’s new working paper examines 30 years of TANF and finds that the program now reaches far fewer families while providing substantially less cash assistance. It finds limited evidence that TANF’s work requirements produced lasting employment or earnings gains and argues that declining caseloads should not be treated as a measure of success. The paper cautions against applying TANF-style work requirements and administrative barriers to programs like SNAP and Medicaid.