Sanction Policies and Practices -- An Update

Background

Under the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program, states are required to sanction (penalize) individuals who do not participate in required work activities. States have a great deal of flexibility regarding the structure and administration of sanctions; sanction policies range from short-term partial benefit reduction to full-benefit termination for the entire family. States also have flexibility in establishing criteria for exemptions from program requirements and potential sanctions. A number of states have established procedures that enable clients to come into compliance with work requirements prior to the imposition of a sanction or soon after a sanction has been imposed. These exemption, assessment, and conciliation policies and procedures are becoming critical tools for states in their efforts to assist hard-to-serve clients to overcome barriers to self-sufficiency. For more information about state sanction policies, see the WIN publication, The Use of Sanctions Under TANF at http://www.welfareinfo.org/sanctionissue_notes.htm.

At the same time that states are beginning to reorient their sanctioning policies and practices to address the particular needs and challenges of hard-to-serve recipients, policymakers, agency staff, researchers and advocates increasingly are examining findings from welfare outcomes studies to determine the longer-term impact of sanctions on welfare "leavers." This Resources for Welfare Decisions provides updated information about recent state choices regarding their sanction policies and practices and the impact that those policies may be having on long-term family well-being. Additional information on sanctions is available at http://www.welfareinfo.org/sanction.htm.

Resource Contacts

· Abt Associates, Inc., David Fein, 617/492-7100 at http://www.abtassoc.com/html/index.html.

· Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, Liz Schott, 202/408-1080 at http://www.cbpp.org.

· Mathematica Policy Research, Inc., LaDonna Pavetti, 202/484-4697 at http://www.mathematica-mpr.com.

· National Conference of State Legislatures, Jack Tweedie, 303/830-2200 at http://www.ncsl.org.

· U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Family Assistance at http://www.acf.dhhs.gov/programs/ofa/.

· U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General, Steven Zerebecki, 415/437-7909 at http://www.dhhs.gov.

· Welfare Law Center, 212/633-6967 at http://www.welfarelaw.org/.

Publications and Electronic Resources

Bloom, Dan and LaDonna Pavetti, Sanctions and Time Limits: State Policies, Their Implementation, and Outcomes for Families in The New World of Welfare, by Rebecca Blank and Ron Haskins (Washington, DC: Brookings Institution, 2001) at http://www.brook.edu/press/books/new_world_of_welfare.htm.

Fein, David and Wang S. Lee, The ABC Evaluation--Carrying and Using the Stick: Financial Sanctions in Delaware's A Better Chance Program. (Cambridge, MA: Abt Associates, Inc., May 1999) at http://www.abtassoc.com/reports/welfare-download/sanfin3.pdf.

Goldberg, Heidi and Liz Schott, A Compliance-Oriented Approach to Sanctions in State and County TANF Programs. (Washington, DC: Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, March 28, 2001) at http://www.cbpp.org/3-28-01tanf.pdf.

Kauff, Jacqueline, et al., Iowa Families That Left TANF: Why Did They Leave and How Are They Faring? (Princeton, NJ: Mathematica Policy Research, Inc., February 2001) at http://www.mathematica-mpr.com/PDFs/iowaleave.pdf.

Research Forum on Children, Families and the New Federalism, Sanctions -- Key Topics. (New York, NY, 2001) at http://www.researchforum.org.

State Policy Documentation Project, Sanctions for Noncompliance with Work Activities. (Washington, DC: Center on Budget and Policy Priorities and Center for Law and Social Policy, June 6, 2001) at http://www.spdp.org/tanf/sanctions.htm.

Tweedie, Jack, Sanctions and Exits: What do States Know About Families Who Leave Welfare Because of Sanctions and Time Limits? (Evanston, IL: Joint Center for Policy Research, 2000) at http://www.jcpr.org/wpfiles/tweedie_WP.pdf.

Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, “Leavers” and Diversion Studies: Reports on Leavers and Diversion--Web Site at http://aspe.hhs.gov/hsp/leavers99/reports.htm.

Office of Inspector General, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families. Improving the Effectiveness and Efficiency of Client Sanctions. (July 1999) at http://www.dhhs.gov/progorg/oei/reports/a388.pdf.

U.S. General Accounting Office, Welfare Reform: State Sanction Policies and Number of Families Affected. (Washington, DC, March 31, 2000) at http://www.gao.gov/new.items/he00044.pdf.

Cuyuhoga County, Ohio. Utilizing home visits and phone calls, the county's post-sanction Safety Net program connects sanctioned families with a range of non-profit and government services to assist them in re-engaging in work activities. Families also are linked with agencies providing short-term emergency support, including housing, utilities, counseling, food pantries, and child care services. The program is jointly administered by the county and two private social service agencies and is supported by TANF funds. For more information, contact David Dombrosky at 216/987-8227.

Maine. Recently-enacted legislation mandates procedures aimed at reducing unfair sanctions. The new law requires the welfare agency to take several steps prior to imposing a sanction, including: thorough client assessments; adequate and complete notices; an appeals process; and supervisory approval for all sanction determinations. In addition, the state is required to track the number of recommended and approved sanctions on a monthly basis. For more information, contact Rebekah Smith at 207/7058, ext. 207 or rsmith@mejp.org.

New Mexico. The state's Incapacity Review Unit (IRU) reviews all medical reports on applicants with disability or health-related barriers to program participation. The IRU determines individual eligibility for waivers from work requirements, as well as any special needs or considerations resulting from physical limitations that would enable program participation. A Modified Work Participation Agreement and Individual Responsibility Plan are developed for individuals with limited capacity to work, which identify required services or programs to support compliance and avoid sanctions. For more information, contact the Income Support Division at 505/827-7250.

New York. The state's Safety Net Assistance (SNA) program provides cash assistance to families of individuals who have been sanctioned and are refusing drug/alcohol screening, assessment or treatment. Families that reach a two-year lifetime limit on cash assistance may receive non-cash support, such as a two-party check or a voucher. The federal sixty-month lifetime limit on TANF assistance is extended to include any months in which state-funded SNA cash assistance was received. For more information, contact the Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance at nyspio@dfa.state.ny.us.

Pennsylvania. The state's Community Connections Initiative supports private and public agencies in 20 counties that are providing intensive community-based services to cash assistance recipients who face sanctions. Participating agencies connect clients with appropriate employment, training or educational activities that can assist them to overcome barriers to self-sufficiency. Program objectives include improved client understanding of the ramifications of TANF time limits and sanctions, client participation in approved employment and training activities, and identification and assessment of the needs of clients with limited English proficiency, migrant workers, and other isolated populations. For more information, contact Susan Aspey at 717/787-4592.

The Welfare Information Network is supported by grants from the Annie E. Casey Foundation, the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, the Edna McConnell Clark Foundation, the Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and the U.S. Department of Labor.