Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Lifetime Time Limits for Parents by State, 2018

February 10, 2020 - By Sara Kimberlin - The California Budget & Policy Center reports nearly 3 in 4 states have welfare-to-work parent lifetime time limits that are more generous than California’s.

• California allows parents less time receiving welfare-to-work cash support than 37 states and D.C. In most states, parents’ lifetime time limit is 60 months, the maximum allowed for federally-funded TANF support. But California restricts parents in CalWORKs, the state’s TANF program, to only 48 months – a full year less.

• California’s restrictive CalWORKs lifetime limit was adopted in 2011 to address a state budget shortfall in the wake of the Great Recession. State revenues have improved, but the previous 60-month lifetime limit has not been restored.

• California also imposes confusing CalWORKs “time clock” requirements, which limit parents to only 24 months to focus on addressing serious work barriers or completing education.

• Allowing parents a more realistic time period to address barriers and improve skills, and restoring the 60-month lifetime limit, would help more families achieve stability.
Source: CALIFORNIA BUDGET & POLICY CENTER
Funding for this Data Hit was provided by First 5 California.
calbudgetcenter.org