# The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Block Grant: Responses to Frequently Asked Questions

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URL: https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/documents/crs%3ARL32760

## Record

- **Collection:** Congressional research report
- **Document type:** CRS Report
- **Published:** November 5, 2024
- **Citation:** RL32760

## Text

The Temporary Assistance for
Needy Families (TANF) Block Grant:
Responses to Frequently Asked Questions
Updated November 5, 2024

Congressional Research Service
https://crsreports.congress.gov
RL32760

SUMMARY

The Temporary Assistance for
Needy Families (TANF) Block Grant:
Responses to Frequently Asked Questions
The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) block grant funds a wide range of
benefits and services for low-income families with children. TANF was created in the Personal
Responsibility and Work Opportunity Act of 1996 (P.L. 104-193). This report responds to some
frequently asked questions about TANF; it does not describe TANF rules (see, instead, CRS
Report RL32748, The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Block Grant: A Primer
on TANF Financing and Federal Requirements, by Gene Falk).

RL32760
November 5, 2024
Gene Falk
Specialist in Social Policy
Patrick A. Landers
Analyst in Social Policy

TANF Funding and Expenditures
TANF provides fixed funding for the 50 states, the District of Columbia, territories (Puerto Rico, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin
Islands), and American Indian tribes. The basic block grant totals $16.5 billion per year. States are also required to contribute,
from their own funds, under a maintenance-of-effort (MOE) requirement. Both the basic block grant and the required MOE
spending are based on expenditures in pre-TANF programs in the early- to mid-1990s.
The basic block grant and required spending under the MOE are not adjusted for changes in circumstances (e.g., inflation,
population) over time. Adjusted for inflation, in FY2023, the TANF basic block grant was 47% below what its value was in
FY1997. The MOE requirements have also not been adjusted for inflation.
Though TANF is best known for funding basic assistance payments for needy families with children, the block grant and
MOE funds are used for a wide variety of benefits and activities. In FY2022, states used a total of $31.3 billion in federal
TANF and state MOE dollars. Of that FY2022 total, expenditures on basic assistance were $7.2 billion—23.0% of total
federal TANF and MOE dollars. Basic assistance is often—but not exclusively—paid as cash on a monthly basis. The
remainder of TANF and MOE funds were spent on a wide range of benefits, services, and activities: child care, employment
services (for both assistance recipients and others), state refundable tax credits for low-income families, pre-kindergarten and
Head Start programs, and services for children who have been, or are at risk of being, abused and neglected.

The TANF Assistance Caseload
A total of 1.0 million families, composed of 2.8 million recipients, received TANF- or MOE-funded assistance in September
2023. The bulk of the recipients were children—1.9 million in that month.

Assistance Benefits
TANF assistance benefit amounts are set by states. In July 2022, the maximum monthly benefit for a family of two (single
parent and one child) ranged from $915 in New Hampshire to $162 in Arkansas. Only New Hampshire (at 60% of the federal
poverty level) had a maximum TANF assistance amount for this sized family in excess of 50% of the Department of Health
and Human Services (HHS) poverty guidelines.

Work Requirements
TANF’s main federal work requirement is a performance measure that applies to the states. States determine the work rules
that apply to individual recipients. TANF law requires states to engage 50% of all families and 90% of two-parent families
with work-eligible individuals in work activities, though these standards can be reduced by “credits.” Therefore, the effective
standards states face are often less than the 50% or 90% targets, and vary by state. In FY2022, states achieved, on average, an
all-family participation rate of 35.6% and a two-parent rate of 44.0%.
In FY2022, all jurisdictions except Oregon met their all-family participation standard. California, Florida, Guam, Hawaii,
Nevada, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, and Wyoming did not meet their two-parent participation standard.
Jurisdictions that did not meet their standards are at risk of being penalized through a reduction in their block grants, though
they may either enter into a corrective compliance plan or claim good cause to avoid the penalty.

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The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Block Grant: FAQs

Contents
Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 1
Funding and Expenditures ............................................................................................................... 1
What is TANF’s funding status? ............................................................................................... 1
How are state TANF programs funded? .................................................................................... 1
How much has the value of the TANF basic block grant changed over time?.......................... 1
How have states used TANF funds?.......................................................................................... 3
How much of the TANF grant has gone unspent? .................................................................... 3
The Caseload ................................................................................................................................... 4
How many families receive TANF- or MOE-funded benefits and services? ............................ 4
How many families and individuals currently receive TANF- or MOE-funded
assistance? .............................................................................................................................. 4
How does the current assistance caseload level compare with historical levels? ..................... 5
TANF Cash Benefits: How Much Does a Family Receive in TANF Cash Per Month?.................. 6
TANF Work Participation Standards ............................................................................................... 7
What is the TANF work participation standard states must meet?............................................ 7
What work participation rates have the states achieved? .......................................................... 8

Figures
Figure 1. Uses of TANF and MOE Funds by Spending Category, FY2022 .................................... 3
Figure 2. Number of Families Receiving Assistance, July 1959 to September 2023 ...................... 6
Figure 3. TANF Cash Assistance Benefits for a Single Mother with One Child, by
Jurisdiction, July 2022.................................................................................................................. 7
Figure 4. National Average TANF Work Participation Rate for All Families,
FY2002-FY2022 .......................................................................................................................... 9

Tables
Table 1. TANF Basic Block Grant Funding in Nominal and Constant Dollars ............................... 2
Table 2. Families and Recipients of TANF- and MOE-Funded Assistance,
September 2023 ............................................................................................................................ 4
Table A-1. Trends in the Cash Assistance Caseload: 1961-2022................................................... 10
Table B-1. Uses of FY2022 TANF and State MOE Funds by Spending Category ....................... 13
Table B-2. Uses of FY2022 TANF and State MOE Funds by Spending Category as a
Percent of Total Federal TANF and State MOE Spending ......................................................... 16
Table B-3. Unspent TANF Funds at the End of FY2022............................................................... 19
Table B-4. Number of Families, Recipients, Adults, and Children Receiving TANF
Assistance by Jurisdiction, September 2023 .............................................................................. 20
Table B-5. Number of Needy Families with Children Receiving Assistance by
Jurisdiction, September of Selected Years.................................................................................. 22

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Table B-6. TANF Cash Assistance Maximum Monthly Benefit Amounts for a SingleParent Family with One Child, By Jurisdiction, July 2022 ........................................................ 24
Table B-7. TANF Work Participation Standard and Rate, By Jurisdiction for All Families:
FY2022 ....................................................................................................................................... 26
Table B-8. TANF Work Participation Standard and Rate, By Jurisdiction, for Two-Parent
Families: FY2022 ....................................................................................................................... 28

Appendixes
Appendix A. Supplementary Tables .............................................................................................. 10
Appendix B. State Tables .............................................................................................................. 13

Contacts
Author Information........................................................................................................................ 29

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The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Block Grant: FAQs

Introduction
This report provides responses to frequently asked questions about the Temporary Assistance for
Needy Families (TANF) block grant. It is intended to serve as a quick reference to provide easy
access to information and data. Appendix A provides additional data on families receiving TANF
assistance over time. Appendix B presents a series of tables with state-level data on TANF
expenditures and families receiving assistance.
This report does not provide information on TANF program rules (for a discussion of TANF
rules, see CRS Report RL32748, The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Block
Grant: A Primer on TANF Financing and Federal Requirements, by Gene Falk).

Funding and Expenditures
What is TANF’s funding status?
P.L. 118-83, the Continuing Appropriations and Extension Act, 2025, extended TANF funding
through December 20, 2024.

How are state TANF programs funded?
TANF programs are funded through a combination of federal and state funds. TANF has two
federal grants to states. The bulk of the TANF funding is in a basic block grant to the states,
totaling $16.5 billion for the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, the Virgin
Islands, and American Indian tribes.1 There is also a contingency fund available that provides
extra federal funds to states that meet certain conditions.
Additionally, states are required to expend a minimum amount of their own funds for TANF and
TANF-related activities under what is known as the maintenance of effort (MOE) requirement.
States are required to spend a minimum of at least 80% of what they spent in FY1994 on TANF’s
predecessor programs. The MOE spending requirement is reduced in states that met their work
participation standards to 75% of what a state spent in FY1994.

How much has the value of the TANF basic block grant changed
over time?
TANF was created by the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of
1996 (PRWORA, P.L. 104-193). A TANF basic block grant amount—for both the nation and for
each state—was established in the 1996 law. That amount for the 50 states, District of Columbia,
territories, and tribes was $16.6 billion in total. From FY1997 through FY2016, that amount
remained the same. The basic block grant was not adjusted for changes that occur over time, such
as inflation, the size of the TANF assistance caseload, or changes in the poverty population.
During this period, the real (inflation-adjusted) value of the block grant declined by one-third
(33.1%). Beginning with FY2017, the state family assistance grant was reduced by 0.33% from
its historical levels to finance TANF-related research and technical assistance. The reduced block
grant amount is $16.5 billion.

1 American Samoa and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands do not operate TANF programs. The

former is eligible but does not operate programs; the latter is ineligible for TANF funds.

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Table 1 shows the state family assistance grant, in both nominal (actual) and constant 1997
(inflation-adjusted) dollars for each year, FY1997 through FY2023. In inflation-adjusted terms,
the FY2023 block grant was 47% below its value in FY1997.
Table 1. TANF Basic Block Grant Funding in Nominal and Constant Dollars
(dollars in billions)

Fiscal Year

State Family
Assistance Grant:
50 States, DC,
Tribes, and
Territories

State Family
Assistance
Grant
Constant
1997 Dollars

Cumulative
Percentage Change
Since FY1997,
Constant 1997
Dollars

1997

$16.567

$16.567

—

1998

16.567

16.306

-1.6%

1999

16.567

15.991

-3.5

2000

16.567

15.498

-6.5

2001

16.567

15.020

-9.3

2002

16.567

14.792

-10.7

2003

16.567

14.456

-12.7

2004

16.567

14.124

-14.7

2005

16.567

13.680

-17.4

2006

16.567

13.190

-20.4

2007

16.567

12.893

-22.2

2008

16.567

12.345

-25.5

2009

16.567

12.382

-25.3

2010

16.567

12.182

-26.5

2011

16.567

11.859

-28.4

2012

16.567

11.585

-30.1

2013

16.567

11.394

-31.2

2014

16.567

11.217

-32.3

2015

16.567

11.179

-32.5

2016

16.567

11.082

-33.1

2017

16.512

10.820

-34.7

2018

16.512

10.564

-36.2

2019

16.512

10.372

-37.4

2020

16.512

10.224

-38.3

2021

16.512

9.893

-40.3

2022

16.512

9.168

-44.7

2023

16.512

8.727

-47.3

Source: Congressional Research Service (CRS), based on data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services (HHS), Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Office of Family Assistance; and the U.S.
Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
Note: Constant dollars were computed using the Consumer Price Index for all Urban Consumers (CPI-U).

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How have states used TANF funds?
In FY2022, states used a total of $31.3 billion in combined federal TANF and state MOE dollars
(this total includes dollars transferred to other block grant programs, but excludes expenditures in
tribal TANF programs or those operated in the territories). Basic assistance—ongoing benefits to
families to meet basic needs—represented 23.0% ($7.2 billion) of total FY2022 TANF and MOE
dollars.
Figure 1 categorizes TANF benefits and services and shows the national total spending for them.
Spending on child care—both directly and through transfers to the Child Care and Development
Fund (CCDF)—ranked second in spending among the categories, totaling $4.9 billion in FY2022,
15% of all TANF and MOE dollars for that year. Pre-K and early childhood services ranked third
at $3.2 billion. This was followed, in order, by state refundable tax credits to families with
children; work, education, and training; administrative expenditures; and emergency and shortterm benefits. The “Other Services” shown in the figure represents a range of additional services
(including programs promoting responsible fatherhood and healthy marriage and financial
literacy).
There is variation among the states in how they use TANF and MOE dollars. For state-specific
information on the use of TANF funds, see Table B-1 and Table B-2.
Figure 1. Uses of TANF and MOE Funds by Spending Category, FY2022
(dollars in billions)

Source: Congressional Research Service (CRS), based on data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services (HHS), Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Office of Family Assistance.
Notes: Excludes TANF funds used in the territories and in tribal TANF programs. Excludes spending from the
Pandemic Emergency Assistance fund, which is reported separately.

How much of the TANF grant has gone unspent?
TANF law permits states to “reserve” unused funds without time limit. This permits flexibility in
timing of the use of TANF funds, including the ability to “save” funds for unexpected
occurrences that might increase costs (such as recessions or natural disasters).
At the end of FY2022 (September 30, 2022), a total of $9.0 billion of federal TANF funding
remained neither transferred nor spent. However, some of these unspent funds represent monies

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that states had already committed to spend later. Of this amount, states had made such
commitments to spend (i.e., had obligated) a total of approximately $2.5 billion. At the end of
FY2022, states had approximately $6.5 billion of unobligated balances. These funds are available
to states to make new spending commitments. Table B-3 shows unspent TANF funds by state.

The Caseload
How many families receive TANF- or MOE-funded benefits
and services?
This number is not known. Federal TANF reporting requirements focus on families receiving
only ongoing assistance. There is no complete reporting on families receiving other TANF
benefits and services.
Assistance is defined as benefits provided to families to meet ongoing, basic needs.2 It is most
often paid in cash. However, some states use TANF or MOE funds to provide an “earnings
supplement” to working parents added to monthly Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program
(SNAP) allotments. These earnings supplements are paid separately from the regular TANF cash
assistance program. Additionally, TANF MOE dollars are used to fund food assistance for
immigrants barred from regular SNAP benefits in certain states. These forms of nutrition aid meet
an ongoing need, and thus are considered TANF assistance.
As discussed in a previous section of this report, TANF basic assistance accounts for about 21%
of all TANF expenditures. Therefore, the federal reporting requirements that pertain to families
receiving assistance are likely to undercount the number of families receiving any TANF-funded
benefit or service.

How many families and individuals currently receive TANF- or
MOE-funded assistance?
Table 2 provides assistance caseload information. A total of approximately 1.0 million families,
composed of 2.8 million individual recipients, received TANF- or MOE-funded assistance in
September 2023. The bulk of the recipients were children—1.9 million in that month. For stateby-state assistance caseloads, see Table B-4.
Table 2. Families and Recipients of TANF- and MOE-Funded Assistance,
September 2023
Category

Number

Total Families

986,792

Total Recipients

2,751,447

Total Adults

819,232

Total Children

1,932,215

Source: Congressional Research Service (CRS), based on data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services (HHS). Data as of February 21, 2024, and subject to revision.
2 The definition of TANF assistance is not in statute. However, because the statutory language has most TANF

requirements triggered by a family receiving assistance, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
regulations define assistance at 45 C.F.R. §260.31.

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How does the current assistance caseload level compare with
historical levels?
Figure 2 provides a long-term historical perspective on the number of families receiving
assistance from TANF or its predecessor program, from July 1959 to September 2023. The
shaded areas of the figure represent months when the national economy was in recession. Though
the health of the national economy has affected the trend in the cash assistance caseload, the longterm trend in receipt of cash assistance does not follow a classic countercyclical pattern. Such a
pattern would have the caseload rise during economic slumps, and then fall again during periods
of economic growth. Factors other than the health of the economy (demographic trends, policy
changes) also have influenced the caseload trend.
The figure shows two periods of sustained caseload increases: the period from the mid-1960s to
the mid-1970s and a second period from 1988 to 1994. The number of families receiving
assistance peaked in March 1994 at 5.1 million families. The assistance caseload fell rapidly in
the late 1990s, after PRWORA, before leveling off in 2001. In 2004, the caseload began another
decline, albeit at a slower pace than in the late 1990s. During the 2007-2009 recession and its
aftermath, the caseload began to rise from 1.7 million families in August 2008, peaking in
December 2010 at close to 2.0 million families, the number of families receiving assistance
declined by almost half (to a little over 1 million families) during the long economic expansion of
2010 through 2019.
During 2020, a year when the economy was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a
brief uptick in the number of families receiving assistance. That response to the pandemic was
short-lived.3 After a brief uptick in the number of families receiving assistance in 2022, by the
end of FY2023 (September 2023) the number of families receiving assistance had declined to 1.0
million.
Table B-5 shows recent trends in the number of cash assistance families by state.

3 In 2020 and 2021, Congress enacted expansions to other programs—in particular, unemployment insurance—that

might have lessened the need for need-tested cash from TANF. See CRS Report R46687, Unemployment Insurance
(UI) Benefits: Permanent-Law Programs and the COVID-19 Pandemic Response. For estimates of the impact of the
poverty interventions in response to the economic downturn associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, see Laura
Wheaton, Linda Giannarelli, and Ilham Dehry, 2021 Poverty Projections: Assessing the Impact of Benefits and
Stimulus Measures, Urban Institute, July 2021.

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Figure 2. Number of Families Receiving Assistance, July 1959 to September 2023

Source: Congressional Research Service (CRS), with data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services (HHS).
Notes: Shaded areas indicate periods of economic recession. Since FY2000, data include families receiving
assistance in separate state programs, funded with state dollars and accounted for separately but with spending
counted toward the TANF maintenance of effort (MOE) requirement.

TANF Cash Benefits: How Much Does a Family
Receive in TANF Cash Per Month?
There are no federal rules that help determine the amount of TANF cash benefits paid to a family.
(There are also no federal rules that require states to use TANF to pay cash benefits, though all
states do so.) Benefit amounts are determined solely by the states.
Most states base TANF cash benefit amounts on family size, paying larger cash benefits to larger
families on the presumption that they have greater financial needs. The maximum monthly cash
benefit is usually paid to a family that receives no other income (e.g., no earned or unearned
income) and complies with program rules. Families with income other than TANF often are paid
a reduced benefit. Moreover, some families are financially sanctioned for not meeting a program
requirement (e.g., a work requirement), and are also paid a lower benefit.
Figure 3 displays the maximum monthly TANF cash benefit by state for a single parent caring for
one child (family of two) in July 2022.4 For a family of two, the maximum TANF benefit paid in
July 2022 varied from $915 per month in New Hampshire to $162 per month in Arkansas. The
map shows a regional pattern to the maximum monthly benefit paid, with lower benefit amounts
in general in the South compared to other regions. Only New Hampshire (at 60% of the federal
poverty guidelines) had a maximum TANF cash assistance amount for this sized family in excess
of 50% of the HHS poverty guidelines.
4 States are not required to report to the federal government their cash assistance benefit amounts in either the TANF

state plan (under Section 402 of the Social Security Act) or in annual program reports (under Section 411 of the Social
Security Act). The benefit amounts shown are from the Welfare Rules Database, maintained by the Urban Institute and
funded by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Some states vary their benefit amounts for other
family types such as two-parent families or child-only cases. States also vary their benefits by other factors such as
housing costs and substate geography.

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Figure 3. TANF Cash Assistance Benefits for a Single Mother with One Child, by
Jurisdiction, July 2022

Source: Congressional Research Service (CRS), based on data from the Welfare Rules Database, funded by the
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and maintained by the Urban Institute,

Table B-6 shows these benefit amounts by jurisdiction in dollars and as a percentage of the HHS
poverty guidelines.

TANF Work Participation Standards
TANF’s main federal work requirement is actually a performance measure that applies to the
states, rather than individual recipients. States determine the work rules that apply to individual
recipients.

What is the TANF work participation standard states must meet?
The TANF statute requires states to have 50% of their caseload meet standards of participation in
work or activities—that is, a family member must be in specified activities for a minimum
number of hours.5 There is a separate participation standard that applies to the two-parent portion
of a state’s caseload, requiring 90% of the state’s two-parent caseload to meet participation
standards.

5 Families without a work-eligible individual are excluded from the participation rate calculation. It excludes families

where the parent is a nonrecipient (for example, disabled receiving Supplemental Security Income or an ineligible
noncitizen) or the children in the family are being cared for by a nonparent relative (e.g., grandparent, aunt, uncle) who
does not receive assistance on his or her behalf.

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The statutory work participation standards are reduced by a “caseload reduction credit.” The
caseload reduction credit reduces the participation standard one percentage point for each
percentage point decline in a state’s caseload. Additionally, under a regulatory provision, a state
may get “extra” credit for caseload reduction if it spends more than required under the TANF
MOE. Therefore, the effective standards states face are often less than the 50% and 90% targets,
and vary by state and by year.
States that do not meet the TANF work participation standard are at risk of being penalized
through a reduction in their block grant. However, penalties can be forgiven if a state claims, and
the Secretary of HHS finds, that it had “reasonable cause” for not meeting the standard. Penalties
can also be forgiven for states that enter into “corrective compliance plans,” and subsequently
meet the work standard.

What work participation rates have the states achieved?
HHS computes two work participation rates for each state that are then compared with the
effective (after-credit) standard to determine if it has met the TANF work standard. An “allfamilies” work participation rate is computed and compared with the all-families effective
standard (50% minus the state’s caseload reduction credit). HHS also computes a two-parent
work participation rate that is compared with the two-parent effective standard (90% minus the
state’s caseload reduction credit).
Figure 4 shows the national average all-families work participation rate for FY2002 through
FY2022. For the period FY2002 through FY2011, states achieved an average all-families work
participation rate hovering around 30%. Subsequently, the work participation rate increased. In
FY2016, it exceeded 50% for the first time since TANF was established. However, the increase in
the work participation rate did not come from an increase in the number of recipients in regular
TANF assistance programs who were either working or in job preparation activities. This increase
stemmed mostly from states creating new “earnings supplement” programs that use TANF funds
to aid working parents in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly food
stamps) or who have left the regular TANF assistance programs for work.
The national average TANF work participation rate for all families declined from FY2018
through FY2021. In FY2021, a year affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and its economic
fallout, the national average all-families rate was 33.6%. In 2022, the national average allfamilies rate had increased to 35.6% In FY2022, all jurisdictions except Oregon met their allfamilies standard.

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Figure 4. National Average TANF Work Participation Rate for All Families,
FY2002-FY2022

Source: Congressional Research Service (CRS) based on data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services (HHS).

In FY2022, 9 jurisdictions (California, Florida, Guam, Hawaii, Nevada, North Carolina, Oregon,
Rhode Island, and Wyoming) did not meet the separate, higher two-parent standard. Table B-7
provides information for each jurisdiction on the TANF work standard, caseload reduction credit,
and work participation rate for all families for FY2022. Table B-8 provides that information for
two-parent families. The table shows that 26 jurisdictions did not have two-parent families
receiving assistance funded by TANF or MOE funds (denoted with an “NA” in the table).
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has the ability to reduce or waive the
penalty on states for failing to meet the TANF work participation standard. In response to the
COVID-19 pandemic, HHS, under the Trump Administration, said that it would exercise its
authority to provide states with relief from the penalty for not meeting participation standards “to
the maximum extent possible.”6 HHS has not revised this statement under the Biden
Administration.

6 U.S. Department of Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Office of Family Assistance,

Questions and answers about TANF and the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, TANF-ACF-Pi-202001, https://www.acf.hhs.gov/ofa/resource/tanf-acf-pi-2020-01.

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Appendix A. Supplementary Tables
Table A-1.Trends in the Cash Assistance Caseload: 1961-2022
TANF Child Recipients

Calendar
Year

As a
Percentage
of All
Children

As a
Percentage
of All Poor
Children

Families
(millions)

Recipients
(millions)

Adults
(millions)

Children
(millions)

1961

0.873

3.363

0.765

2.598

3.7%

14.3%

1962

0.939

3.704

0.860

2.844

4.0

15.7

1963

0.963

3.945

0.988

2.957

4.1

17.4

1964

1.010

4.195

1.050

3.145

4.3

18.6

1965

1.060

4.422

1.101

3.321

4.5

21.5

1966

1.096

4.546

1.112

3.434

4.7

26.5

1967

1.220

5.014

1.243

3.771

5.2

31.2

1968

1.410

5.702

1.429

4.274

5.9

37.8

1969

1.696

6.689

1.716

4.973

6.9

49.7

1970

2.207

8.462

2.250

6.212

8.6

57.7

1971

2.763

10.242

2.808

7.435

10.4

68.5

1972

3.048

10.944

3.039

7.905

11.1

74.9

1973

3.148

10.949

3.046

7.903

11.2

79.9

1974

3.219

10.847

3.041

7.805

11.2

75.0

1975

3.481

11.319

3.248

8.071

11.8

71.2

1976

3.565

11.284

3.302

7.982

11.8

76.2

1977

3.568

11.015

3.273

7.743

11.6

73.9

1978

3.517

10.551

3.188

7.363

11.2

72.8

1979

3.509

10.312

3.130

7.181

11.0

68.0

1980

3.712

10.774

3.355

7.419

11.5

63.2

1981

3.835

11.079

3.552

7.527

11.7

59.2

1982

3.542

10.358

3.455

6.903

10.8

49.6

1983

3.686

10.761

3.663

7.098

11.1

50.1

1984

3.714

10.831

3.687

7.144

11.2

52.3

1985

3.701

10.855

3.658

7.198

11.3

54.4

1986

3.763

11.038

3.704

7.334

11.5

56.0

1987

3.776

11.027

3.661

7.366

11.5

56.4

1988

3.749

10.915

3.586

7.329

11.4

57.8

1989

3.798

10.992

3.573

7.419

11.5

57.9

1990

4.057

11.695

3.784

7.911

12.1

57.9

1991

4.497

12.930

4.216

8.715

13.2

59.8

Congressional Research Service

10

The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Block Grant: FAQs

TANF Child Recipients

Calendar
Year

As a
Percentage
of All
Children

As a
Percentage
of All Poor
Children

Families
(millions)

Recipients
(millions)

Adults
(millions)

Children
(millions)

1992

4.829

13.773

4.470

9.303

13.9

59.9

1993

5.012

14.205

4.631

9.574

14.1

60.0

1994

5.033

14.161

4.593

9.568

13.9

61.7

1995

4.791

13.418

4.284

9.135

13.1

61.5

1996

4.434

12.321

3.928

8.600

12.3

58.7

1997

3.740

10.376

NA

NA

10.0

50.1

1998

3.050

8.347

NA

NA

8.1

42.9

1999

2.578

6.924

NA

NA

6.7

39.4

2000

2.303

6.143

1.655

4.479

6.1

38.1

2001

2.192

5.717

1.514

4.195

5.7

35.3

2002

2.187

5.609

1.479

4.119

5.6

33.6

2003

2.180

5.490

1.416

4.063

5.5

31.3

2004

2.153

5.342

1.362

3.969

5.4

30.2

2005

2.061

5.028

1.261

3.756

5.1

28.9

2006

1.906

4.582

1.120

3.453

4.6

26.7

2007

1.730

4.075

0.956

3.119

4.2

23.2

2008

1.701

4.005

0.946

3.059

4.1

21.6

2009

1.838

4.371

1.074

3.296

4.4

21.2

2010

1.919

4.598

1.163

3.435

4.6

20.9

2011

1.907

4.557

1.149

3.408

4.6

20.9

2012

1.852

4.402

1.104

3.298

4.4

20.3

2013

1.726

4.042

0.993

3.050

4.1

19.1

2014

1.650

3.957

1.007

2.950

4.0

18.9

2015

1.609

4.126

1.155

2.971

4.0

20.4

2016

1.479

3.780

1.037

2.743

3.7

20.7

2017

1.358

3.516

0.930

2.577

3.5

20.1

2018

1.196

3.150

0.833

2.317

3.2

19.5

2019

1.093

2.866

0.747

2.199

2.9

20.2

2020

1.052

2.757

0.728

2.029

2.8

17.2

2021

0.931

2.450

0.661

1.788

2.5

16.0

2022

0.974

2.652

0.747

1.905

2.7

17.7

Source: Congressional Research Service (CRS), based on data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services (HHS) and the U.S. Census Bureau.
Notes: NA denotes not available. During transition reporting from AFDC to TANF, caseload statistics on adult
and child recipients were not collected. For those years, TANF children as a percentage of all children and

Congressional Research Service

11

The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Block Grant: FAQs

percentage of all poor children were estimated by HHS and published in Welfare Indicators and Risk Factors, Annual
Report to Congress, Table TANF 2, p. A-7. See https://aspe.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/private/pdf/116161/
FINAL%20Fourteenth%20Report%20-%20FINAL%209%2022%2015.pdf. For 2019, the ratio of TANF recipient
children to all children in poverty might be overstated. This is because child poverty might have been
underestimated, as responses to the survey used to estimate poverty were affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
See Jonathan Rothbaum and Adam Bee, Coronavirus Infects Surveys, Too: Nonresponse Bias During the Pandemic in
the CPS ASEC, U.S. Census Bureau, SEHSD Working Paper no. 2020-10, September 15, 2020.

Congressional Research Service

12

Appendix B. State Tables
Table B-1. Uses of FY2022 TANF and State MOE Funds by Spending Category
(dollars in millions)

State
All jurisdictions

Pre-K and
Early
Basic
Childhood
Assistance Child Care Services

Child
Welfare
Work,
Benefits
Education
and
Refundable
and
Services Tax Credits Training

Emergency
and ShortAdminisTerm
trative
Benefits
Expendand
itures
Services

Other
Services

Total
TANF
Dollars

$7,223.0

$4,850.6

$3,246.0

$2,799.7

$2,625.3

$2,525.8

$2,270.7

$1,154.4

$4,647.2

$31,342.6

Alabama

12.8

24.9

38.0

23.0

0.0

5.2

7.8

50.0

34.9

196.6

Alaska

31.8

12.4

0.0

0.0

0.0

8.7

7.0

0.3

13.1

73.4

Arizona

35.9

0.0

0.0

279.5

0.0

0.6

17.7

6.3

43.0

383.0

Arkansas

3.3

0.0

37.9

4.4

0.0

18.1

22.8

5.3

24.3

116.0

California

2,877.8

961.2

0.0

0.0

0.0

1,038.1

715.6

244.7

917.4

6,754.8

Colorado

61.4

15.0

86.0

43.1

70.9

5.9

52.8

5.2

57.7

397.9

Connecticut

24.5

85.3

85.7

75.3

76.2

10.6

46.4

17.2

131.3

552.4

Delaware

7.2

56.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

40.0

4.0

1.7

40.3

149.3

District of Columbia

172.8

22.2

18.2

0.0

18.4

33.4

11.8

14.5

10.4

301.6

Florida

117.0

292.8

0.0

220.6

0.0

44.6

47.7

1.1

73.4

797.2

Georgia

85.1

22.2

0.0

261.8

0.0

5.5

20.2

4.1

62.0

460.9

Hawaii

33.0

28.7

0.2

10.9

0.0

44.1

13.5

9.7

58.9

199.0

Idaho

6.3

9.0

1.5

7.0

0.0

2.7

6.3

9.4

0.9

43.2

Illinois

42.9

552.0

117.5

240.2

86.5

19.5

0.0

1.0

127.3

1,186.9

Indiana

13.7

84.2

0.0

1.1

42.8

1.4

21.7

0.0

104.1

269.0

Iowa

24.3

41.5

0.0

60.2

24.0

8.5

6.6

0.4

21.1

186.6

CRS-13

State

Pre-K and
Early
Basic
Childhood
Assistance Child Care Services

Child
Welfare
Work,
Benefits
Education
and
Refundable
and
Services Tax Credits Training

Emergency
and ShortAdminisTerm
trative
Benefits
Expendand
itures
Services

Other
Services

Total
TANF
Dollars

Kansas

10.3

6.7

21.7

32.5

35.0

0.8

9.7

0.0

42.8

159.4

Kentucky

162.6

19.7

0.0

0.0

0.0

19.7

13.0

0.0

3.1

218.1

Louisiana

20.8

0.0

55.9

35.1

19.4

66.4

19.3

8.5

31.0

256.3

Maine

37.4

6.8

0.5

13.2

23.8

11.3

5.5

16.1

28.2

142.9

Maryland

74.4

5.9

74.9

48.2

284.7

27.8

19.4

52.1

50.0

637.5

Massachusetts

296.8

358.6

0.0

10.4

164.6

151.9

41.4

66.2

88.1

1,178.1

Michigan

99.0

27.8

232.8

75.3

38.1

3.8

57.7

23.9

772.3

1,330.7

Minnesota

109.0

111.3

5.7

0.0

94.4

64.6

47.4

18.0

16.4

466.8

Mississippi

4.3

0.0

0.0

10.6

0.0

24.1

5.5

0.0

15.6

60.1

Missouri

21.6

21.8

0.0

122.0

0.0

71.4

13.9

90.6

49.8

391.1

Montana

8.1

6.8

0.0

1.2

0.0

2.8

3.6

1.8

8.7

33.0

Nebraska

19.2

17.8

0.0

4.0

36.7

8.4

3.3

0.0

10.5

100.0

Nevada

31.1

16.8

0.0

32.1

0.0

1.6

14.7

8.5

16.4

121.1

New Hampshire

26.6

4.6

0.0

6.6

0.0

6.3

6.9

1.1

9.1

61.2

New Jersey

82.2

186.6

640.5

0.0

335.9

58.8

49.9

15.9

72.2

1,441.9

New Mexico

52.3

31.5

29.7

0.7

270.9

10.7

5.5

17.4

25.0

443.8

New York

1,576.5

103.2

894.7

375.6

911.5

123.0

429.5

266.5

350.7

5,031.1

North Carolina

26.1

222.1

71.8

144.2

0.0

2.5

44.3

3.2

40.2

554.4

North Dakota

2.7

1.2

0.0

15.9

0.0

3.7

4.3

0.0

0.8

28.7

Ohio

205.9

418.3

0.9

21.0

0.0

85.3

103.8

57.9

258.3

1,151.3

Oklahoma

11.3

77.3

0.0

12.5

0.0

20.2

6.2

0.4

32.6

160.5

CRS-14

State

Pre-K and
Early
Basic
Childhood
Assistance Child Care Services

Child
Welfare
Work,
Benefits
Education
and
Refundable
and
Services Tax Credits Training

Emergency
and ShortAdminisTerm
trative
Benefits
Expendand
itures
Services

Other
Services

Total
TANF
Dollars

Oregon

76.9

28.5

17.7

11.4

3.4

18.5

14.9

24.1

22.3

217.8

Pennsylvania

101.4

428.8

276.4

0.0

0.0

95.6

58.6

9.1

123.3

1,093.1

Rhode Island

20.3

24.0

1.2

19.0

19.5

9.6

6.0

4.7

29.7

134.1

South Carolina

30.7

4.1

27.1

7.1

0.0

20.7

17.9

0.0

55.4

163.0

South Dakota

12.3

0.8

0.0

4.2

0.0

3.1

2.0

3.0

3.1

28.5

Tennessee

68.4

1.7

84.4

32.2

0.0

32.2

28.5

0.0

22.8

270.3

Texas

19.4

0.0

343.6

416.8

0.0

74.8

59.9

24.2

102.3

1,041.1

Utah

13.7

22.2

6.2

2.1

0.0

14.5

7.2

1.8

18.1

85.7

Vermont

13.3

35.3

0.0

8.5

14.6

0.2

6.1

1.6

12.1

91.8

Virginia

98.2

39.9

7.7

61.8

0.2

33.4

49.7

6.4

46.0

343.2

Washington

211.3

224.3

66.0

8.0

0.0

131.5

65.1

30.8

415.5

1,152.3

West Virginia

45.7

21.1

0.0

29.3

0.0

0.3

12.9

1.9

26.0

137.3

Wisconsin

69.8

166.5

0.0

10.9

53.9

35.2

32.9

25.0

127.0

521.1

Wyoming

13.2

1.6

1.5

0.0

0.0

4.0

2.3

2.9

1.8

27.4

Source: Congressional Research Service (CRS), based on data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Administration for Children and Families
(ACF), Office of Family Assistance.
Notes: Detail may not add to total because of rounding. Excludes TANF funds used in the territories and in tribal TANF programs. Also excludes spending from the
Pandemic Emergency Assistance Fund.

CRS-15

Table B-2. Uses of FY2022 TANF and State MOE Funds by Spending Category as a Percent of Total Federal TANF and
State MOE Spending

State

Pre-K and
Early
Basic
Childhood
Assistance Child Care Services

Child
Welfare
Work,
Benefits
Education,
and
Refundable
and
Services Tax Credits Training

Emergency
and ShortAdminisTerm
trative
Benefits
Expendand
itures
Services

Other
Services

Total
TANF
Dollars

All jurisdictions

23.0%

15.5%

10.4%

8.9%

8.4%

8.1%

7.2%

3.7%

14.8%

100.0%

Alabama

6.5

12.7

19.4

11.7

0.0

2.7

3.9

25.4

17.8

100.0

Alaska

43.3

16.9

0.0

0.0

0.0

11.9

9.5

0.5

17.8

100.0

Arizona

9.4

0.0

0.0

73.0

0.0

0.2

4.6

1.6

11.2

100.0

Arkansas

2.8

0.0

32.7

3.8

0.0

15.6

19.6

4.6

20.9

100.0

California

42.6

14.2

0.0

0.0

0.0

15.4

10.6

3.6

13.6

100.0

Colorado

15.4

3.8

21.6

10.8

17.8

1.5

13.3

1.3

14.5

100.0

Connecticut

4.4

15.4

15.5

13.6

13.8

1.9

8.4

3.1

23.8

100.0

Delaware

4.8

37.5

0.0

0.0

0.0

26.8

2.7

1.2

27.0

100.0

District of Columbia

57.3

7.3

6.0

0.0

6.1

11.1

3.9

4.8

3.5

100.0

Florida

14.7

36.7

0.0

27.7

0.0

5.6

6.0

0.1

9.2

100.0

Georgia

18.5

4.8

0.0

56.8

0.0

1.2

4.4

0.9

13.5

100.0

Hawaii

16.6

14.4

0.1

5.5

0.0

22.2

6.8

4.9

29.6

100.0

Idaho

14.7

20.8

3.5

16.3

0.0

6.3

14.6

21.7

2.1

100.0

Illinois

3.6

46.5

9.9

20.2

7.3

1.6

0.0

0.1

10.7

100.0

Indiana

5.1

31.3

0.0

0.4

15.9

0.5

8.1

0.0

38.7

100.0

Iowa

13.0

22.3

0.0

32.3

12.8

4.6

3.5

0.2

11.3

100.0

Kansas

6.5

4.2

13.6

20.4

22.0

0.5

6.1

0.0

26.8

100.0

Kentucky

74.6

9.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

9.0

6.0

0.0

1.4

100.0

CRS-16

State

Pre-K and
Early
Basic
Childhood
Assistance Child Care Services

Child
Welfare
Work,
Benefits
Education,
and
Refundable
and
Services Tax Credits Training

Emergency
and ShortAdminisTerm
trative
Benefits
Expendand
itures
Services

Other
Services

Total
TANF
Dollars

Louisiana

8.1

0.0

21.8

13.7

7.6

25.9

7.5

3.3

12.1

100.0

Maine

26.2

4.8

0.4

9.2

16.7

7.9

3.8

11.3

19.8

100.0

Maryland

11.7

0.9

11.7

7.6

44.7

4.4

3.0

8.2

7.8

100.0

Massachusetts

25.2

30.4

0.0

0.9

14.0

12.9

3.5

5.6

7.5

100.0

Michigan

7.4

2.1

17.5

5.7

2.9

0.3

4.3

1.8

58.0

100.0

Minnesota

23.4

23.8

1.2

0.0

20.2

13.8

10.2

3.9

3.5

100.0

Mississippi

7.2

0.0

0.0

17.7

0.0

40.1

9.1

0.0

25.9

100.0

Missouri

5.5

5.6

0.0

31.2

0.0

18.3

3.6

23.2

12.7

100.0

Montana

24.6

20.6

0.0

3.7

0.0

8.6

11.0

5.3

26.2

100.0

Nebraska

19.2

17.8

0.0

4.0

36.7

8.3

3.3

0.0

10.5

100.0

Nevada

25.7

13.9

0.0

26.5

0.0

1.3

12.1

7.0

13.6

100.0

New Hampshire

43.4

7.5

0.0

10.9

0.0

10.4

11.2

1.8

14.9

100.0

New Jersey

5.7

12.9

44.4

0.0

23.3

4.1

3.5

1.1

5.0

100.0

New Mexico

11.8

7.1

6.7

0.2

61.1

2.4

1.2

3.9

5.6

100.0

New York

31.3

2.1

17.8

7.5

18.1

2.4

8.5

5.3

7.0

100.0

North Carolina

4.7

40.1

13.0

26.0

0.0

0.4

8.0

0.6

7.2

100.0

North Dakota

9.4

4.2

0.0

55.5

0.0

13.1

15.0

0.1

2.8

100.0

Ohio

17.9

36.3

0.1

1.8

0.0

7.4

9.0

5.0

22.4

100.0

Oklahoma

7.1

48.2

0.0

7.8

0.0

12.6

3.9

0.2

20.3

100.0

Oregon

35.3

13.1

8.1

5.2

1.6

8.5

6.9

11.1

10.2

100.0

Pennsylvania

9.3

39.2

25.3

0.0

0.0

8.7

5.4

0.8

11.3

100.0

CRS-17

State

Pre-K and
Early
Basic
Childhood
Assistance Child Care Services

Child
Welfare
Work,
Benefits
Education,
and
Refundable
and
Services Tax Credits Training

Emergency
and ShortAdminisTerm
trative
Benefits
Expendand
itures
Services

Other
Services

Total
TANF
Dollars

Rhode Island

15.2

17.9

0.9

14.2

14.5

7.1

4.5

3.5

22.1

100.0

South Carolina

18.8

2.5

16.6

4.4

0.0

12.7

11.0

0.0

34.0

100.0

South Dakota

43.0

2.8

0.0

14.7

0.0

10.8

7.1

10.4

11.0

100.0

Tennessee

25.3

0.6

31.2

11.9

0.0

11.9

10.5

0.0

8.4

100.0

Texas

1.9

0.0

33.0

40.0

0.0

7.2

5.8

2.3

9.8

100.0

Utah

16.0

25.9

7.2

2.5

0.0

17.0

8.3

2.1

21.1

100.0

Vermont

14.5

38.5

0.0

9.3

15.9

0.2

6.7

1.7

13.2

100.0

Virginia

28.6

11.6

2.2

18.0

0.1

9.7

14.5

1.9

13.4

100.0

Washington

18.3

19.5

5.7

0.7

0.0

11.4

5.6

2.7

36.1

100.0

West Virginia

33.3

15.4

0.0

21.3

0.0

0.2

9.4

1.4

19.0

100.0

Wisconsin

13.4

31.9

0.0

2.1

10.3

6.8

6.3

4.8

24.4

100.0

Wyoming

48.3

5.7

5.6

0.0

0.0

14.5

8.5

10.8

6.6

100.0

Source: Congressional Research Service (CRS), based on data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Administration for Children and Families
(ACF), Office of Family Assistance.
Notes: Detail may not add to total because of rounding. Excludes TANF funds used in the territories and in tribal TANF programs. Also excludes spending from the
Pandemic Emergency Assistance Fund.

CRS-18

The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Block Grant: FAQs

Table B-3. Unspent TANF Funds at the End of FY2022
(dollars in millions; as of September 30, 2022)
State

Obligated but Unspent

Unobligated Balance

$2,501.9

$6,452.8

Alabama

0.0

122.7

Alaska

25.3

0.5

Arizona

0.0

60.4

Arkansas

36.7

65.9

California

755.2

0.0

Colorado

0.0

107.9

Connecticut

0.0

0.0

Delaware

0.0

20.2

District of Columbia

3.5

31.6

Florida

0.0

221.9

Georgia

40.8

160.0

Hawaii

19.3

402.3

Idaho

0.0

10.9

Illinois

0.0

0.0

Indiana

16.3

114.0

Iowa

0.0

45.5

Kansas

3.2

64.6

Kentucky

0.0

107.9

Louisiana

63.3

0.0

Maine

13.2

89.1

Maryland

0.0

54.4

Massachusetts

0.0

0.0

Michigan

0.0

124.4

Minnesota

203.1

50.9

Mississippi

0.0

146.0

Missouri

0.0

0.0

Montana

0.0

60.8

Nebraska

6.3

119.8

Nevada

0.0

45.4

New Hampshire

0.0

61.8

New Jersey

146.6

0.0

New Mexico

63.8

0.0

New York

142.2

1,117.6

North Carolina

55.4

0.0

All jurisdictions

Congressional Research Service

19

The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Block Grant: FAQs

State

Obligated but Unspent

North Dakota

Unobligated Balance

0.0

12.9

Ohio

646.6

0.0

Oklahoma

74.3

294.2

Oregon

0.0

181.1

Pennsylvania

180.6

776.0

Rhode Island

0.0

82.4

South Carolina

0.0

10.1

South Dakota

0.0

24.5

Tennessee

0.0

808.2

Texas

0.0

237.4

Utah

0.0

91.1

Vermont

0.0

0.0

Virginia

6.3

56.2

Washington

0.0

60.0

West Virginia

0.0

117.2

Wisconsin

0.0

268.8

Wyoming

0.0

26.1

Source: Congressional Research Service (CRS), based on data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services (HHS), Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Office of Family Assistance.
Note: Excludes TANF funds used in the territories.

Table B-4. Number of Families, Recipients, Adults, and Children Receiving TANF
Assistance by Jurisdiction, September 2023

State

Families

Total
Recipients

Adults

Children

Alabama

5,556

12,965

2,292

10,673

Alaska

1,056

2,946

871

2,075

Arizona

5,173

10,609

1,907

8,702

Arkansas

887

2,155

530

1,625

California

362,158

1,215,272

380,423

834,849

Colorado

12,578

30,830

8,418

22,412

Connecticut

5,125

12,159

3,404

8,755

Delaware

2,834

8,031

3,220

4,811

District of Columbia

4,222

11,199

2,817

8,382

Florida

35,095

72,184

26,698

45,486

Georgia

4,594

8,037

233

7,804

Congressional Research Service

20

The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Block Grant: FAQs

State

Families

Total
Recipients

Adults

Children

Hawaii

3,112

8,649

2,638

6,011

Idaho

1,488

2,055

21

2,034

Illinois

9,882

19,911

2,396

17,515

Indiana

5,256

12,440

3,200

9,240

Iowa

4,782

11,968

2,824

9,144

Kansas

2,945

2,945

1,472

1,473

Kentucky

13,171

29,210

5,891

23,319

Louisiana

4,753

12,243

2,335

9,908

Maine

13,673

46,474

17,577

28,897

Maryland

14,792

46,670

14,067

32,603

Massachusetts

59,409

162,060

48,986

113,074

Michigan

8,395

22,474

4,803

17,671

Minnesota

13,494

31,484

7,847

23,637

Mississippi

1,648

3,033

402

2,631

Missouri

5,526

12,914

2,884

10,030

Montana

1,685

3,856

677

3,179

Nebraska

2,890

6,772

981

5,791

Nevada

5,859

14,951

3,801

11,150

New Hampshire

3,941

9,642

2,451

7,191

New Jersey

9,216

22,384

6,546

15,838

New Mexico

6,768

16,308

3,868

12,440

New York

121,383

314,162

110,499

203,663

North Carolina

7,346

13,163

1,231

11,932

North Dakota

559

1,366

193

1,173

Ohio

40,325

72,020

7,129

64,891

Oklahoma

3,585

7,667

798

6,869

Oregon

41,732

127,997

44,991

83,006

Pennsylvania

25,905

64,619

15,634

48,985

Puerto Rico

2,380

6,601

2,446

4,155

Rhode Island

3,245

8,512

2,553

5,959

South Carolina

5,599

12,845

2,388

10,457

South Dakota

2,431

4,813

334

4,479

Tennessee

10,033

21,563

4,323

17,240

Texas

9,621

18,978

2,453

16,525

Utah

1,995

4,671

1,226

3,445

Vermont

2,009

4,628

1,260

3,368

Congressional Research Service

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The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Block Grant: FAQs

State

Families

Total
Recipients

Adults

Children

Virginia

14,860

34,044

8,177

25,867

Washington

44,127

111,325

40,694

70,631

West Virginia

4,926

9,699

1,621

8,078

Wisconsin

12,073

26,182

4,406

21,776

Wyoming

485

1,201

283

918

Guam

153

364

56

308

Virgin Islands

57

197

57

140

986,792

2,751,447

819,232

1,932,215

All Jurisdictions

Source: Congressional Research Service (CRS), based on data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services (HHS). Data as of February 21, 2024, and subject to revision.
Notes: TANF cash assistance caseload includes families receiving assistance in state-funded programs counted
toward the TANF maintenance of effort (MOE) requirement.

Table B-5. Number of Needy Families with Children Receiving Assistance by
Jurisdiction, September of Selected Years
Percentage Change
State

1994

2019

2022

2023

1994 to
2023

2022 to
2023

Alabama

48,752

7,687

5,821

5,556

-88.6%

-4.6%

Alaska

12,450

2,245

1,319

1,056

-91.5

-19.9

Arizona

72,728

7,010

5,531

5,173

-92.9

-6.5

Arkansas

25,298

2,357

939

887

-96.5

-5.5

California

916,795

367,313

382,764

362,158

-60.5

-5.4

Colorado

40,544

14,226

12,195

12,578

-69.0

3.1

Connecticut

60,336

7,724

4,971

5,125

-91.5

3.1

Delaware

11,408

3,249

2,945

2,834

-75.2

-3.8

District of Columbia

27,320

7,745

6,779

4,222

-84.5

-37.7

Florida

239,702

38,093

30,686

35,095

-85.4

14.4

Georgia

141,596

8,837

5,734

4,594

-96.8

-19.9

Hawaii

21,312

4,029

3,681

3,112

-85.4

-15.5

Idaho

8,635

2,043

1,522

1,488

-82.8

-2.2

Illinois

241,290

10,874

10,058

9,882

-95.9

-1.7

Indiana

72,654

5,164

4,117

5,256

-92.8

27.7

Iowa

39,137

8,922

5,108

4,782

-87.8

-6.4

Kansas

29,524

4,039

2,940

2,945

-90.0

0.2

Congressional Research Service

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The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Block Grant: FAQs

Percentage Change
State

1994

2019

2022

2023

1994 to
2023

2022 to
2023

Kentucky

78,720

16,586

11,359

13,171

-83.3

16.0

Louisiana

84,162

4,726

4,259

4,753

-94.4

11.6

Maine

22,322

14,634

12,735

13,673

-38.7

7.4

Maryland

80,266

16,469

16,773

14,792

-81.6

-11.8

Massachusetts

108,985

50,166

55,310

59,409

-45.5

7.4

Michigan

215,873

10,788

8,751

8,395

-96.1

-4.1

Minnesota

59,987

15,399

13,697

13,494

-77.5

-1.5

Mississippi

55,232

3,083

1,687

1,648

-97.0

-2.3

Missouri

91,875

9,760

6,047

5,526

-94.0

-8.6

Montana

11,416

3,236

1,854

1,685

-85.2

-9.1

Nebraska

15,435

4,364

3,072

2,890

-81.3

-5.9

Nevada

14,620

8,042

6,245

5,859

-59.9

-6.2

New Hampshire

11,398

5,206

3,746

3,941

-65.4

5.2

New Jersey

122,376

8,857

9,539

9,216

-92.5

-3.4

New Mexico

34,535

10,087

9,540

6,768

-80.4

-29.1

New York

461,751

113,971

115,984

121,383

-73.7

4.7

North Carolina

129,258

13,064

11,907

7,346

-94.3

-38.3

North Dakota

5,410

957

596

559

-89.7

-6.2

Ohio

244,099

51,140

41,983

40,325

-83.5

-3.9

Oklahoma

46,572

5,949

3,542

3,585

-92.3

1.2

Oregon

40,504

36,971

38,587

41,732

3.0

8.2

Pennsylvania

212,457

39,746

29,470

25,905

-87.8

-12.1

Puerto Rico

57,337

4,475

3,158

2,380

-95.8

-24.6

Rhode Island

22,776

4,002

3,150

3,245

-85.8

3.0

South Carolina

50,430

7,649

6,233

5,599

-88.9

-10.2

South Dakota

6,601

2,923

2,393

2,431

-63.2

1.6

Tennessee

109,678

19,221

13,852

10,033

-90.9

-27.6

Texas

284,973

22,821

10,879

9,621

-96.6

-11.6

Utah

17,505

3,170

1,924

1,995

-88.6

3.7

Vermont

9,761

2,669

2,085

2,009

-79.4

-3.6

Virginia

74,257

16,649

20,419

14,860

-80.0

-27.2

Washington

101,542

36,023

44,355

44,127

-56.5

-0.5

West Virginia

40,279

6,331

5,257

4,926

-87.8

-6.3

Wisconsin

75,086

15,122

12,156

12,073

-83.9

-0.7

Wyoming

5,351

504

441

485

-90.9

10.0

Congressional Research Service

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The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Block Grant: FAQs

Percentage Change
State

1994

2019

2022

2023

1994 to
2023

2022 to
2023

Guam

2,089

439

343

153

-92.7

-55.4

Virgin Islands

1,146

96

61

57

-95.0

-6.6

5,015,545

1,086,852

1,020,499

986,792

-80.3

-3.3

All Jurisdictions

Source: Congressional Research Service (CRS), based on data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services (HHS).
Notes: TANF cash assistance caseload includes families receiving assistance in state-funded programs counted
toward the TANF maintenance of effort (MOE) requirement. The years were selected for the table based on the
following: 1994 reflects the number of families receiving assistance in the pre-TANF program of cash assistance
(Aid to Families with Dependent Children) and the year the number of families receiving assistance reached its
historic peak; 2019 reflects the last year before the COVID-19 pandemic; and 2022 is the year prior to the last
year for which data are available (2023).

Table B-6. TANF Cash Assistance Maximum Monthly Benefit Amounts for a SingleParent Family with One Child, By Jurisdiction, July 2022
Monthly Benefit as a Percentage of the HHS Poverty Guidelines for a Family of Two
Maximum
Benefit Family
Size of Two

Percentage of the
HHS Poverty
Guidelines for
2022

Alabama

$190

12.5%

Alaska

821

43.0

Arizona

220

14.4

Arkansas

162

10.6

California

733

48.0

Colorado

440

28.8

Connecticut

614

40.2

Delaware

270

17.7

District of Columbia

521

34.1

Florida

241

15.8

Georgia

235

15.4

Guam

258

16.9

Hawaii

485

27.6

Idaho

309

20.2

Illinois

435

28.5

Indiana

229

15.0

Iowa

361

23.7

Kansas

352

23.1

Jurisdiction

Congressional Research Service

24

The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Block Grant: FAQs

Maximum
Benefit Family
Size of Two

Percentage of the
HHS Poverty
Guidelines for
2022

Kentucky

225

14.7

Louisiana

376

24.6

Maine

469

30.7

Maryland

665

43.6

Massachusetts

629

41.2

Michigan

403

26.4

Minnesota

545

35.7

Mississippi

236

15.5

Missouri

234

15.3

Montana

467

30.6

Nebraska

408

26.7

Nevada

320

21.0

New Hampshire

915

60.0

New Jersey

425

27.9

New Mexico

357

23.4

New York

574

37.6

North Carolina

236

15.5

North Dakota

385

25.2

Ohio

442

29.0

Oklahoma

225

14.7

Oregon

432

28.3

Pennsylvania

316

20.7

Puerto Rico

712

46.7

Rhode Island

584

38.3

South Carolina

244

16.0

South Dakota

563

36.9

Tennessee

343

22.5

Texas

270

17.7

Utah

399

26.1

Vermont

665

43.6

Virgin Islands

260

17.0

Virginia

489

32.0

Washington

528

34.6

West Virginia

480

31.5

Jurisdiction

Congressional Research Service

25

The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Block Grant: FAQs

Maximum
Benefit Family
Size of Two

Percentage of the
HHS Poverty
Guidelines for
2022

Wisconsin

653

42.8

Wyoming

734

48.1

Jurisdiction

Source: Congressional Research Service (CRS), based on data from the Welfare Rules Database, funded by the
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and maintained at the Urban Institute. The HHS poverty
guidelines for 2022 can be found at https://aspe.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/documents/
4b515876c4674466423975826ac57583/Guidelines-2022.pdf.

Table B-7. TANF Work Participation Standard and Rate,
By Jurisdiction for All Families: FY2022

Statutory
Standard

Caseload
Reduction
Credit
(percentage
points)

Effective
After
Credit
Standard

Work
Participation
Rate

Alabama

50.0%

50.0

0.0%

44.9%

Yes

Alaska

50.0

50.0

0.0

31.1

Yes

Arizona

50.0

50.0

0.0

12.9

Yes

Arkansas

50.0

50.0

0.0

14.6

Yes

California

50.0

40.8

9.2

47.6

Yes

Colorado

50.0

50.0

0.0

43.1

Yes

Connecticut

50.0

50.0

0.0

3.7

Yes

Delaware

50.0

50.0

0.0

17.8

Yes

District of Columbia

50.0

39.3

10.7

20.5

Yes

Florida

50.0

37.7

12.3

12.4

Yes

Georgia

50.0

50.0

0.0

7.0

Yes

Guam

50.0

50.0

0.0

1.9

Yes

Hawaii

50.0

50.0

0.0

13.2

Yes

Idaho

50.0

0.0

50.0

64.2

Yes

Illinois

50.0

33.8

16.2

48.4

Yes

Indiana

50.0

50.0

0.0

14.0

Yes

Iowa

50.0

50.0

0.0

17.3

Yes

Kansas

50.0

50.0

0.0

30.2

Yes

Kentucky

50.0

50.0

0.0

20.1

Yes

Louisiana

50.0

50.0

0.0

4.7

Yes

Maine

50.0

0.0

50.0

78.0

Yes

Maryland

50.0

38.2

11.8

12.0

Yes

Massachusetts

50.0

36.4

13.6

50.4

Yes

State

Congressional Research Service

Met
Standard?

26

The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Block Grant: FAQs

Statutory
Standard

Caseload
Reduction
Credit
(percentage
points)

Effective
After
Credit
Standard

Work
Participation
Rate

Michigan

50.0

50.0

0.0

44.7

Yes

Minnesota

50.0

39.9

10.1

20.4

Yes

Mississippi

50.0

50.0

0.0

43.3

Yes

Missouri

50.0

50.0

0.0

17.5

Yes

Montana

50.0

50.0

0.0

34.4

Yes

Nebraska

50.0

50.0

0.0

10.3

Yes

Nevada

50.0

50.0

0.0

23.5

Yes

New Hampshire

50.0

0.0

50.0

61.7

Yes

New Jersey

50.0

50.0

0.0

5.5

Yes

New Mexico

50.0

50.0

0.0

7.5

Yes

New York

50.0

50.0

0.0

11.5

Yes

North Carolina

50.0

49.1

0.9

5.4

Yes

North Dakota

50.0

50.0

0.0

40.6

Yes

Ohio

50.0

45.2

4.8

35.5

Yes

Oklahoma

50.0

50.0

0.0

15.5

Yes

Oregon

50.0

0.0

50.0

47.6

No

Pennsylvania

50.0

50.0

0.0

17.9

Yes

Puerto Rico

50.0

50.0

0.0

6.8

Yes

Rhode Island

50.0

50.0

0.0

7.6

Yes

South Carolina

50.0

50.0

0.0

6.4

Yes

South Dakota

50.0

0.0

50.0

54.5

Yes

Tennessee

50.0

50.0

0.0

32.5

Yes

Texas

50.0

50.0

0.0

16.1

Yes

Utah

50.0

50.0

0.0

11.8

Yes

Vermont

50.0

47.1

2.9

32.6

Yes

Virgin Islands

50.0

50.0

0.0

2.5

Yes

Virginia

50.0

50.0

0.0

13.5

Yes

Washington

50.0

50.0

0.0

33.9

Yes

West Virginia

50.0

50.0

0.0

23.8

Yes

Wisconsin

50.0

37.7

12.3

57.0

Yes

Wyoming

50.0

0.0

50.0

74.5

Yes

State

Met
Standard?

Source: Congressional Research Service (CRS), based on data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services (HHS).

Congressional Research Service

27

The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Block Grant: FAQs

Table B-8. TANF Work Participation Standard and Rate, By Jurisdiction,
for Two-Parent Families: FY2022

Statutory
Standard

Caseload
Reduction
Credit
(percentage
points)

Effective
After
Credit
Standard

Work
Participation
Rate

Alabama

90.0%

90.0

0.0%

40.1%

Yes

Alaska

90.0

61.6

28.4

38.7

Yes

Arizona

90.0

79.1

10.9

20.0

Yes

Arkansas

90.0

83.6

6.4

32.2

Yes

California

90.0

49.4

40.6

24.0

No

Colorado

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

Connecticut

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

Delaware

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

District of Columbia

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

Florida

90.0

37.7

52.3

10.5

No

Georgia

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

Guam

90.0

61.2

28.8

0.4

No

Hawaii

90.0

57.8

32.2

18.4

No

Idaho

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

Illinois

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

Indiana

90.0

80.8

9.2

9.7

Yes

Iowa

90.0

85.6

4.4

12.0

Yes

Kansas

90.0

72.8

17.2

32.8

Yes

Kentucky

90.0

76.3

13.7

25.1

Yes

Louisiana

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

Maine

90.0

0.0

90.0

91.6

Yes

Maryland

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

Massachusetts

90.0

36.4

53.6

94.8

Yes

Michigan

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

Minnesota

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

Mississippi

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

Missouri

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

Montana

90.0

83.2

6.8

36.3

Yes

Nebraska

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

Nevada

90.0

59.5

30.5

29.5

No

New Hampshire

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

New Jersey

90.0

86.5

3.5

93.7

Yes

State

Congressional Research Service

Met
Standard?

28

The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Block Grant: FAQs

State

Statutory
Standard

Caseload
Reduction
Credit
(percentage
points)

Effective
After
Credit
Standard

Work
Participation
Rate

New Mexico

90.0

72.8

17.2

17.8

Yes

New York

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

North Carolina

90.0

49.1

40.9

13.2

No

North Dakota

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

Ohio

90.0

85.7

4.3

31.5

Yes

Oklahoma

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

Oregon

90.0

0.0

90.0

88.3

No

Pennsylvania

90.0

90.0

0.0

32.9

Yes

Puerto Rico

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

Rhode Island

90.0

74.8

15.2

8.9

No

South Carolina

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

South Dakota

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

Tennessee

90.0

79.9

10.1

37.7

Yes

Texas

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

Utah

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

Vermont

90.0

55.1

34.9

44.1

Yes

Virgin Islands

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

Virginia

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

Washington

90.0

55.0

35.0

55.7

Yes

West Virginia

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

Wisconsin

90.0

55.7

34.3

51.0

Yes

Wyoming

90.0

0.0

90.0

74.5

No

Met
Standard?

Source: Congressional Research Service (CRS), based on data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services (HHS).
Note: NA denotes that the jurisdiction did not have two-parent families receiving TANF or MOE funded
assistance.

Author Information
Gene Falk
Specialist in Social Policy

Congressional Research Service

Patrick A. Landers
Analyst in Social Policy

29

The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Block Grant: FAQs

Acknowledgments
CRS Graphics Specialist Amber Wilhelm produced this report’s data visualizations.

Disclaimer
This document was prepared by the Congressional Research Service (CRS). CRS serves as nonpartisan
shared staff to congressional committees and Members of Congress. It operates solely at the behest of and
under the direction of Congress. Information in a CRS Report should not be relied upon for purposes other
than public understanding of information that has been provided by CRS to Members of Congress in
connection with CRS’s institutional role. CRS Reports, as a work of the United States Government, are not
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Congressional Research Service

RL32760 · VERSION 229 · UPDATED

30

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Source: Frix Law Library, https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/documents/crs%3ARL32760. Public record. Not legal advice.