TANF Work Requirements

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• TANF Work Requirements

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Federal Work Participation Rate Requirements

• The state must meet a 50 work participation rate
  or be penalized.
• A participation rate is the ratio of those TANF
  recipients participating in work activities out
  of all those expected to participate. To count
  toward the monthly numerator a TANF recipient
  must be in an allowable activity for at least a
  minimum average number of hours per month.

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Participation Requirements - Hours

• One-parent households
• 30 hours per week
• Single parent with child under 6
• 20 hours per week
• Two-parent households
• 35 hours per week
• 55 combined hours per week if receiving federally
  funded child care assistance

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Work Participation Requirement
Some federal work requirements are different from
VIEW requirements.

• Federal Requirements
• One-parent families
• 30 hours per week
• Two-parent families
• 35 hours per week
• 55 combined hours per week if receiving federally
  funded child care assistance
• Single parent with child under 6
• 20 hours per week

• Virginia Requirements
• One-parent families
• 30 hours per week when the participant is
  employed at least 30 hours per week
• 35 hours per week for all others
• Two-parent families
• If only one parent is mandatory must
  participate 40 hours
• If both parents are mandatory 60 hours
• If one parent is participating and employed - 35
  hours

Deficit Reduction Act

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Work Activities
Core
Non-Core
Other

• Activities that
• count in the federal
• participation rate.
• These activities count toward the first 20 hours.
  

• Activities that
• count in the federal
• participation rate.
• Hours in these activities count only after 20
  hour assignment to core activity has been met.

• Other activities do
• NOT count in the
• federal
• participation rate.

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Work Activities
Core
Non-Core
Other

• Job Search
• Job Readiness
• Unsubsidized Employment
• Subsidized Employment
• Community Work Experience
• Public Service Program (PSP)
• On-the-Job Training
• Vocational Education and Training

• Job Skills Training
• Education Below Post-Secondary
• ABE
• GED
• ESL
• High School

• Post Secondary Education
• Other Locally Developed

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Definitions
Job Readiness
Job Search
Instruction in skills needed to seek or obtain
employment. Job readiness may include
instruction in workplace expectations, help in
developing resumes and interviewing skills, and
life skills training. Job readiness may also
include preparation for employment through
participation in short term substance abuse or
mental health treatment, or in rehabilitation
activities for those who are otherwise
employable. Such treatment must be determined
necessary by a qualified medical or mental
health professional.
A structured, time-limited period during which
the participant is required to search for
employment. In order to complete the job
search, the participant is required to apply for
a specified number of jobs and document the job
search contacts, or find and accept
employment.
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Definitions
Unsubsidized Employment
Subsidized Employment
Employment in which the participant is paid at
least minimum wage and for which no government
funds are used to subsidize the wages earned by
a participant.
Employment in which government funds are used to
directly subsidize the participants wages.
Subsidized employment is designed to provide
training while the participant works on the job.
The VIEW program provides one subsidized
employment component FEP.
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Definitions
Community Work Experience Program (CWEP)
Public Service Program (PSP)

Unpaid work in a public or private non-profit
organization designed to improve the
employability of the participant while providing
a clearly defined public service. Public
Service Program placements must be limited to
projects that serve a useful community purpose
in fields such as health, social service,
environmental protection, education, urban and
rural development, welfare, recreation, public
facilities, public safety, and child care.
Unpaid work in a public or private non-profit
organization designed to improve the
employability of the participant.
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Definitions
On-the-Job Training
Vocational Education and Training

Paid training which is provided by an employer
in order to help an employee become proficient
in a job, and for which the employer is
typically reimbursed for a portion of the
employees wages.
Training or education designed to prepare the
participant for a specific trade, occupation, or
vocation requiring training other than ABE,
GED, ESL, or baccalaureate or advanced degree.

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Definitions
Job Skills Training
Education Below Post-Secondary

General training that prepares an individual for
employment (examples may include keyboarding or
computer literacy classes) or job specific
training required by an employer in order to
obtain, keep, or advance in employment .
An allowable program activity for participants
who have not received a high school diploma or
General Education Development (GED) certificate
and whose employability would be enhanced by
additional education. It includes ABE, GED, and
ESL programs as well as secondary school and
may be offered in non- traditional as well as
traditional settings.
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Definitions
Work Activities that do not count in the
participation rate
Post-Secondary Education
Other Locally Developed

• Formal instruction at an institution of higher
  education leading to an associate degree or a
  baccalaureate degree. Instruction in these
  activities may be provided in traditional or
  nontraditional settings.
• Limitations
• 24 months
• Assign if educational activity can be
  
• completed in 24 months
• Must be related to jobs available or
• projected to become available in the
• community

• These are activities developed or used by a local
  agency to increase a clients employability, but
  which do not meet the definition of a core or
  non-core activity, or of post-secondary
  education.

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Limitations and Special Provisions

• Federal participation rate calculations limit the
  following
• Job Search/Job Readiness
• Maximum of six weeks in any fiscal year, and
• Only 4 weeks may be consecutive
• Vocational Education and Training
• Lifetime limit of 12 months per individual can be
  counted in the participation rate does not have
  to be consecutive.
• Minimum wage for self-employment
• Not more than 30 of individuals in vocational
  education may count
• 2-year time limit in Virginia
• Average monthly benefit around 265

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Current Pilots

• Projects are aimed at providing specialized
  services for TANF recipients with physical or
  mental disabilities, learning disabilities, and
  alcohol/substance abuse issues
• Includes screening, assessment, psychological
  evaluations, on-site clinicians, medical case
  management, SSI advocacy

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Federal Requirements vs. State Requirements

• Calculation of the work participation rates is
  federally driven.
• The state can opt for different requirements and
  have requirements that are more or less
  restrictive than federal provisions.
• For example, the state can assign people to
  activities that do not count toward the
  participation rate. However, by doing so, the
  work participation rate is lower.
• Current state regulations adopts the federal
  definition of work activities.

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Possible new project features

• Meet work participation requirements
• Short-term, intensive training
• Professions with career ladders
• Combine with actual employment experience
• Enhance WIA coordination