Comments for Temporary Assistance for Families Should Empower Working-Class Parents Not Serve as a Slush Fund for States at http://www.cepr.net , comment 1 to 3 out of 3 comments http://www.cepr.net Sun, 19 May 2013 08:28:17 +0100 FeedCreator 1.7.3 http://www.cepr.net/index.php/blogs/cepr-blog/temporary-assistance-for-families-should-empower-working-class-parents-not-serve-as-a-slush-fund-for-states#comment-22272 If anybody in power actually cared about poverty, this would be a big issue. This needs to be brought up every time Republican governors ask for block grants for health care for "flexibility" which obviously means use it for something else. - Jennifer Fri, 01 Mar 2013 13:14:51 +0100 http://www.cepr.net/index.php/blogs/cepr-blog/temporary-assistance-for-families-should-empower-working-class-parents-not-serve-as-a-slush-fund-for-states#comment-22253 @ Jennifer: I think the flaw comes in somehow with the "block grant" aspect of the issue. [quote]http://www.cbpp.org/cms/index.cfm?fa=view&id=3808 "How States Have Spent Federal and State Funds Under the TANF Block Grant" While states vary significantly in how they have used their TANF and MOE funds, several overall patterns have emerged. Beginning in TANF’s early years, shrinking cash assistance caseloads freed up federal and state funds that had previously gone to poor families in the form of benefits. States used the flexibility that the block grant gave them to redirect those funds. Some of the freed-up funds were channeled to child care and welfare-to-work programs to further welfare reform efforts, particularly in TANF’s early years. But over time, states redirected a substantial portion of their TANF and MOE finds to other purposes, with some funds being used to substitute for (or “supplant”) existing state spending and thereby help plug holes in state budgets or free up funds for purposes unrelated to low-income families or children.[/quote] Not directly related to states making the process difficult so that less people apply & receive the assistance, but certainly shows a distinct baked-in situation of temptation presented to motivate some to do so, by people in certain positions... looking to spend that money where they'd like to see it go. - watermelonpunch Thu, 28 Feb 2013 19:17:39 +0100 http://www.cepr.net/index.php/blogs/cepr-blog/temporary-assistance-for-families-should-empower-working-class-parents-not-serve-as-a-slush-fund-for-states#comment-22242 There was an article a few months back, cannot remember the source, that described how a southern state, I think Alabama kept its TANF money. Basically the people running the program made the application process so onerous that after an attempt or two people applying would give up. It sounded absolutely inhumane, and I believe any money the state did not give to people it could keep and use however it chose. I am not familiar with the actual language of TANF, are there any rules? Could any enterprising lawyers sue a state over improper use? - Jennifer Thu, 28 Feb 2013 12:08:11 +0100