The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights

Civil rights groups say that when Congress reauthorizes Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), the nation's primary welfare program, it must ensure that all eligible families receive welfare assistance and help more people find jobs or return to the workforce.

TANF provides money to states to administer welfare to low-income families. The program was intended to temporarily protect vulnerable families and promote long-term work, by providing education, job preparation, and training services.  To be eligible to receive TANF funds, parents must work, attend job trainings, or participate in community service for at least 30 hours a week.

However, these strict requirements often prevent the most vulnerable families with severe employment barriers from receiving financial assistance or finding jobs. Since 1996, the percentage of eligible families receiving assistance has decreased by half (down from 86 percent to 42 percent in 2004).  The number of low-income single mothers who neither work nor receive welfare has increased from around 14 percent in 1987 to 34 percent in 2007.

In addition, the recession and budget crises have forced some states reduce the number of families that receive welfare assistance.

All of these factors underscore the need for Congress to give states more flexibility to develop programs that better meet the diverse needs of low-income families, advocates say.