Which of the following are major elements of the TANF program? Multiple select question. Able-bodied adults are required to work after receiving assistance for two years. Able-bodied persons aged 18 to 50 with no dependent children who are not working or engaged in job-training programs are ineligible for food stamps. New legal immigrants who are not citizens are immediately eligible to receive TANF benefits. The lifetime limit for receiving TANF benefits is 5 years.
The correct answer and explanation is:
Correct answers:
- ✅ Able-bodied adults are required to work after receiving assistance for two years.
- ✅ The lifetime limit for receiving TANF benefits is 5 years.
Explanation (approx. 300 words):
The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program is a federal assistance program in the United States designed to help low-income families achieve self-sufficiency. Enacted in 1996 as part of the welfare reform law (the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act), TANF replaced the earlier Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) program. The key features of TANF are work requirements and time limits, which were introduced to reduce long-term dependency on government assistance.
One major element of TANF is that able-bodied adults are required to work after receiving assistance for two years. This work requirement is central to TANF’s goal of promoting employment over long-term welfare dependence. States can define work activities broadly, including job training, community service, and actual employment. Failure to comply with these requirements may result in reduced or terminated benefits.
Another key component is the lifetime limit of five years for receiving TANF benefits. This time cap is cumulative and applies whether the benefits are continuous or intermittent. However, states can exempt up to 20% of their caseload from the time limit for hardship cases.
The other two statements are not major elements of TANF:
- The rule that able-bodied persons aged 18 to 50 with no dependent children are ineligible for food stamps if they are not working or in job training applies to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), not TANF.
- New legal immigrants who are not U.S. citizens are not automatically eligible for TANF. In fact, most face a five-year waiting period before becoming eligible for federal TANF benefits, although states may provide separate assistance.
Overall, TANF emphasizes personal responsibility, work, and time-limited assistance as its primary mechanisms for addressing poverty.