Welfare Rules Databook: State TANF Policies as of July 2005

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Abstract

The Welfare Rules Databook, provides tables containing key Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) policies for each state as of July 2005, as well as longitudinal tables describing selected state policies from 1996 through 2005. The tables are based on the information in the Welfare Rules Database (WRD), a publicly available, online database tracking state cash assistance policies over time and across the 50 states and the District of Columbia. The Databook summarizes a subset of the information in the WRD. Users interested in a greater level of detail are encouraged to use the full database, available at http://anfdata.urban.org/wrd.

Introduction

This publication, The Welfare Rules Databook, provides tables containing key Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) policies for each state as of July 2005, as well as longitudinal tables describing selected state policies from 1996 through 2005. The tables are based on the information in the Welfare Rules Database (WRD), a publicly available, online database originally developed under the Urban Institute’s Assessing the New Federalism project.

The Databook is divided into five groups of tables: initial eligibility in 2005; benefits in 2005; requirements in 2005; ongoing eligibility in 2005; and policies across time, 1996–2005. Each chapter begins with an overview of the policies, followed by details relating to specific tables.

The Databook summarizes the detailed information in the WRD. Users interested in a greater level of detail are encouraged to use the full database, available at http://anfdata.urban.org/wrd. This site includes a point-and-click interface, as well as documentation.

The following sections discuss the background and structure of the WRD, and the contents and structure of the tables in this book.

(End of excerpt. The entire report is available in PDF format.)

The nonpartisan Urban Institute publishes studies, reports, and books on timely topics worthy of public consideration. The views expressed are those of the authors and should not be attributed to the Urban Institute, its trustees, or its funders.

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