Pros And Cons Of Temporary Assistance Programs

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Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, or TANF, is a cash assistance programs that grants families with little or no income with funding in order to care for children, the elderly, or a family member with a disability. In this case, the head of the household must be seeking employment in order to receive funding. The child support program provides extra time to the parents so they have the opportunity to search for jobs. Under the energy or utility assistance program recipients will receive one hundred percent of basic utility costs, including heat, electricity and water. Food stamps is the most known form of welfare, which provides nutritional needs for families, providing the recipient with their necessary groceries which are only WIC approved. Medical assistance programs include Medicare and Medicaid coverage, allowing recipients access to more than just the basic well checks. Finally, vocational …show more content…
Each state has the opportunity to amend these eligibility requirements, although the majority of states follow the same basic guidelines. Some requirements include income, family size, home situation, and unemployment. There is much controversy over the eligibility requirements, as told by Welfare Reform: Failure and Remedies, “While some would say that the replacement of the old Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) program with Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) was necessary to end welfare dependency, others argue that TANF is an overly coercive measure that will only exacerbate social problems such as child poverty and homelessness.” He believes that putting roadblocks up for those who were eligible took away from the meaning behind what the welfare system is all about. On the contrary, many believe that these requirements are necessary to keep the system fair and