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TANF ReauthorizationTANF Must Address the Needs of Families with Disabilities
Each year the number of people with disabilities increases. In February of 2003 charts from the International Center for Disability Information indicated the number of individuals in the United States experiencing the loss of one or more “essential life functions” to be approximately 58,038,500.
The Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) in replacing Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) institutionalized a “work first” approach to poor families with a lifetime limit on cash assistance. This mechanism places a particularly harsh economic hardship on families with disabled children and/or adults. This reality tends to be hidden to many policy and advocacy entities due to lack of awareness of the significant number of people with disabilities living in “welfare” families.
ü In 8% of these households there is a child who has a disability. ü In 13% of these families both mother and a child are disabled. ü In 25% of these households, only the mother is disabled. ü In other words, in 38% of these single parent homes, the mother is disabled.
ü States were allowed to exempt up to 20% of their caseload from the “work first” and time limits of TANF for families with disabilities; ü However, states with such exemptions do not routinely have policies in place to exempt these families from the lifetime cash limit.
SIPP (Survey of Income & Program Participation) data indicates that 13% of all families with children under 18 include at least one child with a disability. However, variations in income have significant impact upon the prevalence of disabled children in families. ü Families with incomes less than two times the poverty level are 50% more likely that families with more adequate household income to include a child with a disability. ü Families living on welfare are twice as likely to have a child with a disability.
§ Disabilities are more prevalent among low-income single mothers. ü Among low income single mothers Ø 29% have some disability. Ø 17% have a severe disability ü Among single mothers receiving TANF: Ø 38% have some disability – 2 times more than among higher income families. Ø 25% have a severe disability – almost 5 times more than among higher income families. Women who work outside the home are three times more likely to develop a disability-related illness than men, according to the Health Insurance Association of America. The anticipated increase in the numbers of mothers with disabilities who are major care takers of children must be addressed. ACTIONS NEEDED: § Case-by-case treatment of people with disabilities, addressing the facts of any given disability. § Elimination of generalizations or negative stereotypes which result in neglect. § Meaningful access, accommodations and auxiliary aids in service centers. § Equal opportunity to benefit from agency’s job placement, education, skills training and employment. § Adequate training for contractors. § Written documentation that disability based discrimination does not exist. § Coordination with vocational rehabilitation agencies/disability organizations.
INFORMATIONAL NOTE: § Protections under Title II of the ADA cover state, county and local governments administering all or part of a TANF program. § Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act covers all entities receiving federal financial assistance from HHS, either directly or indirectly. § Persons with a disability are defined as those having a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, a record of such an impairment or who has been regarded as having such impairment. § Current federal law protects all such individuals.
When TANF policies merely exempt people with disabilities, individuals are denied access to TANF services which results in discriminatory exclusion of many individuals from the potential benefits of the program. (DHHS Office for Civil Rights – Policy Guidance)
Because every public issue affects people with disabilities, they should be consulted in the development of every policy. |
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