Up to $5 billion in emergency funds are now available for the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program and benefits associated with it. This was announced by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), with the funding coming in from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.
“More Americans have lost their jobs and their health care and they are struggling to put food on the table,” HHS Spokeswoman Jenny Backus said.
“The Recovery Act gives states the resources and the flexibility to ensure they provide assistance and employment opportunities that will help get more Americans back on their feet,” she affirmed.
What is TANF?
The TANF program provides financial and other forms of assistance to hardworking Americans who need some backing. In conjunction with the Recovery Act of 2009, the TANF funding will help states serve more families seeking employment opportunities and other forms of aid to survive the recession.
States looking to partake of the TANF Emergency Fund must show an increase in the number of families receiving TANF assistance, or an increase in employment subsidies as well as one-time short-term benefits in at least one quarter in the 2009 or 2010 fiscal years.
The Recovery act of 2009 also provides states with more leeway in using unspent TANF funds from prior years to help families now. It also changed the caseload reduction credit guidelines so that states would not be burdened with more restrictions during the recession. The Recovery act also has a supplemental grant program for 17 states that have growing populations.
It should be noted that TANF funds from the ARRA will be subject to the same guidelines as standard TANF funding.
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