This is an archive page. The links are no longer being updated.

News Release

HHS RELEASES DATA SHOWING CONTINUING DECLINE
IN NUMBER OF PEOPLE RECEIVING TEMPORARY ASSISTANCE

HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson announced today that both the number of individuals and the number of families receiving assistance under the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program declined between March 2002 and March 2003.

Totals for these quarters show that the number of recipients (defined as individuals) in March 2003 was 4,963,771, a decline of 4.3 percent since March 2002 and 59.5 percent since August 1996, when the TANF law was signed into law. The number of families (defined as family units with children) receiving TANF declined about 2 percent during the same period, to 2,039,917 in March 2003. Since August 1996, the number of families receiving TANF has fallen by 53.7 percent.

"Americans are demonstrating that they want to be self-sufficient and economically independent for the benefit of themselves and their children," Secretary Thompson said. "The President's welfare reauthorization proposal is designed to build on the success of the past and to achieve a new level of success in the future. We cannot be satisfied until every family has the help it needs to become self-sufficient and move from welfare dependence to work. I urge Congress to pass this legislation as soon as possible."

The 1996 TANF law expired on Oct. 1, 2002 and is now operating under an extension. President Bush's proposal to reauthorize TANF strengthens work requirements while providing families with the assistance they need to help parents advance in their careers. It also grants states more flexibility to operate successful programs.

"It is encouraging that the welfare rolls continue to drop," said Wade F. Horn, Ph.D., assistant secretary for children and families. "We know that full-time work is the best route out of poverty. The TANF reauthorization now awaiting Congressional action will help people get the combination of work experience and supportive services that lead to full-time jobs and economic independence."

State caseload statistics are available at http://www.acf.dhhs.gov/news/stats/Mar02-Mar03.htm.

###

Note: All HHS press releases, fact sheets and other press materials are available at http://www.hhs.gov/news.

Last Revised: September 3, 2003