Senate Support Needed to Assist Families With Disabilities Under TANF

< NASW Homepage

Advertise With NASW

Privacy Statement

Government Relations Action Alert

August 8, 2003

Senate Support Needed to Assist Families With Disabilities Under TANF

THE ISSUE AT HAND

On July 31, 2003, just prior to the start of the August congressional recess, Senator Gordon Smith (R-OR) introduced the Pathways to Independence Act (S. 1523). The bill, cosponsored by Senator Jim Jeffords (I-VT) and Senator Kent Conrad (D-ND), addresses the needs of families with disabilities in the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program. It extends the length of time states can count participation in rehabilitative services as "work" and also allows them to count the care parents provide to their children or adult family members with disabilities as "work."

The bill is the result of sustained advocacy by NASW and members of the disability community to improve services to TANF families with significant barriers to employment. Under current law, states have been able to address the needs of individuals with substance abuse or mental health problems due to the dramatic decline in caseloads and the caseload reduction credit. However, the increased work requirements in the proposal by the Bush administration, the bill passed by the House (H.R. 4), and the draft plan developed by Senator Charles Grassley (R-IA), chair of the Senate Finance Committee, would make if difficult, if not impossible, for states to continue current programs without risk of federal sanctions.

Counting Rehabilitative Services as "Work"

The Bush-House-Grassley plan would limit states' ability to count participation in rehabilitative services as work to only three months. In order for states to receive credit for participation in rehabilitation services after three months, individuals would have to work at least 24 hours a week—a requirement too high for many individuals with disabilities to meet. If individuals did meet the 24—hour-per-week work requirement, they then could continue to participate in rehabilitative services for up to 16 hours per week to meet their 40—hour-per-week total participation requirement.

In contrast, the Smith-Jeffords-Conrad bill would allow participation in rehabilitative services to count as work for as long as necessary, gradually combining work activity with rehabilitative services. Under S. 1523, the first three months of rehabilitation services would count as work; the second three months of rehabilitative services would have to be combined with some work activity (amount determined by the state) to count as work; after six months, rehabilitation services would have to be combined with additional work activity that totals at least half of the required hours of participation. The Senate is still debating the total number of hours of participation required, but it is likely to range from 30 hours (in current law) up to 35 hours.

Counting Caring for a Disabled Family Member as "Work"

The second provision in S. 1523 would allow states to count TANF recipients who must care for children or adult family members with disabilities as meeting the full work requirement. There is no such provision in the Bush plan or the House-passed bill.

NASW POSITION & STRATEGY

Improving services to families with major barriers to work, such as mental health and substance abuse problems, has been one of NASW's priorities since work began on the reauthorization of the 1996 law in the fall of 2001. Other priorities include eliminating racial and ethnic discrimination within the welfare system and improving the welfare workforce. NASW is also supporting: increased access to education and training, including higher education; restoration of benefits for immigrants; increased funding for child care; and maintenance of current work hours.

Significant progress has been made on the barriers issue with members of the Senate Finance Committee on both sides of the aisle, as evidenced by the fact that the primary sponsor of S. 1523 is a Republican and the original cosponsors are an Independent and a Democrat. To build on that success, we are now concentrating our efforts on building support among key Senators who are not members of the Senate Finance Committee . . . and we need your help!

TAKE ACTION

If you are represented by one of the Senators listed below, please ask them to co-sponsor S. 1523. The Senate may take up welfare reauthorization soon after it reconvenes on September 2.

Given the continuing congressional mail delivery problems, e-mails, faxes, and phone calls remain the best ways to communicate. A draft letter, to fax or e-mail, is posted on NASW’s Congress Web: http://63.66.87.48/cweb4/index.cfm?orgcode=NASW You may also want to ask for your Senator's support in person during town hall meetings or other events held in the state during the month-long August recess.

A draft script for telephone calls follows. Telephone numbers for Senators’ Washington offices are listed below. You also may call their district offices.

Sample Telephone Script

As a constituent, professional social worker, and member of the National Association of Social Workers, I urge the Senator to co-sponsor the Pathways to Independence Act (S. 1523).

The bill, sponsored by Senator Gordon Smith, would allow states to provide rehabilitation services under the TANF program that are based on the individual circumstances of each family and also to count caring for children with disabilities as work. Engaging individuals with disabilities, including substance abuse, by gradually combining rehabilitation services with work activity is the best formula for successfully moving these families toward independence.

I hope I can count on the Senator’s support for this important bill.

Thank you.