Comparing the New (TANF) with the Old (AFDC) - How Many Get Afdc And Tanf Benefits?

The number of AFDC recipients increased sharply in the early 1970s and then generally leveled off somewhat until 1979. During the economic downturn of 1979–81, the number of cases increased 10 percent. In 1982, following the passage of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (OBRA), the number of family participants dropped by 8 percent. The OBRA legislation included provisions that restricted AFDC eligibility.

Participation increased again in 1983 as the United States suffered its worst recession since World War II. Participation remained fairly steady but began to increase again in 1990. By 1994 the number of recipients had grown to 14.2 million, a 24 percent increase in only four years. In 1996, the last year for AFDC, the number of recipients had dropped to 12.6 million from the record high in 1994. The number of AFDC families also increased between 1990 and 1994, from nearly four million to more than five million (again, a record high). In 1996 AFDC families numbered close to 4.5 million. (See Table 7.8.)

Although both the number of recipients and the number of cases (families) increased most years until 1994, the number of recipients per case declined significantly after the late 1960s. The number of recipients per case is figured by dividing the number of recipients by the number of families (cases). In 1969 the average AFDC family size was four recipients. By 1973 the number had dropped to 3.5. By 1980 the average number of recipients per family was 2.9, and in 1996 the average number per family was 2.8. (See Table 7.8.) Family size declined further under TANF, to 2.5 recipients per family in 2002.

Following the enactment of the welfare-reform law, caseloads for families dropped by 59.1 percent from 1994 to 2002. In thirty-six states and territories, caseloads fell by 50 percent or more. Seven states showed caseload reductions of more than 70 percent: Wyoming (91.2 percent), Idaho (83.9 percent), Illinois (80 percent), Florida (76.1 percent), Wisconsin (75.4 percent), Louisiana (72.7 percent), and Colorado (70.9 percent). (See Table 7.9.)

TABLE 7.7
Maximum combined Temporary Assistance for Needy Families and food benefits¹ for single-parent family from one to six persons² January 1, 2003

	Family size
State	1	2	3	4	5	6
Alabama	$294	$429	$556	$676	$789	$926
Alaska	597	952	1,157	1,455	1,526	1,732
Arizona	322	488	649	797	939	1,106
Arkansas	220	409	549	678	797	945
California–Region 1	414	679	881	1,071	1,241	1,436
California–Region 2	402	660	859	1,044	1,210	1,402
Colorado	329	492	655	807	955	1,126
Connecticut	460	655	851	1,023	1,181	1,367
Delaware	319	485	642	790	929	1,094
District of Columbia	346	504	671	829	970	1,152
Florida	305	464	618	760	895	1,054
Georgia	287	460	602	736	861	1,000
Hawaii	503	762	1,012	1,244	1,460	1,711
Idaho	395	512	622	721	813	929
Illinois	335	500	683	809	953	1,113
Indiana	276	456	607	747	880	1,037
Iowa	307	548	704	851	980	1,140
Kansas	366	542	706	853	987	1,146
Kentucky	309	453	589	734	865	1,015
Louisiana	261	427	574	704	826	969
Maine	340	550	745	932	1,110	1,312
Maryland	326	557	737	905	1,060	1,223
Massachusetts	471	658	838	1,004	1,165	1,351
Michigan–Washtenaw County	392	576	748	920	1,079	1,288
Michigan–Wayne County	372	555	727	899	1,058	1,267
Minnesota	354	602	778	939	1,085	1,254
Mississippi	249	398	525	641	749	882
Missouri	274	460	610	744	868	1,015
Montana	388	578	761	932	1,097	1,286
Nebraska	334	501	661	809	951	1,117
Nevada	340	498	649	790	923	1,080
New Hampshire	521	685	843	986	1,120	1,293
New Jersey	292	521	703	846	983	1,144
New Mexico	340	513	678	833	980	1,152
New York–Suffolk County	491	699	898	1,082	1,261	1,440
North Carolina	305	461	596	713	823	957
North Dakota	376	560	740	906	1,066	1,250
Ohio	335	509	667	827	974	1,133
Oklahoma	305	453	610	757	892	1,051
Oregon	396	572	728	900	1,059	1,241
Pennsylvania	329	527	700	865	1,022	1,194
Puerto Rico	271	405	532	648	756	889
Rhode Island	408	610	794	949	1,096	1,269
South Carolina	260	410	549	678	800	945
South Dakota	426	598	744	878	1,005	1,158
Tennessee	234	395	535	663	781	926
Texas	223	418	546	673	784	929
Utah	371	562	738	893	1,039	1,200
Vermont	531	719	902	1,061	1,216	1,375
Virginia	348	522	678	820	973	1,124
Washington	423	604	788	954	1,115	1,302
West Virginia	423	576	723	863	989	1,142

California continued to have the largest TANF caseload, with a monthly average of 501,000 in 2001. New York was second with a monthly average of 258,000 families. Together California and New York account for one-third of total TANF families and one-half of total TANF cash payments.