Last Updated: 09/13/2013

Work requirements are a key aspect of TANF programs and are at the core of many decisions made at the state level. There are many different aspects to TANF work requirements, some of which we cover in more detail under their own topic heading. Here, we provide resources that provide a broad overview of TANF work requirements.

This document written by CBPP staff provides a good overview of work requirements and the problems with them: Changes in TANF Work Requirements Could Make Them More Effective in Promoting Employment | Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (cbpp.org)

This document written by staff at the Congressional Research Service (CRS) does a really good job of making the distinction between what is required of states and what is required of individuals receiving assistance. The bottom line is that states have substantially more flexibility to decide what to require of recipients than they take advantage of: Temporary Assistance for Needy Families: Work Requirements (everycrsreport.com).

This document lays out a vision for how states can use the flexibility they have to move TANF work programs in an antiracist direction: States Have Flexibility to Move TANF Work Programs in an Antiracist Direction | Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (cbpp.org)

This paper summarizes research that lays out the harm caused by work requirements: TANF Studies Show Work Requirement Proposals for Other Programs Would Harm Millions, Do Little to Increase Work | Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (cbpp.org)