48-month cap on welfare benefits heads to Snyder, By Karen Bouffard, August 24, 2011, Detroit News: “About 12,600 families will be thrown off cash assistance starting Oct. 1 if Gov. Rick Snyder signs a 48-month cap on welfare passed in the House and Senate today. The legislation passed 73-34 in the House, mostly along party lines, after it was granted immediate effect earlier today in the Senate. It now heads to the governor to be signed into law. The cap is opposed by Democrats and child advocates who say Michigan’s high unemployment rate means parents removed from the rolls won’t be able to find jobs. About 25,000 to 30,000 children would be affected, according to estimates…”
Day: August 24, 2011
TANF and Drug Testing – Florida
Welfare drug-testing yields 2 percent positive results, By Catherine Whittenburg, August 24, 2011, Tampa Tribune: “Since the state began testing welfare applicants for drugs in July, about 2 percent have tested positive, preliminary data shows. Ninety-six percent proved to be drug free — leaving the state on the hook to reimburse the cost of their tests. The initiative may save the state a few dollars anyway, bearing out one of Gov. Rick Scott’s arguments for implementing it. But the low test fail-rate undercuts another of his arguments: that people on welfare are more likely to use drugs. At Scott’s urging, the Legislature implemented the new requirement earlier this year that applicants for temporary cash assistance pass a drug test before collecting any benefits. The law, which took effect July 1, requires applicants to pay for their own drug tests. Those who test drug-free are reimbursed by the state, and those who fail cannot receive benefits for a year…”
Child Care Subsidies – Wisconsin
State to tie some child-care subsidies to attendance, By Jason Stein, August 23, 2011, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: “Gov. Scott Walker’s administration is tying child-care subsidies for the poor to whether the children are actually attending day care. State officials said the change should save money for the state by cutting waste and might help reduce fraud in the Wisconsin Shares program, which has struggled with scammers. But some child-care advocates criticized the change that takes effect Sunday as a backdoor pay cut for family child-care providers, who can’t always ensure that the children they care for will show up…”