New welfare time limit cuts thousands from rolls, heightens focus on work programs, By Robert Long, September 28, 2012, Bangor Daily News: “The number of Maine households receiving welfare benefits through the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program decreased by more than 3,000 between January and July of this year. State welfare officials and advocates agree that the approximately 26 percent drop in Maine’s TANF caseload since January results directly from the implementation this year of a 60-month limit on how long each household can receive benefits. They also agree that what happens to families whose benefits expire must be monitored closely — and that the system will have to change to better meet their needs…”
Poverty-related issues in the news, from the Institute for Research on Poverty