Understanding the Dynamics of Disconnection from Employment and Cash Assistance
Since the creation of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) in 1996, there has been concern about low-income individuals who may be eligible for TANF cash benefits but are neither receiving TANF nor working. These families are often referred to as “disconnected.” Many studies have explored the pervasiveness and circumstances of disconnected families, finding that disconnected single mothers are more likely than other women to face personal challenges and health problems (e.g., Turner, Danziger, and Seefeldt, 2006; Loprest and Nichols, 2011). However, significant gaps in our knowledge remain, including the following, which this paper addresses:
- Why do women become disconnected? Are there characteristics or specific challenges faced by some mothers that put them at higher risk for disconnection?
- How do disconnected women manage financially? What role do cohabiting partners play in families’ economic coping strategies?
- What are the circumstances of families while disconnected from work or TANF benefits? What kind of hardships do women and their children experience? What could be done to improve these circumstances and mitigate these hardships?
Methods
Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 22 women in Michigan and 29 in Los Angeles who were without cash welfare benefits or earnings for at least six months in a two year period. Interviews lasted approximately 90 minutes and covered topics including employment, experiences with public benefits, reasons for disconnection from employment and TANF, material hardship and residential stability, sources of support, and coping strategies. Analyses of interview data within and across sites identified key themes related to respondents’ experiences of being disconnected from employment and public assistance.
Results
In Michigan, the poor economy contributed to long-term unemployment for many women. Some had run out of unemployment and TANF benefits. Immigrant women in Los Angeles lacked working papers, had limited English proficiency, and desired to stay home with their young children. Many believed that applying for TANF could negatively affect their pathway toward citizenship or otherwise expose their families to risk.
In both sites, some women opted out of TANF because of hassles, the work requirements, or the belief that others needed the program more. Take-up other benefits (e.g., food stamps and Medicaid) was high. In some households, male partners and children’s fathers provided financial support, sometimes very substantial amounts. In Los Angeles most women lived with a child’s father or other partner whose income covered basic household expenses. But some relationships were maintained for financial stability and may have not been good for women’s mental health. Despite receiving assistance from various sources, experiences of material hardship, such as housing instability, were quite common.
Conclusions and Implications
Policies and practices that could help disconnected women include job creation and access to transportation and affordable child care. More popular programs such as food stamps could be entrees for connecting families to TANF. Finally, the purpose of TANF time limits in poor economic times should be reconsidered.