Welfare Assistance As a Source of Control and Punishment: The Experiences of Survivors of Intimate Partner Violence (IPV)

Background: Despite the growing recognition of the need for social welfare institutions to respond to survivors of IPV with a trauma-informed focus to prevent revictimization, women continue to be revictimized by institutional policies and practices. This research examines how the policies and practices of a public cash assistance program in one midwestern state perpetuates patriarchal norms to revictimize women who have experienced IPV.

Methods: Administrative data, policy/procedural documents, and focus groups were used through a sequential mixed-methods design. First, administrative data from a midwestern state’s Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) applications from 2008 to 2021 were analyzed to determine the number of applicants granted domestic violence waivers. Domestic violence waivers allow state governments to grant survivors of IPV deferrals to standard TANF work requirements or time limits without getting penalized by the federal government. Second, content analyses of state TANF policies and procedures were undertaken to understand the policy context and guidance under which welfare caseworkers made their decisions regarding domestic violence waivers. Third, focus groups were conducted with 30 caseworkers from ten geographically and socio-politically diverse counties to understand the decision-making process behind waiver administration.

Results: Between 2008 and 2021, an average of less than 1.2 waivers per month were issued in the entire state. With a monthly average of 12,600 families receiving cash assistance and more than 75% of these families being led by single female parents this number is much lower than would be expected given the state police-reported incidence of IPV of 6.6 per 1,000 women. Considering that most incidents of IPV are not reported to police, the number of domestic violence waivers are 10 to 20 times lower than they should be, indicating they are a severely underused resource. Caseworkers in focus groups reported that despite state regulations, they have not received training on IPV and they rarely purposefully screen for IPV unless the client brings it up. Despite having an average of more than 10 years of experience, few of the caseworkers had ever submitted a domestic violence waiver. Instead, when barriers to employment or fulfilling TANF requirements occurred due to the experience of IPV, clients were given sanctions for non-compliance and prevented from receiving financial assistance.

Discussion and Implications: The intended purpose of domestic violence waivers to TANF requirements was to address the increased barriers to economic self-sufficiency of women who have experienced IPV; however, as protocols are currently applied by caseworkers, very few survivors actually receive the waivers. The current social assistance system punishes survivors of IPV, who are predominantly women, and keeps them in poverty and/or prevents them from leaving abusive relationships. Urgently needed is training on IPV for TANF caseworkers, mandatory screening of IPV for all applicants during the interview process, and regulations that require attempts to determine reasons for non-compliance prior to sanctions being issued.