On the heels of the 1996 welfare law, President Clinton pushed through Congress a measure intended to soften the blow of welfare reform. The experience of many community-based groups is that the PICs are not always effective at conducting outreach to intended beneficiaries.
Anecdotal evidence suggests that competing bureaucracies are also part of the problem.
Welfare caseloads are down so low in many places that TANF agencies are hoarding their clients, rather than referring them to outside agencies or programs that could benefit clients. Sadly, the welfare agencies, PICs and service providers rarely communicate with each other to figure out the best ways to jointly assist recipients. Another problem is that the eligibility criteria are so strict that program operators are having a hard time finding people to serve. In order to participate, most individuals must be long-term welfare recipients without a high school diploma or GED, and with one or more other barriers, namely substance abuse or a poor work history. In other words, someone with a H.S. diploma who cannot read, and has a poor work history, is not eligible for services.