This group of welfare recipients represents less than 10 percent of the families on cash assistance when welfare reform began. Those who are not willing to work lose their welfare checks. Food stamps and Medical Assistance benefits remain in place. Both women also joined the Governor in the Hall of the House of Representatives as he presented his budget. Their success stories stand as models and encouragement for others who soon will move from welfare to work.
Federal law places a five-year lifetime limit on cash assistance for adults.
Fiscal Year 2001-02 will mark the first time welfare recipients will be affected by this limit. In addition, the Department of Public Welfare will create intensive new programs for clients who have temporary medical exemptions from the welfare work requirements. These incentives also will be available to kinship care providers, victims of domestic violence, individuals who work more hours than required by law, and individuals who combine work and training for more hours than required by law. DPW also plans to employ this same type of intensive case management, interagency assessment, counseling and medical treatment that leads to work for people approaching their 60th month on welfare. Such programs will support the efforts of the state's local Workforce Investment Boards, which have met the challenges presented by the federal Workforce Investment Act by expanding what used to be summer youth job programs into comprehensive year- round services.