In 2011 Participation Increased 7.2% in Food Stamps, but Fell 3.6% in TANF

The federal government recently released data showing that 69,634 (3.6%) fewer families received TANF in December 2011 (1,882,817) than in December 2010 (1,952,451).[1]  The number of children receiving TANF in December 2011 (3,373,654) was just 20.5% of the number of poor children in 2010 (16,401,000).[2]  While the poverty figures for 2011 haven’t been released yet, child poverty likely increased in 2011.

The number of households receiving Food Stamps (SNAP)[3] increased by 1,494,590 (7.2%) between December 2010 (20,668,184) and December 2011(22,162,474).[4]  The Food Stamps increase suggests that the TANF decrease was due to states’ adoption of stricter TANF eligibility and access policies rather than to decreased family poverty.

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This report supported in part by a grant from the Open Society Foundations.

 

[1] The TANF figures cited here are from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) tables at http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ofa/data-reports/caseload/caseload_current.htm.  The figures include families in separate state programs funded with maintenance of effort dollars.  

[2] Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2010, U.S. Census Bureau, P60-­­239 (2011), available at http://www.census.gov/prod/2011pubs/p60-239.pdf.

[3] Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is now the Food Stamp program’s official name.

[4] Food Stamp receipt data is available at http://www.fns.usda.gov/pd/snapmain.htm.

TANF Caseload 2011

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