The cost of living has increased in the last two decades, but federal money for temporary cash aid for very low-income families has not kept up. The federal government in 1997 froze its allocations for the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program, informally known as welfare. Since then, the number of families receiving benefits has plummeted in Alabama and nationwide, even as needs mounted during the Great Recession. Years of inflation also have eroded the buying power of Alabama’s already meager benefits.

Fewer Alabama families are receiving TANF aid, and those benefits don’t go nearly as far as they once did. This fact sheet by ACPP policy analyst Carol Gundlach details TANF’s origins and structure, examines its eligibility requirements and considers how the program could do a better job of helping low-income Alabamians endure tough times.