FAQ: TANF Work Outcomes Measures (Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023)
ACF is committed to supporting the critical work you do each day in your Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) programs and to guiding you through the implementation of the new TANF provisions in the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 (FRA).
Below are questions OFA has received that are not answered in existing resources and/or where language in the technical resource required additional clarification. Please check these resources for answers to your questions. If you have questions that are not answered in any of the resources, please contact tanfdata@acf.hhs.gov and copy your OFA Regional contact.
| Questions About | Resource |
| FRA implementation and decision-making discussion | IFR Preamble |
| 45 CFR Part 265 changes | IFR proposed regulation text |
| Work Outcomes of TANF Exiters (measures 1-3), including the measures, definitions, methodology, and who is or is not included in each measure | TANF Work Outcomes Measures Technical Resource (PDF) |
| Secondary School Attainment Rate (measure 4), including definitions, methodology, and who is or is not included in the measure | TANF Work Outcomes Measures Technical Resource (PDF) |
| Report forms and instructions, including frequency, which exiters are included in each report, and due dates | TANF Work Outcomes PRA Package |
Exit Definition
- Is the date of exit the month in which the action was taken to close the case or the date they are no longer eligible for TANF?
- In pay-for-performance states, where benefit payments are not issued until the WEI has satisfied the performance requirement, is the 90 days considered from when the individual last performed required activities or benefit issuance?
- Many states issue assistance on a monthly-basis and do not capture the last day of assistance. Instead, they capture the last month a family received assistance. Can we use three months instead of 90 days?
- Are WEIs receiving transitional benefits considered exiters for the purposes of the Work Outcomes of TANF Exiters measures?
- If a WEI receives a non-recurrent short-term benefit payment, would they be considered an exiter?
- 2-parent household case, one left the home and exit TANF program but the other parent still on TANF. Do we ignore everyone on the case or do we count the one who exited and meet all other criteria?
- Should 16 and 17 year-olds be included if the state requires them to participate in work activities if they are not in school? (Same question would apply to 18 and 19-year olds, but they usually are only eligible for assistance if they are in school.
- If a WEI returns more than 90 days after exit but before the report is submitted, should the WEI be included in the file?
- We have a few examples we would like to walk through regarding how to determine when an individual exited the program and needs to be reported. Can we set up a phone call?
Q1: Is the date of exit the month in which the action was taken to close the case or the date they are no longer eligible for TANF?
A1: The date of exit is the last month in which they received the assistance (i.e., even if they get the actual payment two weeks later, it would be the last month that they were eligible).
Q2: In pay-for-performance states, where benefit payments are not issued until the WEI has satisfied the performance requirement, is the 90 days considered from when the individual last performed required activities or benefit issuance?
A2: In pay-for-performance states, you may interpret "ceases to receive" as "last eligible to receive". The 90 days would be counted from the period the work-eligible individual satisfied the state's performance requirement, not from the date of the benefit issuance. For example, a work-eligible individual (WEI) met the state's pay-for-performance eligibility criteria in June 2025 and their June payment was issued to the family in July 2025. The individual's exit is confirmed 90 days following the June closure. The individual's exit is confirmed is considered exited in June 2025 and the individual's SSN will be included in the November 14th Work Outcomes of TANF Exiters Report covering the period FY Q3, April-June.
Q3: Many states issue assistance on a monthly-basis and do not capture the last day of assistance. Instead, they capture the last month a family received assistance. Can we use three months instead of 90 days?
A3: Yes, you may interpret 90 days as three months. For example, if the family of a work-eligible individual last received assistance in February 2025 and did not receive assistance in report months March, April, and May 2025, the individual is considered to have exited in February 2025 and this individual’s SSN will be included in the August 14th Work Outcomes of TANF Exiters Report, covering the period FY Q2, January-March.
Q4: Are WEIs receiving transitional benefits considered exiters for the purposes of the Work Outcomes of TANF Exiters measures?
A4: It depends on both the source and the nature of the benefit. If a family with a WEI was receiving TANF-funded benefits and then was moved to transitional benefit funded through separate state programs through maintenance-of-effort (SSP-MOE) or a solely state-funded program, then they would count as an exiter. If the transitional benefit is federally funded through TANF and it is intended to meet basic needs, then it is considered an assistance payment, and the family would not yet constitute an exiter. However, if the transitional benefit is funded through TANF but is a non-recurrent short-term benefit and the family does not otherwise receive assistance, then the family would be considered to be exiting TANF assistance.
Q5: If a WEI receives a non-recurrent short-term benefit payment, would they be considered an exiter?
A5: Receipt of a non-recurrent short-term benefit (NRST) has no bearing on whether someone is an exiter or not. A work-eligible individual whose family exits TANF would be an exiter even if it receives a NRST benefit. A family receiving just a NRST benefit and ceases to receive that benefit would not be considered an exiter.
Q6: 2-parent household case, one left the home and exit TANF program but the other parent still on TANF. Do we ignore everyone on the case or do we count the one who exited and meet all other criteria?
A6: If still receiving TANF, because definition is based at family or case level, they would still be on TANF.
Q7: Should 16 and 17 year-olds be included if the state requires them to participate in work activities if they are not in school? (Same question would apply to 18 and 19-year olds, but they usually are only eligible for assistance if they are in school.
A7: Sixteen- and seventeen-year-olds should not be included because they are minor children and do not meet the definition of work-eligible individual for federal reporting purposes, even if the state imposes work requirements on them. The one exception is a minor child head of household who is considered an adult and could be a work-eligible individual.
Note that the Social Security Act defines a minor child as an individual who—(A) has not attained 18 years of age; or (B) has not attained 19 years of age and is a full-time student in a secondary school (or in the equivalent level of vocational or technical training). So, an eighteen-year-old meeting the educational criteria would not be a work-eligible individual. Nineteen-year-olds are considered adults and could be work-eligible individuals regardless of educational status.
Q8: If a WEI returns more than 90 days after exit but before the report is submitted, should the WEI be included in the file?
A8: Yes, they should be included in the file in this circumstance. To confirm the exit, only the 90-day period after the exit date should be considered. Please see the TANF Work Outcomes Measures Technical Resource for explanations of this and other scenarios.
Q9: We have a few examples we would like to walk through regarding how to determine when an individual exited the program and needs to be reported. Can we set up a phone call?
A9: The TANF Work Outcomes Measures Technical Resource provides instruction and examples of when individuals should or should not be included in the measures. If you have reviewed the resource and identified a scenario that is not addressed in the guidance, please write up the examples for us to respond to and submit them to TANFdata@acf.hhs.gov.
Work Outcomes of TANF Exiters Report
- Some individuals do not have a Social Security Number (SSN). How do we report on those individuals? What are the expectations for states regarding resubmission of data for individuals who are initially reported without an SSN?
- Our state does not participate in a match agreement with the National Directory of New Hires (NDNH). Will this prevent ACF from calculating the Work Outcomes Measures on our behalf?
- What data sources should states use for tracking self-employed individuals, gig workers, or otherwise not included in the National Directory of New Hires (NDNH)?
- The definition of exit is “the date that a family with a work-eligible individual ceases to receive assistance from the TANF program.” What definition of family should we use for the Work Outcomes measures?
Q10: Some individuals do not have a Social Security Number (SSN). How do we report on those individuals? What are the expectations for states regarding resubmission of data for individuals who are initially reported without an SSN?
A10: All work-eligible individuals (WEIs) who exit TANF should be included in the quarterly Work Outcomes of TANF Exiters report. Those without an SSN should be reported as “999999999” in order to get a sense of the true exiting population and to understand missingness in the outcomes measures. Since those individuals won’t be able to be matched with the National Directory of New Hires (NDNH), any positive work outcomes would only be captured if a state chooses to submit a Supplemental Work Outcomes report and includes those individuals. The expectation is that states will work to fix missing or invalid SSNs in order to maximize matching with the NDNH and resubmit the data as many times as necessary. Please remember to resubmit the entire file each time. This instruction will be included in the final Work Outcomes of TANF Exiters report instructions.
Q11: Our state does not participate in a match agreement with the National Directory of New Hires (NDNH). Will this prevent ACF from calculating the Work Outcomes Measures on our behalf?
A11: All states are represented in the NDNH — they don’t need to have their own separate match agreement to appear in the data. The NDNH receives data from state unemployment insurance programs, so all states and territories with an unemployment insurance program are included.
Any state that does not have an Unemployment Insurance program and thus is currently unable to submit quarterly wage records to the NDNH will be required to submit the Supplemental Work Outcomes Report. That report will be used to calculate the same performance measures as those in the Work Outcomes of TANF Exiters Report.
Q12: What data sources should states use for tracking self-employed individuals, gig workers, or otherwise not included in the National Directory of New Hires (NDNH)?
A12: We recognize that while the federal-level match with the NDNH has the benefit of reporting wages earned across state lines and from federal employment, it does not include other sources of wage data, such as self-employment or gig work in most states. States that are interested in calculating the work outcomes measures with additional sources of employment are encouraged to submit the Supplemental Work Outcomes Report annually. This report allows states to provide calculated outcomes measures results with alternative data sources, such as for those who are self-employed or participate in gig work and are not systematically captured in quarterly wage records. ACF is committed to providing technical assistance and support to states interested in developing their own infrastructure to calculate work outcomes, including helping develop relationships across state agencies, data system modifications, data sharing agreements, and data analysis capacity. Additional resources and technical assistance to follow.
Q13: The definition of exit is “the date that a family with a work-eligible individual ceases to receive assistance from the TANF program.” What definition of family should we use for the Work Outcomes measures?
A13: We are using the same definition of “family” that we use for ACF-199 and ACF-209 data reporting, copied below (see page 4 of the instructions).
For reporting purposes, the TANF family means: (a) all individuals receiving assistance as part of a family under the state’s TANF program; and (b) the following additional persons living in the family, if not included under (a) above:
- Parent or caretaker relative of any minor child;
- A minor child; and
- Any person whose income or resources are counted in determining the family’s eligibility for or amount of assistance.
Secondary School Attainment Measure
- What data sources should states use for the fourth measure, Secondary School Diploma or Recognized Equivalent Attainment Rate?
- How should the Secondary School Diploma or Recognized Equivalent Attainment Rate take into account individuals who have moved out of state?
- For the Secondary Education Attainment measure, can someone be counted in the denominator multiple times over multiple years?
- The education outcomes included in the Secondary School Attainment Measure can occur after exit from TANF. Are states supposed to follow up with participants after they are no longer receiving TANF assistance?
Q14: What data sources should states use for the fourth measure, Secondary School Diploma or Recognized Equivalent Attainment Rate?
A14: States may determine the data collection method and sources. Acceptable sources of data include matching with state or local secondary school or equivalent systems or self-attestation through surveys. Additional resources and technical assistance to follow.
Q15: How should the Secondary School Diploma or Recognized Equivalent Attainment Rate take into account individuals who have moved out of state?
A15: Whether you can capture someone who has moved out of state in the educational attainment rate will depend on the method you are using to obtain the data. For instance, if you are working with your state education agencies to match administrative data, you would not be able to capture someone who obtained their degree after moving. However, if you are using a survey, you may be able to capture those individuals. The limitations of the method(s) you end up using should be documented in the “Data Sources” section of the Secondary School Attainment Measure form you use to submit your data, and appropriate caveats will be included when the data is published.
Q16: For the Secondary Education Attainment measure, can someone be counted in the denominator multiple times over multiple years?
A16: Yes, individuals should be included in the denominator for each federal fiscal year if they meet the definition of eligibility. Two examples include: individuals whose eligibility crosses multiple fiscal years and eligible individuals who exit and return to TANF. Individuals should not be counted multiple times within the same year. For more examples of how individuals should or should not be counted towards the Secondary School Diploma or its Equivalent Rate measure, see the TANF Work Outcomes Technical Resource.
Q17: The education outcomes included in the Secondary School Attainment Measure can occur after exit from TANF. Are states supposed to follow up with participants after they are no longer receiving TANF assistance?
A17: For the Secondary School Attainment Measure, states can decide how to collect data on exiters. Some options include surveying exiters or working with state education agencies to match attainment data. The TANF Outcomes Technical Assistance and Logistics (TOTAL) project offers a variety of resources to support this data collection, available on OFA’s PeerTA website: https://peerta.acf.hhs.gov/total.
Other
Q19: Do we have to submit universe-level data for the new work outcomes measures reports?
A19: The calculations for the work outcomes measures use universe-level data, meaning that the rates are based on the entire population that meets the criteria and not a sample of that population. For the Work Outcomes of TANF Exiters report, states must submit universe-level data. For the Secondary School Attainment Measure and Supplemental Work Outcomes Report, states must submit aggregate-level data based on the universe of their caseload that meets the criteria.
Q20: Where are we counting "families" that have significant barriers and may remain on TANF "longer" than someone who is work ready?
A20: The Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 does not include this measure in Section 304, Reporting of Work Outcomes. Please see the text of the legislation for further reading.