Introduction
This annual publication, The Welfare Rules Databook, provides tables containing key Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) policies for each state as of July 2017, as well as longitudinal tables describing various state policies for selected years between 1996 and 2016. The tables are based on the information in the Welfare Rules Database (WRD), a publicly available, online database.
The Welfare Rules Database is a comprehensive resource for comparing cash assistance programs across all 50 states and the District of Columbia, researching changes across time in cash assistance rules within a single state or determining the rules governing cash assistance in one state at a point in time. The WRD provides in-depth information on a wide range of policy topics. These topics are currently organized into 30 categories that together describe most significant dimensions of state policies. The WRD and the Welfare Rules Databook are produced through an OPRE contract with The Urban Institute.
Purpose
The purpose of this annual publication is to provide researchers and policymakers with access to detailed information on how states provide cash assistance under the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program.