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The Welfare Agitator - Volume 9, No. 2 July 2003
Congress Postpones Welfare Reauthorization (TANF) Again!
Although welfare was due to be reauthorized by Congress last year, the hot & heavy debates have continually postponed final action. A Continuing Resolution extended TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) through June 30, 2003 and with the Senate Finance Committee preoccupied with tax cuts and prescription drugs, there has been very little movement on TANF.
With June 30th fast approaching, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to extend TANF once more (HR 2350), extending the existing program through September 2003. This provides an additional three months of life support for TANF and continues financing for a host of TANF and poverty related programs, including childcare and transitional medical assistance. It is expected that the Senate will take up the issue in earnest after the July 4th recess and that Congress will soon resolve such key issues such as what the work requirement should be and how much more child care funding states will receive.
ACTION: Continue to call your Congressperson and Senators (Specter and Santorum). Tell them you don’t want the work requirements in TANF to be increased.
What's New in the Welfare Offices?
Client Awareness Posters are new. Once again, efforts from advocates across the state have paid off. Advocates have brought to the attention of DPW officials the need for service delivery improvement in CAO’s. So, as a way to inform the public of their right to receive quality service and to provide help should consumers be dissatisfied with their treatment, posters are being displayed in every CAO. The posters outline general client rights with phone numbers for local welfare rights and legal services.
Through the leadership of Just Harvest’s Welfare Justice Project, Allegheny County has had posters named Client Service Protocols and Welfare Justice Project posters in our CAO’s for over a year now. Welfare Justice Project staff and leaders developed the Client Service Protocol, and the administration of Allegheny County assistance offices printed and posted it in every office. Our Client Service Protocol lists, in depth, client’s options and rights. DPW even printed the protocol as a brochure to hand out to clients, Pub. 488. If you would like a copy of it, contact Rochelle at Just Harvest, 412.431.8960. Allegheny County was ahead of the game, but we’re encouraged to see that the rest of the state will finally catch up!
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