The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) is a federally funded, public benefit program. Virginia’s TANF program serves the poorest families in the state by providing basic cash assistance for their subsistence and ancillary services. It currently serves Virginians divided into two different groups (Groups II and III). Group I was dissolved and merged into Group II in 2017.
The locality groupings were created in the 1970s, have rarely been updated, and thus have grown outdated. Under the guidance of moving one county to a different grouping, there are several counties in Group II that should realistically be in Group III. But, rather than analyze the cost of living for each county and see which group they belong to, it would be more practical to simply eliminate the groupings altogether. This would result in a single statewide standard. Such a standard would be consistent with nearly all major public benefits and health programs such as SNAP, Medicaid, and WIC.
In 2019, the maximum TANF cash payment for a family of 3 was $363/month in Group II and $442/month in Group III. Despite the $79 difference and the appearance that Group III families were faring better than Group II, both amounts were below 20% of the Federal Poverty Line. TANF benefits have not increased with inflation and the dollar’s purchasing power has decreased significantly. TANF families remain the poorest of the poor in Virginia with insufficient income to pay for basic family needs. So despite the appearance that group II families will receive more money, both groups still receive far less than they should.
From 1996 to 2019, the cost of living increased 63.3%. However, TANF payments increased a meager 18.4%. Going back further to 1985, a three person family received an average of $291/month. Had TANF kept pace with inflation, the monthly standards of assistance would be $676. We can see that in both Group II and III, we are far from that amount. Families in neither group are able to get ahead with these paltry amounts. Eliminating the groupings will be the first step in helping them do just that.
