what is federal poverty level for pennsylvania

Advocates point to a 2016 report from the Pew Charitable Trusts, which detailed how states that lifted the cap did not grow their caseloads, but did cut administrative costs, as support for raising or getting rid of the limit. The others are Georgia, Texas, and Oklahoma. The survey indicates a number of ways the state’s welfare policies stand out, and the ways those policies can disincentivize returning to work or saving money.įor example, Pennsylvania is one of four states that sets a $1,000 cap on how much recipients can have in savings before cutting them off.

“It was a lil bit, it was not much,” Duprene said of the $150 payments she remembered getting every two weeks when she was receiving the benefit. That amount, combined with other restrictions, makes the program cumbersome for recipients and less effective as a benefit intended to help people get back on their feet.ĭuprene Johnson, 50, of North Braddock, participated in the survey because she received TANF two decades ago, while putting herself through Temple University. The most common award amount, $403 per month for a family of three, provided 43% of the federal poverty level in 1990, but in 2021 only gets recipients up to 22% of the federal poverty level. Pennsylvania has not changed the amount of cash assistance it gives out since 1990, before the program was rebranded as TANF. “We’ve been so concerned for a long time about the very, very low TANF benefit levels in Pennsylvania,” said supervising attorney Maria Pulzetti, with Community Legal Services. WHYY thanks our sponsors - become a WHYY sponsor

What is federal poverty level for pennsylvania