TRENTON, NJ—Nationally, low-income families face deep inequality, low wages, collapsed jobs and more. These families braced the economic consequences of the global pandemic and are now preparing for the impact of inflation. According to the Poor People’s Campaign, “Rising inequality is associated with slower overall economic growth and more persistent poverty.”

In New Jersey, as in other states, prices continue to escalate for rent, groceries, and gas, leaving many in precarious economic conditions. The need for government assistance continues, and sponsors of the S1642/A3324 bill, Assemblywoman Angela V. McKnight, Assemblywoman Britnee N. Timberlake and Assemblyman Daniel R. Benson, see the expansion of the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) as a solution.

Under the proposed bill, the eligibility for TANF would be expanded to include up to 50 percent of the federal poverty level. That means a family of three with an annual income of $11,515 would be supported. Currently, the assistance is only available to those families living at or below 30 percent of the federal poverty level.

It would also provide supportive services to families, including childcare services and transportation services, and even ease the hourly work requirements, reducing it from 40 hours to 30 hours a week.

Gunning for the program's expansion, the primary sponsors gathered on April 26 with immigrant and labor advocates to host a press conference at the State House in Trenton centered on the proposed legislation.

“These changes will make [TANF] more accessible and allow it to better serve our most vulnerable residents,” said New Jersey Senate Majority Leader Teresa Ruiz (D-Essex). “The reforms provide a greater understanding of the realities of working families, offering greater flexibility for families with young children at home and individuals interested in earning a degree.”

The conference, organized by the New Jersey Citizen Action, saw supporters like Renee Koubiadis, Anti-Poverty Program Director at New Jersey Citizen Action, Amy Torres, Executive Director for New Jersey Alliance for Immigrant Justice, and others.

 “The legislation we’re here to talk about today would make many of the changes to truly provide the level of assistance and support families need to get back on their feet when they fall on hard times,” said Renee Koubiadis.

 TANF, also known as Work First New Jersey (WFNJ), is a federal program that the U.S Department of Health & Human Services says is designed to help low-income families with children achieve economic sufficiency. Eligibility requirements are determined by the states.

But the data shows that states only spend a little over one-fifth of their combined federal and state TANF dollars on basic assistance for families with children. For New Jersey, it’s a mere 4-10 percent.

The U.S Census Bureau reported 800,000 people living in poverty in New Jersey. However, the Legal Services of New Jersey indicates that the actual number is closer to 3 million. Some of those families receive some form of assistance from the state, including the New Jersey Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Sponsors and advocates of the proposed bill, expanding TANF, believe that families will sink deeper into poverty without it.

As of May 2020, there were 717,917 people receiving SNAP benefits, an increase of 30,293 since May 2019, according to the New Jersey State website, proving the need for increased assistance. The majority of those families should qualify for the TANF program, yet there’s been a 91 percent decline in enrollment between 1996 to 2022, according to New Jersey Citizen Action.

Counties like Essex and Passaic saw the highest decline in their caseloads since May 2019, with Essex experiencing a 7.6 percent decrease and Passaic, 4.4 percent.

Alina McKnight, a single mother of three and former TANF recipient, took to the podium and said the program could be better. She recalled feeling helpless, being unemployed and having to volunteer at her daughter’s school. Her children would even have to stay in the closets at her cashier job because of the hours she worked. She credits programs like TANF for opening the doors for her and helping her get back on her feet.

“People on TANF are being helped, but they have to deal with limitations, with expiration dates, and picking up the scraps where they can,” she said. “I’m an example it works, but it could be better.”

Public Square Amplified will take a closer look at the decline in TANF enrollment and the program's foundation, including its benefit to local government budgets and its importance in sustaining not just families but states, specifically New Jersey.