Welfare Reform Delayed

by Jean Taddie

In June 1994, President Clinton unveiled a $9.3 billion welfare reform proposal. This proposal puts major emphasis on employment and training of welfare recipients in order to reduce dependency on welfare. To further reduce long-term dependency, recipients would be cut off from their welfare benefits after two years. The phase-in of this proposed two-year cutoff would begin with recipients who were born after 1971.

The President’s reform package also includes strong child support enforcement reform that would emphasize family responsibilities. Emphasis would be placed on tracking down fathers who are skipping out on their child support payments. Mothers would not have their welfare payments reduced for receiving child support from the fathers.

Clinton’s proposal depends heavily on jobs. In order to train and employ welfare recipients, there must be work available. If welfare recipients are unable to find work in the private sector, they will be employed on the public payroll.

With Clinton’s health care package delayed until 1995, the administration has said it will not act on welfare reform until the health care reform issue is resolved.

Copyright NEOCH and the Homeless Grapevine, Issue #8, December 1994-February 1995