Time's Up

SUMMARY

This study examines the intersection of two important welfare realities, the imposition of a lifetime limit on cash benefits and the concentration of cases in urban areas. Using survey data on a random sample of June 2002, single-parent TANF families in a large city (Baltimore), the characteristics and self-perceived barriers of long-term (60+ months) and short-term (< 12 months) recipients are compared. Although the demographics of the two groups are very similar, long-term cases were more likely to report barriers, such as having a family member with a health problem or living in bad neighborhood conditions, and to face more barriers than short-term cases. Policy and practice implications are identified.

Key Words:

• Welfare
• time limits
• barriers
• urban cases