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Policy Framework
While welfare agencies and the federal disability system have common goals of supporting people with disabilities and helping them become more independent, the two systems often have diverging interests as well. Differing missions, programmatic and financial challenges, definitions of disability, and rules and incentives related to work make it challenging for the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) programs to work together. Moreover, TANF recipients who apply for SSI confront conflicting messages regarding work requirements and benefit eligibility that can undermine efforts to meet their needs, , as well as their ability to work and become more independent.
In order to address these problems, the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), has contracted with MDRC to assist ACF and the Social Security Administration (SSA) to manage the TANF/SSI Disability Transition Project (TSDTP). The TSDTP seeks to better understand the relationship between the TANF and SSI systems with regard to TANF applicants and recipients who may have a disability. By working closely with both federal agencies and with participating state TANF agencies, the project will analyze program data and develop and implement pilot tests of program interventions targeted to this population. Families, states, TANF agencies, and SSA can all benefit when this population efficiently receives appropriate services — moving toward employment when possible, making informed decisions about applying to SSI, receiving SSI as quickly as possible when they are eligible, and reducing administrative costs. These are the goals of TSDTP.
Agenda, Scope, and Goals
TSDTP consists of two phases. In the first phase, TANF and SSI data will be merged and analyzed to document the extent to which TANF applicants and recipients are connected with the SSI system and how they contribute to the overall dynamics of caseload changes in SSI. To complement this analysis, the MDRC team will conduct field assessments of the TANF/SSI linkages in a number of participating states to better understand how TANF agencies work with participants who have been identified as having a work limitation due to a disability. For example, the team will assess how agencies determine such participants’ work capacity and limitations, their potential eligibility for SSI, and whether and how they are involved in employment-related activities. The field assessments will also examine the interactions between TANF agencies and local SSA offices. Technical assistance will be provided, as necessary, to help develop programs and/or enhance services targeted to this population and strengthen the connections between TANF and SSI programs and services.
The second phase of the project will use the knowledge developed during phase one to work with sites to develop pilot programs that serve TANF participants with disabilities. Given the complexity of the TANF and SSI systems and their intersection, the TSDTP pilot programs are likely to vary by state, depending on a variety of factors, including the rules and structure of the TANF program, the disabilities and other characteristics of the state/local target population, employment services and other supports available, and the conditions in the local labor market. Pilot programs will be assessed, with ongoing formative feedback, and technical assistance provided to ensure implementation of strong program models. In addition, the feasibility of a rigorous experimental evaluation of the pilot models will be considered.
Design, Sites, and Data Sources
A primary focus of the project is knowledge development, including analysis of linked TANF/SSI data that will be provided by SSA. In addition, program models will be pilot-tested. Qualitative interviews, field observations, and analysis of local data will inform the findings.
What's Next
The project began in October 2008 and will be conducted over the next two years. Data-sharing agreements are being negotiated with participating sites, and field visits are currently underway.
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