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Story summary
- The federal government has frozen Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) funding in five states, including New York and Illinois, over fraud concerns.
- The move exposes problems in TANF, established 30 years ago, which emphasizes compliance over outcomes.
- Critics say the design rewards reducing caseloads without measuring mobility.
- The January 2026 freeze should prompt Congress to rewrite TANF rules toward outcome-based accountability and phase-out benefits as income rises.
