Our state's pathway out of poverty should be clear and easy to navigate.
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families is a lifeline program that helps families meet their most basic needs and protects children from the devastating effects of deep poverty. Prior to the Great Recession, families receiving TANF in Washington state could still get cash assistance if they needed it past the 60-month federal lifetime limit through broad hardship exemptions.
In 2011, Washington cut access to TANF by removing broad hardship exemptions to reduce the caseload, washing away a bridge to stability and leaving a benefits cliff for families needing support. Since then, narrow hardship exemptions and child-only time limits disproportionately cut off Black, Indigenous, and multiracial families trying to access help.
In response to the pandemic, the legislature temporarily restored broad hardship exemptions and eliminated time limits for child-only cases, which significantly increased racial equity in access to TANF. The temporary extension of broad hardship exemptions expired in June 2023, which reinstated a policy with documented racist outcomes and forced families in need off of benefits. Since then, more than 5,000 children have lost their benefits, despite continued need.
HB 1463 would reinstate broad hardship time limit exemptions, a policy that increased racial equity in access to TANF during the pandemic and allowed families to access benefits when they needed them.
Tell your lawmakers to rebuild this bridge to stability by passing HB 1463!
