Welfare to Work

GAO found that most adult welfare recipients do not participate in the Job Opportunities and Basic Skills (JOBS) training program because of allowable exemptions and minimum participation standards. JOBS still reached only about 13 percent of single-female-headed households receiving welfare each month in 1992; about 60 percent were exempt from participation. Most of the 1.95 million exempt adult welfare recipients were excused from participation because they were caring for children under three years old. The low level of participation raises questions as to whether a program serving relatively few participants can bring about a widespread transformation of the welfare culture. In addition to discussing who is and is not being served under the JOBS training program, this report discusses (1) the range of services that JOBS participants are receiving and the extent to which participants' needs are being met and (2) the implication of servicing participants in a system of time-limited benefits.

GAO found that: (1) most adult Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) recipients do not participate in JOBS due to the Family Support Act's allowable exemptions and minimum participation standards; (2) JOBS only served about 13 percent of single female-headed households receiving AFDC in 1992; (3) even if states meet the minimum participation standard, JOBS will still be serving only a small percentage of AFDC households, which raises questions about whether JOBS can transform the culture of welfare; (4) JOBS services are drawn from existing community programs to avoid duplicative services; (5) JOBS programs obtain many services at no cost, although most programs also purchase some needed education and training services; (6) despite low participation, many JOBS programs are unable to provide participants with the services they need due to a variety of reasons, such as transportation problems; and (7) proposed legislation could require states to place increasing numbers of JOBS participants in a variety of work-related activities over time and impose a 5-year limit on the receipt of benefits.