State Use of Funds To Increase Work Slots for Food Stamp Recipients: Report to Congress

by Craig Gundersen

The Balanced Budget Act of 1997 more than doubled funding to States for USDA's Food Stamp Employment and Training Program. The law required States to spend at least 80 percent of the funding on services that can fulfill the work requirements imposed by welfare reform legislation in 1996 on able-bodied adults without dependents (ABAWDs). This report fulfills the Act's mandate to USDA to examine and report on how States use the new funds to create work opportunities for ABAWDs and if this is done in an efficient and effective manner. The results show that total E&T Program spending increased, though States used less of their Federal grant allocations and more of State matching funds. States make specific recommendations for improving the program.

Keywords: Food Stamps, FANRR, Food Assistance and Nutrition Research Report, ABAWDs, Employment and Training, workfare

In this publication...

• Entire Report
• Abstract
• Chapter 1: Introduction
• Chapter 2: Food Stamp E&T Policies Before and After BBA
• Chapter 3: Review of Studies on ABAWDs and Similar Populations
• Chapter 4: State-Level Findings
• Chapter 5: Case Study Findings
• Glossary
• References
• Appendix A
• Appendix B