THE EFFECTS OF WELFARE TIME LIMITS: WHAT DO WE KNOW?

Of all the US welfare reform developments of the 1990s, the elimination of the entitlement status through the imposition of time limits on welfare receipt is among the most radical changes relative to previous policy. Under the Aid to Families with Dependent Children program, all single-parent families with at least one child under age 18 could receive benefits as long as they satisfied some income and wealth eligibility criteria. In contrast, the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 prohibits states from using federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families funds to provide benefits beyond a 60-month lifetime limit. Many states have opted for even shorter limits. In light of the great deal of variation across states' time limit policies other than in the length of the limit, more work should be devoted to understanding how the way in which states shaped their own time limits affected the overall impact of the policy.