The Impact of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Benefit Requirements and Sanctions on Maternal Material Hardship, Mental Health, and Parental Aggravation

Author(s): Andrew Walker [sup.1] [sup.2] , Rachael A. Spencer [sup.1] , Emily Lemon [sup.1] , Briana Woods-Jaeger [sup.1] , Kelli A. Komro [sup.1] , Melvin D. Livingston [sup.1] Author Affiliations: [...]
Introduction Temporary Assistance for Needy Families requirements can be stress-inducing, difficult for families to complete, and may be detrimental during early life. We assessed the impact of TANF requirements on primary caregiving mothers' experiences of material hardship, anxiety, depression, and parental aggravation in the first year of a child's life. Methods Survey responses were selected from mothers in the Future of Families and Childhood Wellbeing Study, who received TANF in the first year of their child's life (N = 1085). Results Survey-weighted regression models showed associations between: presence of any requirements and increased material hardship, work requirements and increased material hardship, requirement to name the father of their child and increased depression, benefit cuts and increased parental aggravation, and benefit cuts and increased material hardship. Discussion Federal and state policies should revise requirement programs to increase program accessibility and support the mental health and financial stability of mothers applying for TANF to facilitate sustainable movement into employment.