Florida's Welfare Transition Program

What victims of domestic violence should know about Florida's Welfare Transition Program (WTP).

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Florida's Welfare Transition Program (WTP)? (See Answer)
What are the eligibility requirements for WTP? (See Answer)
What is required of participants in WTP? (See Answer)
Can WTP help me move to get a better job? (See Answer)
I am a victim of domestic violence. How does that affect my participation in WTP? (See Answer)

What is Florida's Welfare Transition Program?

The Welfare Transition Program is Florida's plan for providing eligible families with services that will assist them in becoming self-sufficient.

Services include:

Job Search, Job Preparation, and Job Placement
Education and Training
Case Management and Counseling
Subsidized Child Care
Transportation Assistance
Relocation Assistance

What are the eligibility requirements for WTP?

Families who receive temporary cash are automatically eligible for services. These families may be required to participate in a work activity as a condition of receiving benefits. To be eligible for cash benefits, an applicant must:

Be a U.S. citizen or qualified non-citizen
Be a legal resident of the state
If the applicant is under the age of 18, reside with a custodial parent, relative caregiver, or in another setting approved by the Department of Children and Families
Include a minor child in the family
Meet income and resource guidelines

Families who do not receive cash assistance may be eligible for services if they are defined as "needy". In order to be determined as needy, the total income for the family must be below 200% of the federal poverty level for the family size, and one or more of the following circumstances must apply:

Be a victim of Domestic Violence
Be a family
Be a family at risk of welfare dependency due to substance abuse or mental illness
Be a family with children at risk for abuse or neglect
Be a family which has previously received cash benefits and is transitioning to full-time work
Be an individual targeted for teen pregnancy prevention activities and services
Be a custodial parent

What is required of participants in WTP?

During the application process for cash benefits, Medicaid, and/or food stamps, applicants will be required to cooperate with Child Support Enforcement unless they have a good reason not to. Good reasons for not cooperating include:

Increased risk of physical, emotional, or sexual abuse to the applicant or another family member
A child conceived as the result of incest or rape

(Child Support Enforcement may require applicants who seek good cause for not cooperating to provide copies of police reports, restraining orders, or other documents and/or testimony.)

If the applicant does not have a good reason for not cooperating, they will be expected to:

Assist in establishing paternity
Assist in identifying and locating the non-custodial parent
Assist in establishing, modifying, or enforcing an order for support

Families who receive cash benefits will be required to assign rights to any child support money collected while they are receiving benefits over to the Florida Department of Children and Families.

Participants in the welfare transition program will also be required to participate in a minimum of 30 hours of work activities weekly. Work activities include:

Working for a private employer
Working for an employer who is subsidized (given money) by the program
Vocational education
On-the-job training
Community service
Workfare (work for a not-for-profit agency in exchange for your cash benefit check)

Victims of domestic violence may be exempted from all or part of the work requirements for a period of time if participating in work activities would put them at risk of further abuse. They may need to pursue other activities that would help them escape the abuse, such as filing for an injunction for protection, counseling, or other activities. (See Domestic Violence & the Welfare Transition Program) Others who may be exempted include:

Minors under the age of 16
Recipients of SSI or SSDI (disability) checks
Adults who are not included in the calculation of cash assistance (Child-Only Cases)
A custodial parent who has a child under the age of 3 months (these applicants may be required to attend parenting classes)
Applicants who are under the age of 19 and have not completed high school (these applicants may be required to attend school or other educational activities)
A person who is totally responsible for the personal care of a disabled family member

While not exempt from work activities, some participants may qualify for a "good cause exception" and be free of sanction penalties for non-participation. These may be individuals who:

Are or have been victims of domestic violence
Have no child care available for a child under the age of 6
Have a pending SSI application
Are undergoing treatment for mental illness or substance abuse
Have a medical incapacity

Applicants who are exempted (or excepted for good cause) from work requirements may be required to participate in alternative activities such as counseling, treatment, or parenting classes as necessary and appropriate in order for the applicant to become "work ready".

An applicant who is not exempted from work activities, does not work, and does not have a good reason for not working will be penalized as follows:

1st Incident of non-compliance - the entire family's cash assistance benefits are stopped for a minimum of 10 days or until the individual who failed to comply does so.
2nd Incident - the entire family's cash benefits are stopped for 1 month or until the individual who failed to comply does so, whichever is later.
3rd Incident - the entire family's cash benefits are stopped for a minimum of 3 months or until the individual who failed to comply does so, whichever is later.

(In addition to cash penalties, food stamp penalties are also applied.)

Can WTP help me move to get a better job?

Some participants in the Welfare Transition Program (WTP) may be eligible for the relocation assistance program. This program was established to assist eligible families in relocating to communities with greater opportunities for self-sufficiency. Eligible families may receive a lump-sum of cash benefit to assist with the costs of relocating. Interested participants must:

Demonstrate that they are unlikely to achieve self-sufficiency in the current community of residence
Have secured a job that provides an increased salary and/or improved benefits in the new location
Have a family support network in the new location
Be relocating to escape domestic violence

Participants who receive Relocation Assistance for any purpose other than domestic violence must sign an agreement restricting the family from applying for cash benefits for 6 months. Domestic violence victims are exempt from this requirement.

I am a victim of domestic violence. How does that affect my participation in WTP?

Past or current victims may have more barriers to self-sufficiency than other participants in the Welfare Transition Program (WTP). The Welfare Transition Program (WTP) is required to let everyone know, beginning at Orientation, about available resources, referrals, and options available in the program for victims of domestic violence.

Victims of domestic violence can choose to tell a case manager about the abuse at any time. All the information disclosed to the case manager or other staff of the welfare transition program will be kept strictly confidential. Case managers can also protect other information such as addresses, phone numbers, post office box locations, training sites, job placement sites, employment addresses, health care providers, children's schools, etc.

Some of the activities that the welfare transition program can offer to assist domestic violence victims include:

Obtaining emergency shelter
Individual or group counseling
Peer support groups
Assistance in applying for an injunction for protection
Case management activities at a victims' services agency
Assembling documentation regarding domestic violence
Temporary or permanent relocation
Prosecution of the perpetrator
Life skills training
Pastoral counseling
Substance abuse treatment
Accessing children's services
Stress management activities
Parenting classes
Accessing available medical assistance related to domestic violence
Mental health counseling
Advocacy from a domestic violence center

Participants can also ask for assistance with safety planning. There are many types of safety plans that address a variety of things, including:

How to get away in an emergency
How to get help if leaving is not an option
Where to go once the victim is away
How to be secure in the new location
How to keep a link with helpers
Transportation
Keeping kids safe
Keeping pets safe
Protecting property
Safety at work and during leisure activities
Anticipating and responding to a batterer's actions

Welfare Transition Links

Florida Department of Children and Families Provides information about Department of Children and Families programs and news updates.
http://www.state.fl.us/cf_web/

Florida Dept. of Health and Human Services Economic Self-Sufficiency Information Provides links to Florida's State TANF Plan, service center locations, and other public benefits information, including Medicaid and Food Stamps.
http://www.dcf.state.fl.us/ess/

Florida Agency for Workforce Innovation Welfare Transition Program Provides links to the laws that created TANF and links to guidance papers and state and federal documents regulating TANF and its administration in Florida.
http://www.floridajobs.org/pdg/wt/default.htm

Workforce Florida Website Provides contact information for Florida's Regional Workforce Boards and One Stop Centers who administer TANF.
http://www.workforceflorida.com/

U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services Welfare Reform Information Provides Federal policy information regarding TANF, including information pertaining to immigrants and victims of trafficking. Also includes a link to the TANF reports to Congress for Fiscal Years 1998 through 2002.
http://www.acf.dhhs.gov/

Statistical information and analysis regarding poverty and welfare issues:

Center on Budget and Policy Priorities The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP) is a nonpartisan research organization and policy institute that conducts research and analysis on a range of government policies and programs, with an emphasis on those affecting low- and moderate-income people.
http://www.cbpp.org/

Center for Law and Social Policy The Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP), a national, nonprofit organization founded in 1968, conducts research, policy analysis, technical assistance, and advocacy on issues related to economic security for low-income families with children.
http://www.clasp.org/

Other Resources

Publications

2002 Indicators of Welfare Dependence: Executive Summary. (2002). U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
http://aspe.hhs.gov/hsp/indicators02/execsum.htm

A review of research on welfare and domestic violence. (2000). Tolman, R.M., University of Michigan, and Raphael, J., Center for Impact Research.
http://www.ssw.umich.edu/trapped/jsi_tolman_final.pdf

Census 2000 Profile: Florida. (2002). U.S. Census Bureau, U.S. Department of Commerce, Economics and Statistics Administration: Washington, DC.
http://www2.census.gov/census_2000/datasets/ demographic_profile/Florida/2kh12.pdf

Criminal victimization 2000: Changes 1999-2000 with Trends 1993-2000. (2001). Bureau of Justice Statistics National Crime Victimization Survey, National Crime Journal.
http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/abstract/cv00.htm

Domestic violence as a barrier to women's economic self-sufficiency. (1999). Sachs, H. Welfare Information Network.
http://www.financeproject.org/Publications/domesticviolence.htm

Domestic violence crime statistics for the state of Florida. (2002). Florida Department of Law Enforcement: Tallahassee, FL.
http://www.fdle.state.fl.us/FSAC/Crime_Trends/domestic_violence/

Domestic violence report. (2002). Florida Department of Children and Families, Family Safety Unit.
http://www5.myflorida.com/cf_web/ myflorida2/healthhuman/domesticviolence/ publications/dv0001.pdf

Domestic violence report. (2001). Florida Department of Children and Families, Family Safety Unit.
http://www5.myflorida.com/cf_web/ myflorida2/healthhuman/domesticviolence/ publications/dv0001.pdf

Extent, Nature, and Consequences of Intimate Partner Violence: Findings From the National Violence Against Women Survey. (2000). U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, National Institute of Justice: Washington, DC.
http://www.ncjrs.org/pdffiles1/nij/181867.pdf

Florida state fact sheet from USDA/ERS. (2003). Economic Research Service, USDA: Washington, DC.
http://www.ers.usda.gov/statefacts/fl.htm

Indicators of Welfare Dependence: Annual Report to Congress. (2002). U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
http://aspe.hhs.gov/hsp/indicators01/

Keeping battered women safe through the welfare-to-work journey: How are we doing? (1999). Raphael, J. and Haennicke, S., Taylor Institute.
http://www.ssw.umich.edu/trapped/pubs_fvo1999.pdf

New evidence documenting the relationship between domestic violence and welfare. (1997). Raphael, J., Taylor Institute, and Tolman, R.M., University of Michigan.
http://www.ssw.umich.edu/trapped/pubs_trapped.pdf

Program structure and service delivery in eleven welfare-to-work grant programs. (2001). Smith Nightingale, D., The Urban Institute.
http://www.doleta.gov/wtw/

Sex differences in violent victimization, 1994. (1997). Bureau of Justice Statistics, Special Report.
http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/abstract/sdvv.htm

Trapped by poverty/Trapped by abuse, Supplement I. (1998). Center for Policy Research.
http://www.ssw.umich.edu/trapped/pubs_trapped_sup1.pdf

Women on Welfare: A study of the Florida WAGES Population. (2000). Merrill, J.C., Ring-Kurtz, S., Olufokunbi, D., Aversa, S., & Sherker, J., Available from Jeffrey C. Merrill.
http://www.ssw.umich.edu/trapped/wagesfinal.pdf

Other Useful Websites

NOW Legal Defense and Education Fund

Office on Violence Against Women

State Policy Documentation Project, Florida

Trapped by Poverty, Trapped by Abuse

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation

U.S. Department of Justice: Domestic Violence

U.S. Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration

VAW Net Library

Welfare Information Network

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Updates

Fall 2006 Newsletter

FLORIDA COALITION AGAINST DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
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