Well that’s all fine and dandy, however enforcement is a whole other ball game. The law can say whatever it says but without the enforcement part it’s useless. I know a couple single mothers who I can tell you right now DO NOT volunteer anywhere for the benefits they receive.
Your acuaintences are lucky!
One in every four TANF cases has experienced a sanction.
In Illinois,as in most states,TANF recipients face sanctions,or reductions in their cash grant,for failure either to participate in a required activity or to cooperate with child support enforcement. Sanctions in Illinois become more severe as noncompliance persists. Initially,the cash grant is reduced by 50 percent; after three months of noncompliance,it is eliminated altogether (Illinois Department of Human Services 1999). With the third instance of noncompliance,the state immediately imposes a full-grant sanction that must remain in place for at least three months. Overall,26 percent of TANF cases have experienced a sanction,with almost all attributable to failure to participate in a required activity (Figure II.3).