Staff Reports
Gov. Ron DeSantis has signed legislation (HB 1267) offering low-income Florida families what lawmakers described as their first step toward economic self-sufficiency.
The measure makes changes to the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and School Readiness programs by addressing the “benefits cliff,” which causes beneficiaries to lose public benefits as a result of modest increases to their household income and often creates barriers to economic advancement.
“Benefit cliffs create a financial disincentive for low-income individuals to earn more income due to the destabilization and uncertainty that often results from a loss in benefits, especially when the benefit lost was essential to a parent’s ability to reliably work,” a House bill analysis reads.
Effects are most significant to families when that cliff results in the loss of child care or housing benefits, the analysis continues.
“While a family is receiving housing and/or child care benefits, the costs for these necessities are a defined, affordable share of the family’s income, but those expenses can significantly increase when the family enters the private market,” it adds.
While the legislation does not eliminate that cliff, the legislation creates a new case management system to transition families from TANF to assist them with the transition to self-sufficiency.
The bill also requires those receiving public benefits to use a financial forecasting tool to help navigate self-sufficiency as they transition away from public assistance.
“The bill replaces hand-outs with hand-ups, with the new School Readiness Plus program helping families get off these benefit programs completely. We want smooth transitions for those moving from public assistance to financial independence. No family should choose between a pay increase and receiving benefits,” bill sponsor Rep. Adam Anderson said.
In a separate move, Florida now requires TANF recipients to prove they are working, looking for work or going to school or some other vocational program. This bill allows TANF recipients to use adult general education and high school equivalency exam prep toward those work requirements.
The legislation also creates the School Readiness Plus Program to provide financial assistance to families transitioning from existing School Readiness programs. It also maintains access to affordable child care for those pursuing financial independence. It allocates more than $23 million for implementation.
The law takes effect July 1.
15 comments
Cindy
June 17, 2024 at 8:25 pm
That’s a great helper 😊
Renee
June 18, 2024 at 6:49 am
This entire article is vague and sounds like propoganda. How about explaing the facts of the change, instead of quoting slogans. What does it do? How many families arecimpacted? This article just raises questions. It does not provide any answers t9 what the new law will actually do..
Brenda J Carter
June 18, 2024 at 8:16 am
Don’t believe it prople!! The last thing desantis would do is help people . This ultimately will hurt people . Trust me …Just look at how he has practically eliminated meals on wheels . And all social services in Florida. I know I tried unsuccessfuly to access them . And have the state because of desantis.
Doc
June 18, 2024 at 10:38 am
He’s on an effort to drive the poor out of Florida.
Javier Delgado
June 18, 2024 at 9:17 am
Hmmmm. Positive. Those willing to help themselves will. And those who work to take advantage of this government programs, will have to find another way to get paid for doing nothing.
PeterH
June 18, 2024 at 9:46 am
Creating an article from DeSantis talking points is not reporting!
Matt’s Babysitter Club
June 18, 2024 at 10:20 am
You are well represented in this ultimate Floridian:
Rep. Matt Gaetz claimed Monday the House Ethics Committee has opened “new” investigations into him, which he called “frivolous.” … Gaetz has maintained his innocence through multiple ethics inquiries and alleges the panel is using investigations against him as retribution for spearheading the ouster of former Speaker Kevin McCarthy last fall.
Brenda J Carter
June 18, 2024 at 10:27 am
Desantis is slowly destroying florida , the only thing hat really matters to him is enforcing on floridians his beliefs . He is also destroying the environment, God help you Floridians !
Paris
June 18, 2024 at 11:26 am
Ron De Satan, is destroying Florida. People who I know who live there, want out. However, they own their homes and it’s difficult to sell them at this time. He does not want poor or Black and Brown people there. Shameful!
Paris
June 18, 2024 at 11:29 am
How is this project going to help those people transitioning? What about day care , transportation, etc? While those people go to school or work, who is going to help. They need extra money to provide for daycare and transportation.
Sally B
June 18, 2024 at 1:44 pm
The enacted legislation signed into law by America’s Governor enjoyed overwhelming bipartisan support and passed nearly unanimously (of the 160 members of the Florida Legislature, only one voted nay). Thanks to Governor Ron DeSantis and both Republican and Democratic lawmakers in Tallahassee.
Floridian Of The Week
June 18, 2024 at 3:57 pm
Shocking footage shows the moment a Florida McDonald’s worker opened fire on a drive-thru customer who complained about their incorrect order.
Chassidy Gardner, 22, of Lakeland, was arrested on June 14 after police officers responded to a reported shooting at the McDonald’s drive-thru she worked at on East Memorial Boulevard in the city.
The violent altercation happened when the customers “felt their order was incorrect”, the Lakeland Police Department said in a Facebook post.
Gardner was captured in surveillance footage throwing a drink at customers as they were leaving the drive-thru after an argument broke out over their order.
Two customers then got out of their vehicle, opened the drive-through window, and began throwing drinks at Gardner, who then pulled out a gun, the video shows.
Ocean Joe
June 18, 2024 at 7:48 pm
Better education and resulting communication skills might have prevented this, but fortunately the clerk had a gun to defend herself against the sugary drinks launched her way.
Chassidy served her last Happy Meal.
MH/Duuuval
June 18, 2024 at 4:29 pm
Here’s an idea: Put the SNAP amount to equal what Dee and his wife and chirred put away each month.
Then, as some locales already have done successfully, allot families cash monthly in lieu of TANF. They will know better than the government how to manage.
Tjb
June 18, 2024 at 4:53 pm
Perhaps increasing the minimum wage would be a better solution.