The State of West Virginia's Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program, called WV Works, is based on the two overarching goals of assisting economically dependent and at-risk families in their efforts to become self-supporting and enhancing the well-being of the child. It will also assist families near the poverty level to remain self sufficient. WV Works is designed to end the dependence of needy parents on government benefits by promoting job preparation, work and marriage; prevent and reduce the incidence of out-of-wedlock pregnancies and establish annual numerical goals for preventing and reducing the incidence of these pregnancies; and encourage the formation and maintenance of two-parent families. Child-only cash assistance is also available regardless of the income of the parent(s) or relative(s).
A family is defined as all dependent blood-related and adopted siblings and their parent(s), the parent's legal spouse and all blood-related and adopted dependent children of the parent's spouse who are living in the same household. A family is considered a two-parent family when both parents are living together and are the biological or adoptive parents of the children in the benefit group. A family is considered a single parent family when there is only one parent in the household or when there is a two parent household with a step-parent, one or two caretaker relatives and/or an incapacitated adult. A caretaker relative is an adult relative other than the biological or adoptive parent, such as a grandparent, aunt, uncle, brother, sister, and their legal spouses and those relatives of preceding generations and their legal spouses.
For families with low incomes, WV Works has four primary eligibility requirements. Those include an income test, an asset test, attendance at an orientation session, and the signing of a personal responsibility contract.
Support services are provided to individuals in eligible families on a need demonstrated basis. These services are intended to assist individuals and families to become or remain self-sufficient. They will be provided in pre-employment and post-employment situations.
Support services for individuals eligible for cash assistance include:
Non-cash assistance recipients will also be eligible for support services for individuals residing in families with eligible children and the adult is employed. The family's income must be at or below 150% of the Federal Poverty Level. These services will not exceed a four month period and will be based upon the amount of cash assistance the family would have been eligible for during that period. The support services for non-cash assistance recipients include:
Employment related services to enable the parent/caretaker to successfully participate in an activity and to become employed and/or remain employed if not covered by Medicaid. These services include substance abuse and mental health counseling.
To learn more about TANF contact your local Department of Health and Human Resources office.