Florida officials predict lower usage for state's TANF program

(The Center Square) — State officials have released a report that shows Floridians might be less reliant on at least one of the Sunshine State’s social net programs in the upcoming fiscal year.

The Social Services Estimating Conference was held in July, and projections indicate one of the lowest uptakes of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program in fiscal 2024-2025, with declining numbers forecast until fiscal 2029-2030.

According to data from the Florida Office of Economic & Demographic Research, in fiscal 2011-2012, the total number of people on the program was 91,174, which cost the state $166.5 million per year. For the current fiscal year 2024-2025, forecasters note that 57,746 people will be on the program, costing taxpayers $84.8 million.

Projections for fiscal 2025-2026 show a further decline in Floridians accessing the program, falling to 54,090 people. By fiscal 2029-2030, the number is expected to drop to 38,359 people.

Since fiscal 2011-2012, caregivers accessing the program have fallen from 18,927 people to an expected 6,847 by fiscal 2024-2025. This current number is expected to remain the same in future forecasts.

According to forecasters, child-only cases have more than halved over the past decade, from 28,484 children in fiscal 2011-2012 to 11,465 by fiscal 2024-2025. Current forecasts note that child-only cases in the program may drop by 100 children over the next six years.

While program numbers continue to decline, one exception is unemployed parents accessing the program. In 2011, 5,879 unemployed parents were receiving a payment. This dropped to a record low of 2,129 unemployed parents in fiscal 2018-2019 before the COVID-19 pandemic.

By fiscal 2022-2023, the number of unemployed parents accessing the program had exploded to a whopping 22,276 - up from 3,372 in the previous year and far outpacing even pandemic numbers, which peaked at 7,420.

In late June , Gov. Ron DeSantis signed House Bill 1267 into law. The bill revised several commonly used public assistance programs in the Sunshine State, including TANF. Bill sponsor Rep. Adam Anderson, R-Tarpon Springs, said in a statement that the bill would help families get a hand up, not a handout to help families transition to economic self-sufficiency.