Welfare to Work Report

Section III: Austin/Travis County Population Description

Nationwide, more than 90% of welfare mothers are single. Most are in their twenties and thirties, a prime working-age group. The average household includes the mother and two children. Children living in single parent families are three to four times more likely to live in poverty than children in two parent families. Furthermore, poverty rates are highest among children belonging to minority groups. Not surprisingly, the Austin/Travis County percentage of Hispanics on welfare is much higher than the national average (22.4% more).

Basic demographic information on TANF and food stamp recipients in Austin/Travis County is listed in the table below. In Travis County, 3,346 families receive TANF and 1,830 have received assistance for 30 months or longer. With children included, TANF assistance impacts the lives of 8,397 individuals. One figure to note is the high number of eligible TANF recipients with time limits of one year or less (1,264). These individuals and their families will face significant hardships in the near future. They will need to be served through the Coalition’s continuum of service approach quickly.

Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) Recipients and Food Stamp Recipients
Austin/Travis County

Version 2: June 22, 1998

Food Stamps 1						Households		Individuals
Recipients						12,642		37,006
Recipients also receiving TANF and SSI						2,218		6,997
Temporary Assistance to Needy Families 1							Cases	Individuals
Recipients							3,346	8,397
Time Limits 3							Caretakers	Percentage
One Year							1,264	37.78%
Two Years							455	13.60%
Three Years							788	23.55%
Months Remaining on Time Limit
# Months 1	# Caretakers	# Months	# Caretakers	# Months	# Caretakers
0	5	13	7	26	1
1	11	14	1	27	0
2	13	15	8	28	4
3	16	16	2	29	4
4	21	17	17	30	7
5	47	18	19	31	8
6	30	19	15	32	18
7	33	20	16	33	25
8	54	21	20	34	30
9	68	22	31	35	54
10	98	23	35	36	507
11	106	24	208
12	621	25	1
Exempt from JOBS due to age of youngest child							1,173	35.06%
Ages of children of TANF Caretakers (all children) 1
0 - 5 years of age							2,963	88.55%
2 - 4 years of age							1,393	41.63%
6 - 12 years of age							2,297	68.65%
13 - 14 years of age							423	12.64%
Cases with earnings							108	3.23%
Medicaid 1							Cases	Individuals
(TP 07) Transitional Medicaid (denied TANF due to earnings							686	1949
(TP 20) Transitional Medicaid due to receipt of child support							17	42
(TP 29) Transitional Medicaid due to loss of benefits due to time limits							49	49
(TP 37) Transitional Medicaid due to loss of earnings deduction							29	85
(TP 40) Pregnant Women							1,566	NA
(TP 43) Children under age one							1,042	1,045
(TP 44) Children born on or after 10/1/83 who are age 6 or older with income below 100% of FPL							2,539	4,421
(TP 45) Newborn to Medicaid-covered mother							1,867	1,883
(TP 46) Children born prior to 10/1/83							82	95
(TP 47) Children ineligible for TANF because of applied income							17	24
(TP 48) Children ages 1-5 with income below 133% of poverty							3,637	4,822
(TP 55) Medically Needy							332	395
Total Medicaid							11,863	16,376
Demographics of TANF Caretaker 2							Caretakers	Percentage
Gender
Male							137	4.1%
Female							3,209	95.5%
Ethnicity
White							529	15.8%
Hispanic							1418	42.4%
Black							1366	40.8%
Other							33	1%
Age of Caretaker
Under 18							54	1.6%
18							87	2.6%
19							127	3.8%
20							155	4.6%
21-25							807	24.1%
26-30							670	20%
31-35							542	16.2%
36-40							409	12.2%
Over 40							495	14.8%
Number of Children
None							36	1.1%
One							1,362	40.7%
Two							1,016	30.4%
Three							582	17.4%
Four							227	6.8%
Five							80	2.4%
Six							26	0.8%
Over six							17	0.5%
Education level 1
No educational level available because caretaker ineligible for TANF							193
No formal education							89	2.82%
1st Grade							14	0.44%
2nd Grade							10	0.32%
3rd Grade							30	0.95%
4th Grade							23	0.73%
5th Grade							30	0.95%
6th Grade							112	3.55%
7th Grade							93	2.95%
8th Grade							290	9.20%
9th Grade							409	12.97%
10th Grade							311	9.86%
11th Grade							351	11.13%
High School diploma or GED							1,056	33.49%
Attending or attended college (no degree)							316	10.02%
College graduate							19	10.02%
Work History 4
0-3 months							1909	57.05%
4-6 months							365	10.92%
7-9 months							174	5.20%
10-12 months							379	11.34%
13-15 months							87	2.6%
16-24 months							391	11.65%
Unknown							41	1.22%

1 Strip files, May cut-off compiled June 4-5, 1998 by Manuel Lopez.

2 Estimate - regional percentages applied to Travis County numbers.

3 Numbers in each time limit do not add up to total recipients due to policy and database anomalies.

4 Estimate - percentages from January strip file report applied to May numbers.

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