White House OKs Arizona’s Welfare Reforms

The Clinton Administration approved sweeping changes in Arizona’s welfare program Monday, including restrictions on benefits for welfare recipients who have additional children.

The reform package, which takes effect Nov. 1, also puts limits on how long a family can remain on welfare and provides incentives for them to find jobs.

Arizona becomes the 29th state to receive approval from the Administration to reform Aid to Families With Dependent Children, a federal-state welfare program.

Key parts of the program will:

* End automatic increases in benefit payments for additional children born to a family already on welfare.

* Limit the length of time an adult may remain on welfare to two years in any five-year period.

* Require minors who receive benefits to live at home in order to continue receiving benefits.

* Allow welfare recipients to save some of their earnings to be used for education and training.

* Eliminate a rule that limits the number of hours an adult in a two-parent family can work and continue to receive welfare.

Gov. Fife Symington said Arizona’s welfare programs cost the state and federal governments $670 million a year. About 70,000 Arizona families receive AFDC and 180,000 receive food stamps.

The Legislature passed the reform bill last year and Symington applied for the necessary federal waivers in August.

The package was rejected initially, prompting Symington to ask the Legislature to give him authority to implement the changes without federal approval.

But Symington said negotiations that resulted in Monday’s announcement began in January after he met with President Clinton and Health and Human Services Secretary Donna Shalala.

“With this waiver, the Clinton Administration continues to deliver on its promise of state flexibility in welfare reform,” Shalala said.