Temporary Assistance for Needy Families

Cooper issues order aimed at helping former prison inmates reenter society

Gov. Roy Cooper issued an Executive Order Monday that is geared toward improving the lives of former prison inmates as they reenter society.

Theresa Opeka

Brian Balfour, David N. Bass

Time for NC to fix its benefits cliffs problem. Here’s how.

It’s no secret that many North Carolinians rely on government assistance programs to make ends meet. But they often get caught in a benefits cliff which disincentivizes them from looking for more meaningful work and gaining independence. Benefits cliffs occur when an individual, family, or household experiences a sudden, steep loss of government assistance as...

Lawmakers should get serious about fraud

As Russia’s full-scale war against the independent country of Ukraine approaches its 20th month, the role of the United States in arming, training, and funding the Ukrainians has become a point of contention between Joe Biden and some of his potential GOP opponents, as well as among Republicans on Capitol Hill. Does the issue deserve...

Audit: NCDHHS non-compliant with fed rules on eligibility for Medicaid and other programs

The NC Department of Health and Human Services was found to be non-compliant with Federal requirements for several programs, including problems with the Medicaid eligibility determination process and paying Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) to ineligible families, according to an audit by the NC Office of the State Auditor.

Theresa Opeka

Auditor worries new Medicaid rules will worsen already-lax oversight

Gov. Roy Cooper recently made it easier for people to apply for Medicaid coverage during the COVID-19 outbreak. State Auditor Beth Wood worries the new rules will weaken an already-lax oversight system and encourage fraud. The coronavirus drove Cooper to waive some oversight of the eligibility of Medicaid beneficiaries. The moves would speed up processing...

Julie Havlak

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Insist on work for aid

Work requirements for Medicaid aren’t intended to be punitive and aren’t really about saving money. They promote personal responsibility and affirm the dignity of work.

N.C. One of Many States Struggling To Maintain Welfare Programs

RALEIGH — North Carolina isn’t the only state that plans to idle its Work First poverty program temporarily after October if the federal government shutdown continues. Other states also are moving in the same direction, officials say. North Carolina does not have sufficient contingency funds budgeted to maintain the services, in large part, because it receives less money than many states from the federal government.

Dan Way

Gelles’ “Blueprint for Change” Would Bulk Up Big Government

Richard Gelles observes that once an individual problem receives the imprimatur of a government remedy, the definition of the problem will expand so that the remedy never goes away.

Lloyd Billingsley

Time to Test Tillis’s Idea

Liberals argue that Florida’s policy is a waste of time and money because few would-be welfare recipients have failed their drug tests. That’s not the relevant statistic.

N.C. Gets So-So Welfare Grade

RALEIGH — A Washington, D.C.-based libertarian think tank gives North Carolina a mixed review in a 50-state analysis on the implementation of welfare reform. In a policy report published last fall that rated all the states on the results of their policies, the Cato Institute gave the Tar Heel state a “C” grade, along with 19 other states. Idaho, one of four states to earn an “A,” received the highest marks, while Vermont ranked the lowest among the nine states that received an “F.” Cato reviewed the states’ policies and practices in place since the federal overhaul of the welfare system in 1996.

Paul Chesser

Fair to Middlin’ on Welfare Reform

North Carolina has just received an average grade on the implementation of welfare reform since the mid-1990s. The state could do better but at least the foundation was laid.