TANF/Welfare Coverage for People with Addiction Histories

Counting addiction treatment as a work activity

The Legal Action Center continues to support amendments to the welfare law so that addiction treatment can be counted as work activity.  If enacted by Congress, this chance will create significant incentive for states to utilize and expand addiction treatment for those on welfare whose addiction is blocking their ability to work. 

Click here for additional information on counting addiction treatment as a work activity

Advocating for full repeal of the drug felony welfare ban

LAC also advocates for full repeal of the federal welfare law's lifetime ban on the receipt of public assistance benefits and food stamps for people convicted of drug felonies, regardless of whether they paid their debt to society, achieved recovery from their addiction, or otherwise demonstrated rehabilitation and ability to fully re-enter society.  This lifetime ban is counterproductive and harmful to society as well as the individuals themselves and their families. It not only denies people with past drug convictions (but not convictions for any other offenses) basic subsistence when unemployed, it deprives residential alcohol and drug programs of a much needed funding stream.

In April 2008 Congresswoman Barbara Lee introduced the "Food Assistance to Improve Reintegration Act of 2008" (FAIR Act).  This act seeks to repeal federal policy prohibiting people who were convicted of a drug felony offense from receiving food stamps.  In a statement on the bill's introduction, Representative Lee expressed that passing H.R. 5802 would help many women with children who are subject to the lifetime food stamps' ban.  In these comments, Congresswoman Lee asserted that, "reversing this wrong is a move towards breaking the cycle of incarceration and promoting healthy families."

LAC's advocacy to repeal the federal law grew out of the highly successful campaign we have conducted to explain to state governments, service providers, advocates, and constituents why the federal law is misguided. As a result of the advocacy of LAC and many other organizations and individuals, to date 17 states, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Rhode Island, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wyoming, the District of Columbia, and the Virgin Islands rejected the federal ban completely and another 22 states, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Idaho,  Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, Wisconsin, enacted laws to limit the ban.

Click here for more information on the drug felony welfare ban

Visit the Publications section of this web site for additional documents

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