Oregon Public Broadcasting

Oregon is one of several states struggling with the mandates surrounding welfare benefits. April Baer reports the problem has to do with how enrolled families are spending their time.

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families is a cash payment for families with kids. The maximum benefit for a family of three is $528.

The program's federal administrators sent a letter to Oregon this week. It notes some participating families didn't meet certain requirements in 2007 and 2008. They're supposed to spend a certain number of hours looking for work, in job training, or similar counseling.

Erinn Kelley-Siel with the Department of Human Services says families missed the mark for several reasons.

Erinn Kelley-Siel: "The unemployment rate, the revenue available to the program overall, and the third factor is our staffing levels just aren't keeping up with the need. We're currently staffed at about 38%."

But Kelly-Siel notes that forty other states also didn't meet the federal requirements, but some got waivers. DHS hopes to avoid sending back some of the TANF grant money to the government.