Legal Definitions - Welfare Reform Act

The Welfare Reform Act is also known as the Personal Responsibility and Work OpportunityReconciliation Act. This act was passed in 1996 and made significant changes to the welfare system in the United States.

One of the main goals of the Welfare Reform Act was to encourage people who were receiving welfare benefits to find work and become self-sufficient. The act did this by placing time limits on how long people could receive benefits and by requiring them to participate in work or job training programs.

For example, before the Welfare Reform Act, there were no time limits on how long someone could receive welfare benefits. This meant that some people were able to stay on welfare for years without ever looking for work. The act changed this by placing a five-year limit on how long someone could receive benefits.

Another example is the work requirements that were put in place by the act. In order to receive benefits, people were required to participate in work or job training programs. This was meant to help people gain the skills they needed to find a job and become self-sufficient.

Overall, the Welfare Reform Act was designed to encourage people to take responsibility for their own lives and to become self-sufficient. While there is still debate about the effectiveness of the act, it remains an important piece of legislation in the history of welfare in the United States.