HHS Approves Oklahoma Welfare Demonstration
HHS Secretary Donna E. Shalala today approved Oklahoma's welfare demonstration project, "Mutual Agreement A Plan for Success" (MAAPS) which provides incentives to make work pay. This is the second welfare reform waiver that the Clinton administration has approved for Oklahoma.
"This new project reinforces the value of work and helps people move from dependence to independence," said Secretary Shalala. "The administration has now granted waivers to half the states, giving them the flexibility to implement welfare reform that meets local needs and circumstances."
The demonstration increases work incentives by allowing recipients to keep some of their earnings without losing Aid to Families with Dependent Children benefits. It also waives the requirement that the principal wage earner in a two-parent family
work fewer than 100 hours per month to qualify for AFDC, and it raises the allowance for an automobile from $1,500 to $5,000.
"Oklahoma's project is focused on work with both valuable incentives and requirements for recipients to transition from welfare to employment," said Mary Jo Bane, HHS assistant secretary for children and families. "We also look forward to the demonstration's effort to challenge the people most dependent on welfare."
After receiving AFDC benefits for three years in any five-year period, recipients still unable to find a job will be required to work at least 24 hours a week in a subsidized job. MAAPS also provides intensive case management for three targeted groups: teen parents, long-term recipients, and those with a continuing cycle of dependence on welfare. An "upfront" agreement between the recipient and the state will assess abilities and outline rights, responsibilities, and consequences.
MAPPS will operate in six counties: Creek, Grady, Jackson, McCurtain, Okmulgee, and Seminole. It will operate for five years and include a rigorous evaluation.
Note: All HHS press releases, fact sheets and other press materials are available at http://www.hhs.gov/news.
Contact: Michael Kharfen (202) 401-9215
