Department of Workforce Development

According to the State Department of Workforce, the number of families getting cash assistance as they gained work experience under W-2 in various types of subsidized employment declined to 10,580 as of Aug. 31.

It was a drop of 295 over the month and to the lowest level for cash assistance on record for W-2 and its predecessor program, AFDC, going back to at least the mid-1970's, said Linda Stewart, the department’s Secretary.

As W-2 began Sept. 1 a year ago, there were 34,491 families participating. The drop over the year thus amounted to 69.3 percent of that total, or 23,911 families.

Many of those no longer in the program found jobs on their own or with the help of W-2 agencies and no longer are enrolled in the program, said Stewart. Others are believed to have left the state or dropped out of the program for a variety of reasons now being studied.

Stewart said the Department has embarked on its initial longitudinal study of those who left W-2 or AFDC. Agency representatives now are contacting a random sample of those who departed either W-2 or AFDC between January and March this year to find out why they left.

A total of 183 interviews have been conducted thus far, with as many as 600 planned depending on the willingness of people to participate. Of those contacted so far, only about 25 persons have refused to take part, Stewart said.

Stewart said anyone who previously decided not to enroll in W-2 or otherwise left the program who has no or low income still may be eligible to participate. They also may be eligible for other services, including Medicaid and food stamps. Anyone interested in confirming current eligibility should contact a W-2 agency for more details.

She also said the number of those in unsubsidized activities under W-2 rose statewide in August for the third straight month, to 5,084. That was up from 5,021 a month earlier and 4,864 on June 30. The latest total represented about one-third of all W-2 cases in the state.

Overall W-2 participation, in subsidized and unsubsidized activities together, declined over the month by 232 cases to 15,664. This continued the gradual downward trend seen in the data in the last few months.

Six counties reported no one receiving W-2 cash assistance in August, up one from July. In the group were Bayfield, Florence, Iron, Lafayette, Marinette and Waushara counties. All continued to provide other services to W2 participants, including food stamps and medical assistance and, in some cases, other types of support through what W-2 officials call "case management" activities.

Another 35 counties reported cash assistance cases in the single digits for the month.

In Milwaukee County, cash assistance cases declined from 9,458 in July to 9,176 in August. That was a drop over the month of almost three per cent.

The number in unsubsidized activities rose to 3,955, or up 69 from July’s total.

Stewart also said that, statewide, the number of those receiving food stamps fell over the month to 71,391, compared to 71,691 in July. The medical assistance caseload was down 2,185 from July, to 146,448 in August.