Review of Improper Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Basic Assistance Payments in California for April 1, 2006, Through March 31, 2007

For the period April 1, 2006, through March 31, 2007, California made some Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) basic assistance payments that did not meet Federal and State requirements and did not adequately document all eligibility and payment determinations. TANF is a block grant program that provides funding to States to help families move from welfare to self-sufficiency; TANF's basic assistance includes benefits designed to meet a family's ongoing basic needs. This review, part of an eight-State series, was requested by ACF and the Office of Management and Budget for determining the fiscal year 2008 national TANF error rate. Pursuant to the Improper Payments Information Act of 2002 (P.L. No. 107-300), Federal agencies must estimate and report to Congress on the annual amount of improper payments in their high-risk programs.

Based on our sample results, we estimated that the overall TANF improper payment rate was 5.7 percent of the Federal dollars expended and 11.3 percent of the number of basic assistance payments made for the 1-year audit period. These improper payments totaled an estimated $91.6 million (Federal share). The payments were improper because they were for recipient families who were ineligible for TANF basic assistance, were calculated improperly, or lacked required documentation.