Previously, residents accessing the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) services had been affected by both a strong economy and program policy changes in recent years.  Pierce County had seen a reduction in cash benefit (TANF) enrollment until 2006 because of both the success of the WorkFirst program in training residents for job skills, and an economy that has been able to absorb the program participants into the workforce.  However, the current economic conditions have caused an increase in Basic Needs program enrollments.  Expansions in Categorical Eligibility for the Basic Food Program to be more inclusive have increased the number of those eligible and receiving benefits from that program. DSHS estimates that approximately 85% of eligible Pierce County households are currently receiving food benefits.

While DSHS offers a number of programs for needy families, we have chosen three programs as primary indicators of need: Basic Food, Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF), and General Assistance for the Unemployable (GAU).  With the exception of Basic Food Assistance, the number of Pierce County residents accessing DSHS services remained relatively flat until 2006.  In SFY2007, enrollment in GAU, TANF, and Basic Food nearly tripled for all three programs.  In SFY2008, there was a 3.4% overall increase in use of Basic Needs programs in Pierce County, with the majority of the increase in Basic Food usage. 

• Disability Lifeline (DL), formerly General Assistance for the Unemployable (GAU) increased gradually from 2,105 (0.29% of the total population) to 7,758 or 1% of the total population in 2010.  DL numbers are expected to be replaced by other program data, as it has been discontinued as of November 2011.  An estimated 2,000 individuals will lose cash benefits as a result of the program end. 

• Temporary Assistance for Needy Families declined from 7,958 (1.10% of the total population) in 2002 to 7,561 (0.98% of the total population) in 2006, but has since increased to nearly 40,000 (4.9% of the total population)  in 2010. This means that in this economy, 1 in 20 people are on TANF. 

• The Basic Food program has seen the most significant increase, in 2010 157,920 people (19.4% of the total population) of Pierce County receive Basic Food Assistance .  In other words, nearly 1 in 5 people receive this assistance.  The most significant increases have taken place since 2006.