Montana LIHEAP Gets Another $500,000

Montana's LIHEAP will receive an additional $500,000 this year, part of an unexpected bonus of $3.9 million in federal welfare money, according to an announcement by Governor Judy Martz on October 2.

Montana, along with 41 other states and the District of Columbia, received "bonus money" as a reward for good performance in welfare programs (mostly TANF) in both 2001 and 2002.

Child care for working parents in the TANF program will get $1 million from the bonus; the remaining $2.4 million will go into a reserve to provide funding in case welfare demands increase in the 2004-05 biennium.

The 2001 bonus of $1.6 million was for success in helping TANF recipients with job entry, successes in the work force, Medicaid-CHIP enrollment and food stamps. The $2.3 million for 2002 rewarded Montana for job entry performance, success in the work force, and improvements in the areas of family formation and work stability.

Source: The Great Falls Tribune

Page Last Updated: December 7, 2005