Poverty, welfare, and not

The 2009 poverty update, with caseloads again.

Updating the latest poverty data with the latest welfare data, we see:

1. The number of single-parent families in poverty has been more than twice the number receiving TANF since 2007. This chart updates and corrects a previous one, back in the welfare thread here:

2. The number of families receiving TANF support has peaked for now. This goes three months further than the annual average above:

The peak in TANF caseloads could reflect:

1. Families getting kicked off because of term limits
2. States getting more strict or punitive because budgets are inadequate.
3. Maybe the problems weren’t that bad after all, and the recession really did end last year.
4. Or?