West Virginia Welfare Applicants Now Subject to Drug Screening

The West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources has implemented a requirement that people who apply for assistance from the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program pass a drug screening.

 

The requirement was implemented Oct. 23, according to a news release from the DHHR. The requirement was part of a three-year pilot program that the state Legislature passed in 2016, but it required approval from the U.S. Administration for Children and Families, the release says.

 

Now, when people apply for TANF, they must complete a questionnaire to determine suspicion of drug use. Those who are suspected of using illegal drugs are sent for drug testing. Those who test positive are referred to substance abuse treatment and a job skills program.

 

Caretaker relatives, such as grandparents, are exempt from taking the questionnaire as long as they’re not included in the benefit, the DHHR said.