The Biggest US Welfare States

Source: National Conference of State Legislatures As the recession grinds on and people run out of unemployment benefits, the last safety net is the government's Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program. Though benefits vary by state, TANF provides a maximum of 60 months of coverage throughout a recipient's lifetime.To get an idea of which states pay out the most welfare checks, the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) surveyed state governments. Using the most current information, NCSL then compared the total number of recipients of TANF to the overall state populations (through June 2009).So, what are the biggest US welfare states? Click ahead to find out!By Paul ToscanoPosted 21 July 2009

Photo: TedForGov.com % of pop. on assistance: 1.55%2007 spending: $83.85 millionTotal recipients (July 2008): 58,831% Change in past 12 months: +27.2%Unemployment (May 2009): 12.4%Pictured: Oregon Gov. Ted Kulongoski

Photo: Kevin Long (Flickr) % of pop. on assistance: 1.60%2007 spending: $247.29 millionTotal recipients (July 2008): 198,666% Change in past 12 months: -1.7%Unemployment (May 2009): 8.2%Pictured: Pennsylvania Capital Building

Photo: AP % of pop. on assistance: 1.65%2007 spending: $380.93 millionTotal recipients (July 2008): 164,589% Change in past 12 months: -4.8%Unemployment (May 2009): 14.1%Pictured: 2007/9/27 Jennifer Granholm, as Governor of Michigan, prepares to give an address about the state budget.

Photo: AP % of pop. on assistance: 1.79%2007 spending: $57.4 millionTotal recipients (July 2008): 18,839% Change in past 12 months: N/AUnemployment (May 2009): 12.1%Pictured: Rhode Island Governor Donald Carcieri

Photo: RogerD (WikiMediaCommons) % of pop. on assistance: 1.83%2007 spending: $102.27 millionTotal recipients (July 2008): 116,430% Change in past 12 months: -5.3%Unemployment (May 2009): 10.6%Pictured: Indiana State House

Photo: AP % of pop. on assistance: 1.83%2007 spending: $58.87 millionTotal recipients (July 2008): 36,322% Change in past 12 months: +20%Unemployment (May 2009): 6.5%Pictured: 2007/6/3 - Bill Richardson, as New Mexico Governor and Democratic presidential candidate, during debate at Saint Anselm College, Manchester, New Hampshire

Photo: AP % of pop. on assistance: 1.86%2007 spending: $265.88 millionTotal recipients (July 2008): 121,864% Change in past 12 months: 18.4%Unemployment (May 2009): 9.4%Pictured: Washington State Capitol

Photo: AP % of pop. on assistance: 1.88%2007 spending: $106.29 millionTotal recipients (July 2008): 98,028% Change in past 12 months: 5.9%Unemployment (May 2009): 8.2%Pictured: Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota

Photo: Wadester16 (WikiMediaCommons) % of pop. on assistance: 1.92%2007 spending: $1.47 billionTotal recipients (July 2008): 373,305% Change in past 12 months: 1.2%Unemployment (May 2009): 8.2%Pictured: New York State Capitol, Albany

Photo: AP % of pop. on assistance: 1.99%2007 spending: $18.67 millionTotal recipients (July 2008): 11,806% Change in past 12 months: -6.3%Unemployment (May 2009): 10.7%Pictured: United States Capitol Building

Photo: Skeezix1000 (WikiMediaCommons) % of pop. on assistance: 2.02%2007 spending: $30.92 milliionTotal recipients (July 2008): 12,543% Change in past 12 months: 7.3%Unemployment (May 2009): 7.3%Pictured: Vermont State Capitol

Photo: Daderot (WikiMediaCommons) % of pop. on assistance: 2.09%2007 spending: $295.29 millionTotal recipients (July 2008): 136,033% Change in past 12 months: 5.4%Unemployment (May 2009): 8.2%Pictured: Massachusetts State House

Photo: Ichabod (WikiMediaCommons) % of pop. on assistance: 2.15%2007 spending:  $91.28 millionTotal recipients (July 2008): 133,505% Change in past 12 months: 5.7%Unemployment (May 2009): 10.7%Pictured: Tennessee State Capitol

Photo: Terry Ross (Flickr) % of pop. on assistance: 2.37%2007 spending: $61.73 millionTotal recipients (July 2008): 31,148% Change in past 12 months: 5.3%Unemployment (May 2009): 8.3%Pictured: Augusta, Maine

Photo: AP % of pop. on assistance: 3.30%2007 spending: $3.28 billionTotal recipients (July 2008): 1,212,893% Change in past 12 months: 10.4%Unemployment (May 2009): 11.5%Pictured: Arnold Schwarzenegger, California GovernorReplay SlideshowWorst Expected 2010 State Budget GapsRecession Resistant US CitiesNational Conference of State Legislatures

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