The ruling came in the case of five women who were denied welfare benefits after they failed to show up for workfare jobs.

In each case, according to the city, an administrative law judge had determined that the women were eligible for workfare jobs.

Only those who fail to find private sector jobs are then offered workfare jobs so they can earn their benefits.

He even held a workfare job in the pre-Giuliani days.

Justice Braun said the manual, which says certain college students on public assistance must take workfare jobs, "does not allow for individualized assessment."

One example: You say that "Those who benefit most from such workfare jobs are young, poorly educated single mothers with little or no work experience."

Those jobs, known as workfare jobs, typically involve cleaning parks and buildings or light office work.

It started screening the mothers for workfare jobs even while they were in crisis and anxious about finding their children a decent place to sleep.

The price for this change was a requirement that at least one parent perform 16 hours a week in a community service or similar "workfare" job.

Others are on waiting lists, or are waiting to see if their workfare jobs lead to paying ones.