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In Case You Missed It...
This week at CBPP, much of our analysis focused on poverty, income, and health coverage data the Census Bureau released for 2025. But first, here’s a recap of our other work on food assistance, state budgets and taxes, and the federal budget and taxes. On food assistance, Jay Tomkus and Ed Bolen explained the 2025 Republican reconciliation law’s harsh SNAP...
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CBPP
To Address High Energy Costs, States Should Increase Energy Assistance, Not Cut Climate Programs
In the immediate term, states wishing to support residents with energy bills should expand energy assistance targeted to those who need it most.
Analyzing the Census Bureau’s 2025 Poverty, Income, and Health Insurance Data
On Tuesday, September 15, the Census Bureau released its 2025 Current Population Survey data on poverty, income, and health insurance. Additional health insurance data from the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey will follow later this year. We are posting our analysis of the data here.
Official Poverty Measure and Anchored Supplemental Poverty Measure Show Poverty Rate Declined in 2025
Census figures released today show that the national poverty rate fell in 2025 both when using the official poverty measure and under an alternate Supplemental Poverty Measure (SPM), referred to as an “anchored” SPM, that uses thresholds that are adjusted year-to-year simply for inflation.
In Case You Missed It...
This week at CBPP, we focused on income security, poverty and inequality, and food assistance. On income security, Margot Dankner explained that last year’s reconciliation law deepens harm caused by the 1996 law that ended a long-standing bipartisan commitment to helping people with lawful immigration status meet their basic needs. In our executive action tracker, Shelby Gonzales explained how the...
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CBPP
Last Year’s Reconciliation Law Is Even More Extreme Than the 1996 Law That Took Away Benefits From People With Lawful Immigration Status
The harmful 2025 Republican reconciliation law takes away access to public benefit programs for certain people granted humanitarian-related immigration status.
With School Year Starting, Children’s Participation in SNAP Continues Rapid Decline
While cutting SNAP eligibility for children was not a stated target of the Republican reconciliation law’s proponents, the cost shift and resulting access barriers are causing serious food assistance losses for children in households with low incomes.
In Case You Missed It...
This week at CBPP, we focused on income security, health, and federal taxes. On income security, Diana Azevedo-McCaffrey and Rachel Freitas explained that some states are making strides to direct, or “pass through,” more child support to families participating in the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program, while others still keep all child support collections as revenue. Azevedo-McCaffrey and...
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CBPP
Some States Make Strides to Direct More Child Support to Families, While Others Still Keep All Collections as Revenue
Although some states have been adopting policies that redirect or “pass through” child support payments to families, other states continue to keep all collections intended for some of the families with the lowest incomes in the country as revenue.
Most of the 19 Million Children Left Out of the Full Child Tax Credit Have Parents in Low-Paying Jobs; Policymakers Should Expand It
More than 19 million children under age 17 receive less than the full $2,200 Child Tax Credit because their families’ incomes are too low — and the vast majority of these children have parents who work.
