For the millions of Americans struggling to afford the basics — such as food, medicine, and shelter — cash income is essential to averting extreme hardship and deprivation. Government economic security programs often don’t reach all families in need or provide adequate benefits.
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POLICY INSIGHT
BEYOND THE NUMBERS
BEYOND THE NUMBERS
Options to Boost Work Opportunities for Workers Who Struggle
July 23, 2018
Barriers such as limited skills or work experience can get in the way for some who want to find and keep a job in both good and bad times. Although today’s official unemployment rate is low, many workers still have trouble finding jobs that pay enough to cover the basics. As we explain in...
Struggling Workers Won’t Get Help from Work Requirements, or Trump’s Budget
March 15, 2018
The House Higher Education and Workforce Development Subcommittee this morning discussed the supposed merits of implementing and expanding work requirements in basic assistance programs, with some lawmakers claiming they would help jobless workers land a job and achieve financial independence. But taking away...
Most Kansas Families After TANF: Unsteady Work, Extremely Low Earnings
January 24, 2018
The vast majority of Kansas families forced from the state’s Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) cash assistance program due to harsh work sanctions starting in 2011 faced extreme economic hardship after leaving, our new report shows. Most parents...
TANF Ill-Equipped to Respond to Recent Hurricanes
September 27, 2017
We’ve explained that SNAP (formerly food stamps) has design features that enable it to respond rapidly and effectively to disasters, such as the recent hurricanes. No such comparable features are part of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), a program designed to help struggling families...
Commission Urges Strengthening Evidence-Building Capacity, Yet House Considers Cutting Proven Low-Income Programs
September 19, 2017
A congressionally mandated commission has outlined ways that public agencies can help researchers access more government data and hence contribute to more effective public policy — just as Congress is considering...
Economic Security Programs Help Low-Income Children Succeed Over Long Term
July 17, 2017
Low family income can have lasting adverse effects on children, and government programs that bolster family income can help poor children catch up and succeed over the long term, growing evidence shows. As our new report details, these programs — such as...
Leading Economist Touts SNAP’s and EITC's Long-Term Benefits for Children
June 9, 2017
Access to SNAP (formerly food stamps), the nation’s key food assistance program, during pregnancy and early childhood can improve health — and, for girls, economic well-being—in adulthood, leading economist Hilary Hoynes says in an interview with the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. Her...
President Trump’s Budget Cuts TANF Despite Stated Goal to Reduce Poverty, Boost Work
May 24, 2017
President Trump’s budget would cut the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) block grant and Contingency Fund — which provide funds to states for short-term income assistance, work programs, and other crucial supports for poor families with children — by $22 billion over ten years. Such cuts conflict sharply with the purported goals, as stated in the budget, of reducing poverty and...
New York Times Highlights How Income Boosts Can Help Low-Income Children Succeed
April 19, 2017
Programs that boost income and help families afford basic needs also enhance poor children’s future health, education, and projected earnings, as the New York Times recently wrote. Despite growing evidence that bolstering family income can help poor children catch up in a range of...
