BEYOND THE NUMBERS
In Case You Missed It . . .
This week at CBPP, we focused in particular on analyzing 2022 Census Bureau data on poverty, income, and health coverage.
- We released a statement from CBPP President Sharon Parrott on how the record rise in poverty highlights the importance of the Child Tax Credit, and how health coverage rates mark a high point before the end of pandemic safeguards.
- We had a running resource capturing our analyses of the data as we made them. Danilo Trisi noted the historic increase in child poverty driven by the expiration of pandemic relief. Trisi and Stephanie Hingtgen found that 3 million fewer children would have been in poverty had the expanded Child Tax Credit been renewed, and that 2022 saw a near full reversal of the recent narrowing in racial and ethnic differences in child poverty. Gideon Lukens made several findings on the record-low share of people lacking health coverage, and its policy implications now that pandemic protections have ended. These findings notably included Medicaid expansion states’ lower uninsured rates, steep uninsured rate declines among Black and Latino adults, and coverage gains made due to Affordable Care Act marketplace and Medicaid policies.
- Lukens also detailed how the record-low uninsured rate, also evident in more detailed data released later in the week, offers a roadmap to long-term coverage gains.
Beyond our Census data analyses, we focused on food assistance, Social Security, immigration, housing, health, and the economy.
- On food assistance, Zoë Neuberger and Katie Bergh explained how 600,000 young children and new parents could be turned away from WIC unless Congress adheres to a 25-year bipartisan commitment to fully fund the program. They also detailed how many would be turned away in each state.
- On Social Security, Kathleen Romig emphasized why policymakers should raise Supplemental Security Income’s harsh savings limits.
- On housing, Peggy Bailey posted on X (formerly Twitter) praising the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s move toward direct rental assistance programs.
- On immigration, Shelby Gonzales posted a thread on X (en español) explaining the devastating implications of a court decision on Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA).
- On health, we updated our resource tracking states’ unwinding from Medicaid continuous coverage.
- On the economy, we updated our chart book tracking the recovery from the pandemic recession.
Chart of the Week — Record Increase in Child Poverty in 2022 Followed 2021's Record Drop
A variety of news outlets featured CBPP’s work and experts this past week. Here are some of our highlights:
America Betrays Its Children Again
New York Times
September 14, 2023
Tasa de pobreza aumenta para niños latinos luego de expiración del Crédito Tributario por Hijos: CBPP
El Diario NY
September 14, 2023
U.S. poverty spiked in 2022, reversing gains, Census Bureau data shows
Washington Post
September 12, 2023
Child poverty more than doubles — a year after hitting record low, Census data shows
NPR
September 12, 2023
America's poverty rate soared last year. Children were among the worst hit.
CBS News
September 12, 2023
Child poverty more than doubled last year
Axios
September 12, 2023
Child Poverty, Income Inequality Spike As COVID Safety Net Retreats
HuffPost
September 12, 2023
The SNAP work reporting requirement age just rose by one year. It’s already affecting who gets benefits.
Marketplace
September 11, 2023
Congress Is on the Verge of Plunging Millions Into Food Insecurity
The New Republic
September 8, 2023
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