This year, the IRS is under threat, and the agency will have less bandwidth and fewer resources to process tax returns and provide support to the taxpayers who need it. Lawmakers should invest in the IRS, not deplete it.
Today’s economy increasing requires post-secondary credentials for good jobs. President Obama has said every American should have at least one year of postsecondary education and training, leading to a credential. Yet our anti-poverty programs have rules that directly contradict those goals.
As we approach the 20th anniversary of the creation of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) block grant, new spending data for fiscal year (FY) 2015 shows great variation in state spending.
A new study finds that people who self-identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender (LGBT) experience more food insecurity and participate in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) at higher rates than non-LGBT adults.
California policymakers can realize the promise of the federal child care law with Assembly Bill 2150. The state bill, passed unanimously by the CA Assembly and Senate Policy Education Committee, would support providers and parents and enhance continuity of care.
The U.S. economy has vastly transformed since TANF was created, but TANF has not. TANF should be redesigned to improve its effectiveness as both a safety net and an employment program, so that it can truly reduce poverty.
In June, Maine Governor Paul LePage made headlines by threatening to end his state’s participation in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program unless Maine was permitted to ban SNAP recipients from using their benefits for “junk” food.
On July 13, 2016, Representative Mark DeSaulnier (D-CA) introduced HR 5764, a bipartisan bill that would exclude all federal Pell Grant funds from taxable income. Under current law, when students spend their Pell Grants on indirect costs to education—such as transportation, food, or housing—these funds are…
A report from CLASP analyzes how students were served by Benefits Access for College Completion (BACC), a 2.5-year initiative designed to increase access to public benefits (such as SNAP or Medicaid) for eligible low-income students. These crucial supports reduce students’ unmet financial needs and help them finish…
Hunger and poor nutrition interfere with people’s ability to succeed in school and at work, and can have long-lasting effects on health and development. We know how to reduce food hardship and hunger; what we need is the political will to do so.
