Benefits

The Trump Administration has launched numerous efforts – often wrapped in inflammatory, racist rhetoric — to marginalize immigrants, including community raids and deportations, the separation of children from families at the border, and rules around who may come to and stay in this country that hearken back to white supremacist ideas of who belongs here.

This week at CBPP, we focused on immigration, family income support, food assistance, Social Security, the federal budget, and the economy.

State and federal policymakers should act to ensure that TANF funds better target assistance to needy families.

In replacing the Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) program with the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) block grant 23 years ago, policymakers promised all families living in poverty a better economic future by providing temporary financial support, along with job preparation and work support. TANF has fallen far short in fulfilling this promise, particularly in states where Black families are likelier to live. It can, and must, do better.

In replacing the Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) program with the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) block grant 23 years ago, policymakers promised all families living in poverty a better economic future by providing temporary financial support, along with job preparation and work support. TANF has fallen far short in fulfilling this promise, particularly in states where Black families are likelier to live. It can, and must, do better.

The Department of Homeland Security’s recently finalized “public charge” rule directs immigration officials to reject applications from individuals who seek to remain in or enter the U.S. lawfully if they have received — or are judged more likely than not to receive in the future — any of an array of public benefits that are tied to need. The rule will have two main impacts. It will make it harder for those currently of modest means to gain lawful entry or permission to remain in the country as a permanent resident.

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TANF cash assistance can help to both meet short-term needs and provide children with lasting positive impacts, but it reaches very few families in poverty.

President Trump’s Department of Homeland Security today released a rule that makes extensive and deeply troubling changes in our nation’s immigration policies. The rule will deny a broad set of individuals who are lawfully present in the United States and trying to build a life for themselves and their families the ability to become permanent residents. It will deny many others the ability to enter our country legally if they’re not wealthy.

We recently explained why SNAP benefits don’t adequately help families afford a healthy diet. Our new paper and brief summarize extensive research showing that raising benefits could have powerful effects for SNAP participants and their families, including:

This week at CBPP, we focused on the federal budget, housing, food assistance, and the economy.

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