http://www.clasp.org/issues/topic_in_focus.xml?type=work_supports&id=0004 In Focus articles from the Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP) en-us Sun, 19 May 2013 19:10:16 -0500 info@clasp.org webmaster@clasp.org 40 Mon, 13 May 2013 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.clasp.org/issues/in_focus?type=work_supports&id=0100 This week, both the Senate and House Agriculture Committees will mark up their versions of a Farm Bill that includes provisions on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Despite the programaEUR(TM)s effectivenessaEUR"helping over 47 million people afford nutritionally adequate meals and make ends meetaEUR"and a long history of bipartisan support, SNAP continues to face threats of deep cuts. http://www.clasp.org/issues/in_focus?type=work_supports&id=0100 Wed, 03 Apr 2013 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.clasp.org/issues/in_focus?type=work_supports&id=0097 States involved in the Work Support Strategies (WSS) project are making administrative and programmatic decisions that help families more easily acquire benefits for which they're eligible. Reports on the initial planning year of the project (2010-2011), released by the Urban Institute today, indicate that participating states have made progress in simplifying application processes, streamlining eligibility policies, and coordinating the administration of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP - formerly Food Stamps), Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and child care assistance. http://www.clasp.org/issues/in_focus?type=work_supports&id=0097 Wed, 20 Mar 2013 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.clasp.org/issues/in_focus?type=work_supports&id=0090 The budget resolutions introduced last week by House Budget Committee Chair Paul Ryan and Senate Budget Committee Chair Patty Murray are miles apart on funding for anti-poverty programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Medicaid. Threats to SNAP also continue outside of the budget debate as well with Senator Pat RobertsaEUR(TM) bill, S. 458, proposing drastic cuts totaling $36 billion. http://www.clasp.org/issues/in_focus?type=work_supports&id=0090 Wed, 13 Mar 2013 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.clasp.org/issues/in_focus?type=work_supports&id=0089 House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-WI) has put forward a budget proposal that calls for block granting of both Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly known as food stamps). Rep. Ryan justifies this proposal by citing the supposed "success" of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) block grant as a model. http://www.clasp.org/issues/in_focus?type=work_supports&id=0089 Wed, 27 Feb 2013 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.clasp.org/issues/in_focus?type=work_supports&id=0086 A new report by the Food Research Action Center (FRAC) confirms that there are significant health consequences associated with living in poverty and being food insecure. Research has shown that those living in poverty experience disproportionately worse health outcomes and often live in environments that do not promote healthy lifestyles such as fewer walking trails, parks, and full service-grocery stores offering affordable foods as well as poor air and water quality. Children living in poverty and experiencing food insecurity are also more likely to experience serious health issues such as obesity, poor oral and dental health, asthma and poor academic outcomes, behavioral and emotional problems. In addition, childhood poverty can have lasting implications into adulthood, increasing health risks and economic struggles later in life. http://www.clasp.org/issues/in_focus?type=work_supports&id=0086 Wed, 20 Feb 2013 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.clasp.org/issues/in_focus?type=work_supports&id=0085 Safety net programs, such as SNAP, Medicaid or child care subsidies, can serve as temporary help to reduce low-income studentsaEUR(TM) financial burdens. When students successfully graduate, they are more likely to secure jobs that enable them to support their families and pay increased taxes. And the best way out of poverty is through improved education and job skills that lead to more stable and better-paying jobs. http://www.clasp.org/issues/in_focus?type=work_supports&id=0085 Fri, 15 Feb 2013 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.clasp.org/issues/in_focus?type=work_supports&id=0084 A Place at the Table is a new documentary that brings to life this country's chronic problem of hunger. http://www.clasp.org/issues/in_focus?type=work_supports&id=0084 Wed, 21 Nov 2012 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.clasp.org/issues/in_focus?type=work_supports&id=0073 A new National Bureau on Economic Research paper finds that having access to food stamps in early childhood also has positive effects on adult outcomes years later, including health and economic self-sufficiency. http://www.clasp.org/issues/in_focus?type=work_supports&id=0073 Wed, 17 Oct 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.clasp.org/issues/in_focus?type=work_supports&id=0069 A recent study by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) shows that economic conditions influence all major nutrition assistance programs. Past studies have documented the relationship between economic conditions and participation in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, or food stamps). However, this is the first study to analyze the relationship between economic conditions and participation in all the major nutritional assistance programs which include SNAP, WIC, NSLP, SBP and CACFP. http://www.clasp.org/issues/in_focus?type=work_supports&id=0069 Mon, 10 Sep 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.clasp.org/issues/in_focus?type=work_supports&id=0066 Last week, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) released its annual report on food security status of American households. The research revealed that in 2011, 50.1 million people (14.9 percent) lived in food insecure households where they faced an uncertainty of having, or being able to acquire, enough food to meet the needs of their family members because of a lack of resources. http://www.clasp.org/issues/in_focus?type=work_supports&id=0066 Tue, 10 Jul 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.clasp.org/issues/in_focus?type=work_supports&id=0061 Last Thursday, the House Agriculture Committee released a 557-page draft of the Federal Agriculture Reform and Risk Management Act of 2012, also known as the Farm Bill. The House bill proposes $16 billion in cuts to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), more than triple the $4.5 billion cut to SNAP proposed in the Senate-passed version of the Farm Bill. These House cuts would affect 2 to 3 million Americans, already struggling from the slowly recovering economy. In addition, nearly 280,000 school children from low income families will lose eligibility for free school meals when their families lose SNAP benefits. http://www.clasp.org/issues/in_focus?type=work_supports&id=0061 Thu, 14 Jun 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.clasp.org/issues/in_focus?type=work_supports&id=0059 This week, the Senate continued floor debate on the Agriculture Reform, Food and Jobs Act of 2012, also known as the Farm Bill. Numerous amendments have been submitted and Senate leadership have the difficult task of working out which of these amendments will get votes. Yesterday, though, the Senate passed an important vote to table an amendment that would have block granted and capped funding for one of the nation's leading nutrition assistance programs for low-income individuals. http://www.clasp.org/issues/in_focus?type=work_supports&id=0059 Fri, 25 May 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.clasp.org/issues/in_focus?type=work_supports&id=0058 Last week, the House Committee on Agriculture completed its final hearing on the upcoming Farm Bill, which includes important nutrition programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly called Food Stamps) as well as a range of agricultural programs. With the hearings completed, the committee is now set to draft its version of the bill. CLASP submitted a letter to the committee last week to highlight the importance of protecting vital nutrition programs for low-income families, children and the elderly. http://www.clasp.org/issues/in_focus?type=work_supports&id=0058 Thu, 17 May 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.clasp.org/issues/in_focus?type=work_supports&id=0057 We live in an age of great technology, when information can be shared instantly. And yet, our current models of determining eligibility for public benefits like Medicaid and heating assistance remain outdated and create multiple barriers for those who need government assistance to meet basic needs. These antiquated systems are less efficient and add up to higher costs for states, including many that are struggling with strapped budgets. It doesnaEUR(TM)t have be this way, though. http://www.clasp.org/issues/in_focus?type=work_supports&id=0057 Tue, 24 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.clasp.org/issues/in_focus?type=work_supports&id=0055 The Senate Agriculture Committee has released draft language for the 2012 Farm Bill, which it will begin "marking-up" in a hearing this Wednesday. This bill, typically passed every five years, sets national policy and funding direction for agriculture, nutrition, conservation, and forestry programs. http://www.clasp.org/issues/in_focus?type=work_supports&id=0055 Wed, 18 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.clasp.org/issues/in_focus?type=work_supports&id=0054 Yesterday, the Budget Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives held a hearing that was titled "Strengthening the Safety Net" but was really about Chairman Ryan's proposals to cut billions of dollars from safety net programs, including converting both Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly known as food stamps) into block grants. http://www.clasp.org/issues/in_focus?type=work_supports&id=0054 Fri, 13 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.clasp.org/issues/in_focus?type=work_supports&id=0052 The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is a vital piece of the social safety net helping millions of struggling families across the country put food on the table; a new report by the US Department of Agriculture released on Monday reminds us why. "Alleviating Poverty in the United States: The Critical Role of SNAP Benefits" analyzes data from the last decade that demonstrates that SNAP significantly improves the well being of recipients. http://www.clasp.org/issues/in_focus?type=work_supports&id=0052 Tue, 07 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.clasp.org/issues/in_focus?type=work_supports&id=0047 http://www.clasp.org/issues/in_focus?type=work_supports&id=0047 Tue, 24 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.clasp.org/issues/in_focus?type=work_supports&id=0045 Regardless of his intention, GingrichaEUR(TM)s statements about food stamps aEUR" drawing a false dichotomy between benefit recipients and workers aEUR"and media coverage of them are unfortunate and glaring examples of what is wrong with the tenor of public discourse around issues related to poverty and opportunity. http://www.clasp.org/issues/in_focus?type=work_supports&id=0045 Fri, 04 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.clasp.org/issues/in_focus?type=work_supports&id=0041 Children in families receiving federal food assistance were more likely to be in good health than children in eligible families who did not receive such benefits, according to a recent study by ChildrenaEUR(TM)s Health Watch. http://www.clasp.org/issues/in_focus?type=work_supports&id=0041