Over the past decade, there have been significant expansions in policies that support low-income working families, such as refundable tax credits, health insurance, child support enforcement, child care subsidies, and nutritional supports. These programs help hard working families who struggle to meet basic needs due to low wages, irregular hours and lack of benefits. However, this safety net is incomplete. CLASP advocates for improvements in individual programs and in the service delivery system to help ensure low-income families have the support they need to stay employed and provide for their families.
Where Poverty and Immigration Policies Intersect
By Helly Lee
On May 21, after two weeks of hearings and dozens of votes on amendments, the Senate Judiciary Committee passed the Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act (S.744) by a bipartisan vote of 13-5. Although the word “poverty” does not appear in the title of the bill, it was at the core of some of the committee’s most contentious debates and will likely remain a focus when the bill reaches the Senate floor in June.
We know that poverty remains one of the most important problems in the U.S. today, especially among children. We need to support strong anti-poverty policies and programs that support low-wage workers and low-income families without using nuanced immigration status to put people in different categories. As the bill comes to the Senate floor, and as the House continues working on its own version of the legislation, Congress will have additional opportunities to improve immigration reform. CLASP will continue to monitor the impact various provisions will have on low-income individuals and families and advocate for policies that help support low-wage earners and keep families out of poverty.
Benefit Access and Health Care Reform Resources
Health care reform has the potential to dramatically change the way low-income individuals and families apply for and receive other benefits, such as nutritional assistance and the earned income tax credit. READ MORE »- Elizabeth Lower-Basch, Julie Strawn and Patrick Reimherr | Apr 15, 2013 Comments on Education and Family Tax Benefits
- Helly Lee | Feb 01, 2013 Research Shows Long-Lasting Benefits of EITC
- Helly Lee | Nov 06, 2012 Removing Red Tape: New Strategies for Strengthening the Safety Net
- Abigail Newcomer and Amy Ellen Duke-Benfield | Sep 24, 2012 Benefits Access for College Completion
- Stan Dorn and Elizabeth Lower-Basch | May 17, 2012 Moving to 21st-Century Public Benefits: Emerging Options, Great Promise, and Key Challenges
- Lavanya Mohan | Apr 30, 2013 CLASP Work Supports Newsletter - April 2013
- Elizabeth Lower-Basch, Julie Strawn, and Patrick Reimherr | Apr 15, 2013 Comments on Education and Family Tax Benefits
- Lavanya Mohan | Mar 29, 2013 CLASP Work Supports Newsletter - March 2013
- Elizabeth Lower-Basch and Neil Ridley | Mar 15, 2013 Navigating Federal Programs to Build Sustainable Career Pathways in the Health Professions: A Guide for HPOG Programs
- Lavanya Mohan | Mar 04, 2013 CLASP Work Supports Newsletter - February 2013