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.
Immigration Bill Envisions Path to Citizenship
By Helly Lee
Last week, the bipartisan Senate "Gang of 8" introduced S. 744 the Border Security, Economic Opportunity and Immigration Modernization Act of 2013. If enacted, this bill would be the largest scale change to immigration laws in over 25 years.
One of the major hallmarks of the bill is that it provides a path to citizenship for aspiring citizens, many of whom have lived and worked in this country for many years. Other key elements of the bill include border security measures, reforms to family- and employment-based immigration policies, and interior enforcement measures including the requirement, phased in over 5 years, for all employers to use an Electronic Employment Eligibility Verification System (EEVS) to ensure that all newly hired employees are legally eligible to work in the U.S.
Eligible aspiring citizens may apply for a newly created Registered Provisional Immigrant (RPI) status, renewable after 6 years and then be eligible for Lawful Permanent Resident (LPR) status after an additional 4 years (a minimum of 10 years in RPI status). Aspiring citizens following this path will be eligible to apply for citizenship after 3 years in LPR status.
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
- 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
- Helly Lee | Jan 24, 2013 Research Shows Long-Lasting Benefits of EITC