The $600 cash payments provided by the CARES act prevented joblessness from turning into actual income loss for millions of families. It also gave Americans breathing room to wait for better jobs, rather than settling for bad ones out of desperation.
This article examines how the decentralization of safety net programs after welfare reform has led to growing inequality in benefit generosity and access across U.S. states.
FNS evaluations of Summer EBT programs show significant reductions in childhood food insecurity, but some eligible households do not fully redeem benefits.
This research summary presents findings from a randomized controlled trial demonstrating how mRelief’s simplified SNAP application significantly increases application rates among eligible individuals.
Report by the Aspen Institute discussing Benefits21, a multi-stakeholder, multi-faceted initiative to integrate and modernize benefits systems. This paper provides an overview of Benefits21, along with a discussion of the shortcomings of current public and private benefit systems.
This timeline outlines key Medicaid policy changes introduced by the One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBBA / H.R. 1) with the greatest operational impact on state and territory agencies and highlights upcoming implementation deadlines.
This issue brief examines how H.R. 1’s enactment delays implementation of two key Medicaid eligibility rules—one for Medicare Savings Programs (MSPs) and one for general Medicaid/CHIP enrollment and renewal—and the effects of that delay.
This blog discusses how the “Big Beautiful Bill” (H.R. 1) contains provisions that undermine SNAP and warns that states will be burdened by its fiscal and administrative impact.
This overview introduces direct cash transfers (DCTs) in the United States, outlining their history, major programs, and findings from contemporary guaranteed income demonstrations that show how cash supports improve family stability, health, and economic mobility
