Organization: New America
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Sprint 1 Report | Michigan Cross-Enrollment | Increasing cross-enrollment between unemployment insurance and supporting benefits in Michigan
Lack of cross-enrollment between unemployment insurance and public benefits in Michigan leaves many claimants without essential support.
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Building an Accessible Long-Term Care System for the Future
The nation’s long-term care system has struggled for many years, and those constraints are expected to deepen as our nation ages. In 2019, Washington State became the first in the United States to pass legislation that would enable a public state-operated long-term care insurance program, the Washington Cares Fund. We conducted research with the goal to identify concrete ways for Washington State to implement this fund so that it is accessible to all and it supports living-wage jobs for care workers. In this report, we discuss our research methods, we present personas of individuals seeking long-term supports and services from the Washington Cares Fund, and we offer a list of recommendations that, while intended for Washington State, we see as applicable to other states that will embark on offering similar long-term services to residents.
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Better Data Sharing for Benefits Delivery
This policy brief outlines how improved data sharing between federal agencies, state and local governments, and institutions can leverage existing data from other benefits programs to streamline eligibility processes and benefits uptake for the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) and other programs.
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Want to design policies that really work? Test them on the users who need them first
A step-by-step guide to how New Jersey used plain language and user-testing to improve the state’s paid family and medical leave program
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Implementing Paid Family and Medical Leave: Lessons for State Administrators from Research in New Jersey
The "Implementing Paid Family and Medical Leave" report examines New Jersey's experience with paid leave programs, offering insights and recommendations for effective policy design and implementation.
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The New Practice Lab’s Racial Equity Framework
New America’s New Practice Lab discusses insights into racial inequities within the Unemployment Insurance System, and provides recommendations its framework for rectifying inequality in policies and programs moving forward.
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The IRS as a Benefits Administrator
The IRS is arguably the single most critical benefits administrator in the country, given its responsibility for tax credit-based relief programs, and COVID-19 relief payments. Despite these programs’ incredible progress in reducing poverty, and despite great strides by the IRS to implement them successfully, accessing IRS benefits remains too difficult for many low-income families. This report presents a comprehensive agenda to increase benefit coverage rates, simplify Americans’ interactions with the IRS, and decrease the portion of IRS benefits diverted to third parties.
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The Government Is Helping People Pay Rent, But Something’s Gone Wrong
This report describes the rent relief challenges during the pandemic, as well as a few possible fixes to help the next round of aid distribution.
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The Government has a Rare Chance to Modernize its Outdated Tech Systems. They Can’t Afford to Waste it.
Part of the $1.9 trillion recovery package that Biden signed into law includes a $1 billion grant to the Technology Modernization Fund. The fund’s purpose is to help federal agencies upgrade their cybersecurity and modernize their technology. The TMF is a chance for federal agencies to move toward a responsive model of government, where people quickly and easily access the resources they need.
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The Cash Assistance Implementation Playbook
The purpose of this document is to outline possible technical approaches to supporting a cash assistance program.
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Researching Inequities in a Public Benefits Program with a Racial Equity Framework, 7 Takeaways
This article examines how applying a Racial Equity Framework reveals systemic inequities in the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) program, offering insights into barriers faced by marginalized communities and potential solutions.
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Improving service delivery in EITC for New Yorkers
The Improving Service Delivery in EITC for New Yorkers initiative explores ways to enhance access to the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) through improved outreach, application processes, and service delivery.