This article examines how outdated state unemployment insurance (UI) systems struggled during the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to delays, technical failures, and widespread frustration for job seekers.
This report outlines critical actions states should take to maintain Medicaid coverage as the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE) concludes, aiming to prevent widespread loss of health insurance among eligible individuals.
Policymakers, program administrators, federal leaders, researchers, and advocates are increasingly focused on using administrative data to build evidence for improving government programs. Achieving this goal requires accessible data sources and the capacity to use them, yet stakeholders have little information about the baseline level of state capacity in these areas. How does one measure concepts such as “effective data use” and “analytic capacity?” This brief reports findings from a pioneering and comprehensive needs assessment that examined the capacity of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) programs in 54 U.S. states and territories to analyze data used for program improvement, monitoring, and evidence-building. The needs assessment provides a foundation for technical assistance and continued improvement for the TANF program and may also provide valuable insights and frameworks for other state-administered human services programs.
This provides a comprehensive look at child well-being across the U.S., ranking states and highlighting policy recommendations to improve outcomes for children.
A webinar presenting fresh data on how young adults aged 22 are faring in terms of poverty, employment, education, living arrangements, and access to public benefits.
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.
A national survey of low-wage workers showing that administrative burdens in SNAP and Medicaid are common and strongly linked to food hardship, healthcare hardship, and chronic illness.
This brief shares findings from a November 2021 survey of state SNAP agencies about their use of the SNAP ARPA funds in fiscal year 2021, and their initial planned activities for fiscal year 2022 and 2023.
American Public Human Services Association (APHSA)
The Pandemic Electronic Benefits Transfer (P-EBT) program was launched as an effort to address the loss of access to free and reduced-price school meals due to widespread school closures at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. As schools reopened in a shifting mix of fully virtual, hybrid, and inperson formats and families lacked consistent access to school meals, these benefits were extended through the 2020–21 school year and were highly valuable to families in buffering the full extent of food insecurity they may have faced during this uncertain time. However, the complexity of administering this program was a fundamental barrier in providing timely support to families, who ultimately went without benefits for at least half of the school year. In this report, we dive into the challenges state administrators faced in launching this new program during the 2020–21 school year and reflect on considerations for the future.
This resource is a research paper examining the role of the public safety net in insuring job losers against income loss, analyzing which government programs provide financial support and how benefits vary based on pre-job loss income levels.
