Growth in Means-Tested Programs and Tax Credits for Low-Income Households

Growth in Means-Tested Programs and Tax Credits for Low-Income Households PDF

Author: William Carrington

Publisher:

Published: 2013-03-19

Total Pages: 35

ISBN-13: 9781457844218

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The federal government devotes roughly one-sixth of its spending to 10 major means-tested programs and tax credits, which provide cash payments or assistance in obtaining health care, food, housing, or education to people with relatively low income or few assets.federal spending on those programs and tax credits totaled $588 billion. Total federal spending on those 10 programs rose more than tenfold (by an average of about 6% a year) in the four decades since 1972 (when only half of the programs existed). As a share of the economy, federal spending on those programs grew from 1% to almost 4% of GDP over that period. Medicaid accounted for more than 40% of the federal spending on those programs in 2012, followed in size by SNAP. A decade from now, Medicaid will account for an even larger share of spending on those programs. This report shows that a new means-tested program — federal subsidies to help low- and moderate-income people buy health insurance through insurance exchanges, which will begin in 2014 — will become the second-largest means-tested program in 2023. Figures and tables. This is a print on demand report.

Means-tested Programs and Tax Credits for Low Income People

Means-tested Programs and Tax Credits for Low Income People PDF

Author: Efrain B. White

Publisher:

Published: 2013

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9781626185524

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The federal government devotes roughly one-sixth of its spending to ten major means-tested programs and tax credits, which provide cash payments or assistance in obtaining health care, food, housing, or education to people with relatively low income or few assets. Total federal spending on these ten programs rose more than tenfold, or by an average of about six percent a year, in the four decades since 1972. In this book, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) examines the federal government's major means-tested programs and tax credits, with a focus on the factors that have affected spending on those means-tested programs. Also discussed is the projected path of spending for most of these programs over the coming decade if current laws remain in place.

Means-Tested Transfer Programs in the United States

Means-Tested Transfer Programs in the United States PDF

Author: Robert A. Moffitt

Publisher: University of Chicago Press

Published: 2007-11-01

Total Pages: 655

ISBN-13: 0226533573

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Few United States government programs are as controversial as those designed to aid the poor. From tax credits to medical assistance, aid to needy families is surrounded by debate—on what benefits should be offered, what forms they should take, and how they should be administered. The past few decades, in fact, have seen this debate lead to broad transformations of aid programs themselves, with Aid to Families with Dependent Children replaced by Temporary Assistance to Needy Families, the Earned Income Tax Credit growing from a minor program to one of the most important for low-income families, and Medicaid greatly expanding its eligibility. This volume provides a remarkable overview of how such programs actually work, offering an impressive wealth of information on the nation's nine largest "means-tested" programs—that is, those in which some test of income forms the basis for participation. For each program, contributors describe origins and goals, summarize policy histories and current rules, and discuss the recipient's characteristics as well as the different types of benefits they receive. Each chapter then provides an overview of scholarly research on each program, bringing together the results of the field's most rigorous statistical examinations. The result is a fascinating portrayal of the evolution and current state of means-tested programs, one that charts a number of shifts in emphasis—the decline of cash assistance, for instance, and the increasing emphasis on work. This exemplary portrait of the nation's safety net will be an invaluable reference for anyone interested in American social policy.

A Safety Net That Works

A Safety Net That Works PDF

Author: Robert Doar

Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield

Published: 2017-02-13

Total Pages: 262

ISBN-13: 0844750069

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This is an edited volume reviewing the major means-tested social programs in the United States. Each author addresses a major program or area, reviewing each area’s successes and recommending how to address shortcomings through policy change. In general, our means-tested programs do many things well, but some adjustments to each could make the system much more effective. This book provides policymakers with a broad overview of the issues at hand in each program and how to address them.

A Roadmap to Reducing Child Poverty

A Roadmap to Reducing Child Poverty PDF

Author: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine

Publisher: National Academies Press

Published: 2019-09-16

Total Pages: 619

ISBN-13: 0309483980

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The strengths and abilities children develop from infancy through adolescence are crucial for their physical, emotional, and cognitive growth, which in turn help them to achieve success in school and to become responsible, economically self-sufficient, and healthy adults. Capable, responsible, and healthy adults are clearly the foundation of a well-functioning and prosperous society, yet America's future is not as secure as it could be because millions of American children live in families with incomes below the poverty line. A wealth of evidence suggests that a lack of adequate economic resources for families with children compromises these children's ability to grow and achieve adult success, hurting them and the broader society. A Roadmap to Reducing Child Poverty reviews the research on linkages between child poverty and child well-being, and analyzes the poverty-reducing effects of major assistance programs directed at children and families. This report also provides policy and program recommendations for reducing the number of children living in poverty in the United States by half within 10 years.

It's Not Like I'm Poor

It's Not Like I'm Poor PDF

Author: Sarah Halpern-Meekin

Publisher: Univ of California Press

Published: 2015-01-14

Total Pages: 299

ISBN-13: 0520959221

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The world of welfare has changed radically. As the poor trade welfare checks for low-wage jobs, their low earnings qualify them for a hefty check come tax time—a combination of the earned income tax credit and other refunds. For many working parents this one check is like hitting the lottery, offering several months’ wages as well as the hope of investing in a better future. Drawing on interviews with 115 families, the authors look at how parents plan to use this annual cash windfall to build up savings, go back to school, and send their kids to college. However, these dreams of upward mobility are often dashed by the difficulty of trying to get by on meager wages. In accessible and engaging prose, It’s Not Like I’m Poor examines the costs and benefits of the new work-based safety net, suggesting ways to augment its strengths so that more of the working poor can realize the promise of a middle-class life.

Economics of Means-Tested Transfer Programs in the United States, Volume I

Economics of Means-Tested Transfer Programs in the United States, Volume I PDF

Author: Robert A. Moffitt

Publisher: University of Chicago Press

Published: 2016-11-18

Total Pages: 421

ISBN-13: 022637050X

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Few government programs in the United States are as controversial as those designed to help the poor. From tax credits to medical assistance, the size and structure of the American safety net is an issue of constant debate. These two volumes update the earlier Means-Tested Transfer Programs in the United States with a discussion of the many changes in means-tested government programs and the results of new research over the past decade. While some programs that experienced falling outlays in the years prior to the previous volume have remained at low levels of expenditure, many others have grown, including Medicaid, the Earned Income Tax Credit, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, and subsidized housing programs. For each program, the contributors describe its origins and goals, summarize its history and current rules, and discuss recipients’ characteristics and the types of benefits they receive. This is an invaluable reference for researchers and policy makers that features detailed analyses of many of the most important transfer programs in the United States.

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