CBPP: General assistance programs decline
July 13, 2015 |11:35 AM
State general assistance programs, which provide a safety net of last resort for those who are very poor and do not qualify for other public assistance, have weakened considerably in recent decades, according to a report issued last week by the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities.
The 26 states with general assistance programs generally serve very poor individuals who do not have minor children, are not disabled enough to qualify for (or do not yet receive) Supplemental Security Income (SSI), and are not elderly.
“Few states serve employable childless adults, despite the large number of workers who have exhausted their unemployment insurance benefits and are vulnerable to severe hardship,” CPBB said in a news release.
“In sum, there is no effective safety net for childless adults that is broadly available across the nation.”
There are also restrictions of time in which childless adults can get Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Benefits, which are better known as SNAP or food stamps.
The 26 states with general assistance programs generally serve very poor individuals who do not have minor children, are not disabled enough to qualify for (or do not yet receive) Supplemental Security Income (SSI), and are not elderly.
“Few states serve employable childless adults, despite the large number of workers who have exhausted their unemployment insurance benefits and are vulnerable to severe hardship,” CPBB said in a news release.
“In sum, there is no effective safety net for childless adults that is broadly available across the nation.”
There are also restrictions of time in which childless adults can get Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Benefits, which are better known as SNAP or food stamps.
