600 Income Security

TAA provides overly generous government benefits to American workers who lose their jobs because of foreign trade, even though these workers are a small fraction of laid-off workers. However, is there any evidence that this assistance and training improves earnings based on newly acquired job skills? Program evaluations of TAA say no. This finding should … Continue reading Let Trade Adjustment Assistance Expire

The U.S. welfare system consists of approximately 80 federally means-tested welfare programs that provide cash, food, housing, medical care, and social services to poor and lower-income Americans. Total spending on these programs in FY 2013 was $943 billion. Total annual welfare spending has increased sixteenfold since the 1960s, and has cost taxpayers a total of … Continue reading Cap Total Means-Tested Welfare Spending

The food stamps program is one of the largest of the federal government’s roughly 80 means-tested welfare programs. Food stamp spending increased from roughly $20 billion in FY 2000 to nearly $40 billion in FY 2007. Between FY 2008 and FY 2012, it doubled again to approximately $80 billion. Some of the growth in food … Continue reading Set a Work Requirement for Able-Bodied Adult Food Stamp Recipients

SSI is designed to provide cash assistance to low-income disabled adults who are unable to work, and to the low-income elderly. The program also provides cash assistance to households with children who are functionally disabled and come from low-income homes. The original intent of SSI was to provide cash assistance for adults who are unable … Continue reading Return Supplemental Security Income to Serve Its Originally Intended Population

The Earned Income Tax Credit is the nation’s largest means-tested cash welfare program. Although the EITC in some cases reduces federal income taxes owed, its major function is to provide “refundable” tax credits to low-income individuals. A “refundable tax credit” is simply a cash welfare grant to individuals who have no federal income tax liability. … Continue reading Reduce Fraud in the Earned Income Tax Credit

The purpose of the EITC is to provide a refundable tax credit to low-income parents with children. To receive the credit, a person should have to be the actual custodial parent of the child. Non-custodial parents should not be eligible for the EITC. In the event of cohabiting, non-married parents should receive the credit based … Continue reading Reduce Anti-Marriage Penalties in the Earned Income Tax Credit