December 2, 2025
Stranded by the Safety Net: How to Fix the Benefit Cliff Problem
Key Points Executive Summary The US safety net should help low-income families meet their immediate…
January 30, 2025
Eliminating the Benefit Cliff and Achieving Savings for Taxpayers: A Reform Proposal for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program
Key Points Read the PDF
December 17, 2024
Letter to the Department of Government Efficiency on Possible Reforms to the US Welfare System
October 23, 2024
Work Requirement Waivers Increased FoodShare Caseloads and Costs in Wisconsin
At the time this report was prepared, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program limited benefits for able-bodied adults without dependent children to three months out of a three-year period unless they worked or participated in qualifying activities for at least 80 hours per month. This report argues that frequent waivers of this requirement in Wisconsin weakened its implementation and increased program participation. Analysis of FoodShare data from 2012 to 2023 suggests that waiving the requirement increased participation by roughly 780 adults per county per month, or about 56,000 additional recipients statewide, and increased program spending. Expanded participation among work-capable adults is associated with lower employment and greater reliance on government assistance.
September 18, 2023
Overregulated Childcare: Wisconsin’s 2023-’25 Biennial Budget and the Path Ahead
Wisconsin’s legislative budget session ended in July 2023 with an increase in childcare funding in…
September 30, 2022
Off Track: An Assessment of Wisconsin’s Early Care and Learning System for Young Children
Preface Raising children, as can be fully appreciated only after you’ve done it, takes place…
July 2, 2021
Addressing the Shortcomings of the Supplemental Poverty Measure
Key Points Read the PDF. Executive Summary The US Census Bureau publishes the Supplemental Poverty…