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writingaditi.bsky.social
Aditi S
@writingaditi.bsky.social
90 followers 240 following 21 posts
(she/her) Specialist in policy analysis, child protection and social services | Currently @CenterOnBudget | Part-time writer, full-time (jaded) idealist | Views my own
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Reposted by Aditi S
sarahl202.bsky.social
Sarah Lueck @sarahl202.bsky.social · Mar 20
We are coming up on 15 years since enactment of the #ACA. The law has helped millions gain coverage, reduced millions of people’s costs, and improved access to care. The law also narrowed coverage gaps across racial and ethnic groups, geography, and for LGBTQ+ communities.
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writingaditi.bsky.social
Aditi S @writingaditi.bsky.social · Mar 14
Another troubling action being proposed by this Admin. As my colleague @kathleenromig.bsky.social explains in this 🧵, policies like this will likely have a chilling effect, particularly in mixed-status families, and fewer people eligible for Social Security/SSI will get benefits in the first place
kathleenromig.bsky.social Kathleen Romig @kathleenromig.bsky.social · Mar 14
The Social Security Administration (SSA) is reportedly going to stop allowing people without Social Security numbers (SSNs) to serve as "representative payees" for beneficiaries who need help managing their benefits.

This risks benefit interruption for thousands.

www.govexec.com/management/2...
SSA weighs axing payments to 170,000 beneficiaries
The move to cease making payments to people without Social Security numbers would imperil the benefits of thousands of immigrants’ children with disabilities.
www.govexec.com
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Reposted by Aditi S
peggybaileydc.bsky.social
Peggy Bailey @peggybaileydc.bsky.social · Mar 13
Another piece of evidence that the administration isn’t about helping families.

This move is about making it harder for families to get the support they need from the govt when their income isn’t high enough to afford basic needs like housing, food or health care.
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writingaditi.bsky.social
Aditi S @writingaditi.bsky.social · Mar 12
The Trump Administration’s decision to halt these pilots goes against the law passed by Congress and harms low income families in the five selected states—and ultimately, vulnerable families across the nation.
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writingaditi.bsky.social
Aditi S @writingaditi.bsky.social · Mar 12
TANF, which serves just 1 in 5 families in poverty, desperately needs reform. With TANF’s frozen, block- granted funding and strict work requirements, these pilot projects offered a critical opportunity for positive change based on measuring outcomes for families.
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writingaditi.bsky.social
Aditi S @writingaditi.bsky.social · Mar 12
After a rigorous process, California, Kentucky, Maine, Minnesota, and Ohio were selected for the pilots, each with promising plans to make TANF more effective. Now, HHS says that states must reapply, under a not-yet-announced new procedure. This move will delay vital progress.
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writingaditi.bsky.social
Aditi S @writingaditi.bsky.social · Mar 12
Twenty-two states (& Puerto Rico!) applied to participate in the pilot. That means nearly half of states are eager to move TANF in a better direction and better serve their TANF families!
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writingaditi.bsky.social
Aditi S @writingaditi.bsky.social · Mar 12
Under TANF, states are forced to meet rigid “work participation rates.” The pilot projects aimed to move away from these work reporting requirements in order to create long-term economic stability and mobility for families, maximize earnings, and increase family well- being.
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writingaditi.bsky.social
Aditi S @writingaditi.bsky.social · Mar 12
HHS's decision to cancel pilot projects for 5 states under the #TANF program is a major setback for low-income families. In his recent blog, my colleague Nick Gwyn explains why this is a big deal: www.cbpp.org/blog/hhs-hal...
HHS Halts Pilots Aimed at Helping Low-Income Parents Boost Employment, Earnings, and Their Family’s Well-Being | Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
In a move that will significantly stymie state innovation in helping low-income families address barriers affecting their employment and earnings, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)...
www.cbpp.org
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Reposted by Aditi S
katiebergh.bsky.social
Katie Bergh @katiebergh.bsky.social · Mar 11
NEW: Some key Republicans may be planning to impose SNAP food benefit costs on states, forcing them to pay up or cut food assistance to low-income families. Here's why that would worsen hunger & hurt states' ability to meet the needs of their residents: www.cbpp.org/research/foo...
Imposing SNAP Food Benefit Costs on States Would Worsen Hunger, Hurt States’ Ability to Meet Residents’ Needs | Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
Requiring states to pay even a modest portion of SNAP benefits would radically change the program’s funding structure, abandoning the long-standing national commitment to provide low-income households...
www.cbpp.org
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Reposted by Aditi S
mleachm.bsky.social
Mike Leachman @mleachm.bsky.social · Mar 10
The House may vote as soon as tomorrow on a federal government funding bill that contains a hidden, devastating surprise for the District of Columbia: a requirement that DC drastically slash its budget halfway through the fiscal yr, causing immediate cuts to police, schools, transportation & more.
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writingaditi.bsky.social
Aditi S @writingaditi.bsky.social · Mar 7
Congress should prioritize what’s best for children and families and reject cuts to TANF and SSBG.
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writingaditi.bsky.social
Aditi S @writingaditi.bsky.social · Mar 7
This doesn’t just jeopardize child development support that children need, but also creates obstacles while their parents work or go to school.
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writingaditi.bsky.social
Aditi S @writingaditi.bsky.social · Mar 7
If these cuts are made, nearly 40,000 children would lose access to child care. A further 2.4 million children’s access to child care and early education would also be affected.
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writingaditi.bsky.social
Aditi S @writingaditi.bsky.social · Mar 7
Let’s pin for another day the conversation about how both of these programs are significantly underfunded already. Example? TANF’s block grant hasn’t been adjusted for inflation since it was created in 1996. It’s lost half of its value as a result.
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writingaditi.bsky.social
Aditi S @writingaditi.bsky.social · Mar 7
Congressional Republicans are threatening to eliminate SSBG, at $1.7 billion each year, entirely. And they’re proposing to significantly reduce the $16.5 billion that’s spent on TANF each year.
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writingaditi.bsky.social
Aditi S @writingaditi.bsky.social · Mar 7
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and the Social Services Block Grant (SSBG) both fund vital supports to low income families, including child care and early education.
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writingaditi.bsky.social
Aditi S @writingaditi.bsky.social · Mar 7
The onslaught of harm continues. Republican budget proposals around TANF and SSBG jeopardize the wellbeing of millions of children, as this new fact sheet from @clasp.org shows:
www.clasp.org/publications...
Cuts to SSBG, TANF Would Eliminate Child Care for 40K Children, Disrupt Care for Millions More | CLASP
By Stephanie Schmit & Rachel Wilensky Federal budget proposals currently under consideration threaten resources available for children and families through multiple key programs, including the Tempora...
www.clasp.org
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Reposted by Aditi S
chaerrobert.bsky.social
Chaer Robert @chaerrobert.bsky.social · Feb 26
The purpose of government is not to GROW the income divide. #inequality
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writingaditi.bsky.social
Aditi S @writingaditi.bsky.social · Feb 25
More tax cuts for the wealthy paid for by slashing support for families in poverty is the absolute wrong direction for our nation. TANF needs to be improved, not cut.
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writingaditi.bsky.social
Aditi S @writingaditi.bsky.social · Feb 25
Making these requirements harsher and more inflexible will further cut the number of families TANF assists, and make it harder for people to meet their families’ basic needs.

www.cbpp.org/research/pov...
Expanding Work Requirements Would Make It Harder for People to Meet Basic Needs | Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
Taking benefits away from people who don’t meet a work requirement does little to improve long-term employment outcomes. Instead, it substantially increases hardship.
www.cbpp.org
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writingaditi.bsky.social
Aditi S @writingaditi.bsky.social · Feb 25
TANF’s work requirements are part of the reason very few families actually receive assistance from the program – only one out of every five families below the poverty line.

www.cbpp.org/research/fam...
TANF Cash Assistance Should Reach Millions More Families to Lessen Hardship | Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
Families use assistance provided by the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program to pay for rent, utilities, diapers, food, transportation, and other necessities. Yet too few families st...
www.cbpp.org
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writingaditi.bsky.social
Aditi S @writingaditi.bsky.social · Feb 25
The TANF program already has strict work requirements, which were further tightened in 2023. Those requirements focus on documenting a narrow set of activities, rather than promoting positive outcomes, and act as a barrier to benefits, not a path to employment.
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writingaditi.bsky.social
Aditi S @writingaditi.bsky.social · Feb 25
In 17 states, a family of three gets less than $414 each month. And 10 states have the same cash benefit level as they did in 1996.
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writingaditi.bsky.social
Aditi S @writingaditi.bsky.social · Feb 25
The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, or TANF, program provides extremely modest cash benefits to families well below the poverty level. It is a vital support to the families who are able to receive it.

www.cbpp.org/research/inc...
Continued Increases in TANF Benefit Levels Are Critical to Helping Families Meet Their Needs and Thrive | Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
TANF can play a key role in ensuring that eligible families can meet their needs. Although some states increased their cash benefit levels between July 2022 and July 2023 much more can be done to impr...
www.cbpp.org
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