Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Bridging The Gaps: Structuring Benefits To Promote Mobility For Low Wage Workers, Randy Albelda, Heather Boushey

Center for Social Policy Publications

Low-wage workers have always faced difficulties earning enough to meet their basic needs in the context of the complex financial tradeoffs between receiving public benefits and taking on any or more employment. However, welfare reform and skyrocketing housing and medical costs have exacerbated these challenges to low income families, policy makers, and the providers and agencies that serve them. Employment – often at low-wages – is imperative for most families and, even with supplementary public benefits, financial independence is not easy to achieve for many working families. Wages are too often too low to meet the high cost of living …