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INCOME & WORK SUPPORTS UPDATE
AUGUST 2020

Despite Economic Relief, Hunger is on the Rise and Families are Suffering

As COVID-19 continues to spread throughout the country, a hunger crisis is also growing as a result of the pandemic. The situation is likely to get worse for many households and families as key supports come to an end unless Congress acts to pass another relief package.

Racism in Public Benefit Programs: Where Do We Go from Here?

Public benefit programs are racist. They are also essential. It is critical that we understand the history of the safety net in the United States because, without recognition of past and present harm, we run the serious risk of complicity in upholding systems of white supremacy.

Pandemic Rebate Payments Still Haven’t Reached Many Who Need Them Most

While many Americans received federal aid to help them get by during the economic crisis, 12 million people are still waiting for this drastically needed relief. Thankfully, outreach campaigns can provide a solution if we act soon.

IWS Updates

This month, the Income and Work Supports team is saying goodbye to two team members as they both head off to law school. Darrel Thompson has been a research assistant on the IWS team for the past two years. He has co-led our team's work to build relationships with activists who have lived experience with the programs we work on. He has written about drug testing, the drug felony bans, child support, and made a persuasive case for CLASP's endorsement of HR 40, the reparations bill. Esther Davila was an Emerson Hunger Fellow with the IWS team this spring. She contributed to the just-released reports on immigrant families in Massachusetts and the Carolinas and wrote a blog on including immigrants in COVID-19 relief. We will miss them both but know that they will continue to fight for a more just society. We are now recruiting for a new Research Assistant. Please share the job announcement with your networks.