In the media

Amid many of the debates around entitlements and benefits, one thing is often lost to the public: Many people who qualify for help struggle to get and keep their benefits because it can be difficult to navigate the system. Economics correspondent Paul Solman looks at the challenge as part of our special series, America’s Safety Net.

A new survey of Affordable Connectivity Program users detailed the financial hardships recipients face in affording broadband, and found more than half access government services online.

Some student-loan borrowers on government food assistance were late paying rent and utility bills, new data from Propel show

Over half of Americans on SNAP benefits are eating less, a new report found.

High food prices continue to hit consumers and food pantries six months after an expanded government assistance program ended, according to report out Wednesday.

During the pandemic, some low-income families in the U.S. received extra federal aid for buying groceries, a government effort that has since been scaled back. The result is soaring food insecurity among poor households with children, with more than 4 in 10 families who had received the benefit now skipping meals, according to new research.

An increasing share of low-income Americans are behind on rent and struggling to afford food, adding to signs of growing financial distress in the economy.

Food insecurity is rising in the U.S. as the end of pandemic-era aid and higher food costs strain low-income Americans, according to data released on Wednesday by the U.S. Census Bureau and two surveys from anti-hunger groups.

Anti-hunger advocates say the U.S. is facing an "unprecedented" rise in food insecurity amid persistently high inflation in the grocery aisle and cuts to the food-stamp program earlier this year.

The end of the pandemic-era SNAP expansion, and a new tax season are hitting low-income households

A 2022 survey conducted by Propel found that among Snap recipients, there was a significant level of higher food insecurity in states where emergency allotments were cut off. In a January 2023 survey, there was an increase in the number of Snap recipients who reported skipping meals, eating less, visiting food pantries or relying on family or friends for meals compared with December 2022.

More Americans receiving government food assistance said they lost their homes last month, according to a new survey by software firm Propel Inc., just as an emergency benefit expires for tens of millions of people.

Putting food on the table will be a lot harder for millions of Americans starting in March. Food stamp recipients will each receive about $90 a month less in benefits, on average, as a pandemic hunger relief program comes to an end nationwide three years after Congress approved it.

A few years ago, someone stole my card information and took over $100. You’d assume the bank or credit card company would reimburse that fraud, right?

In October, individuals who receive food assistance benefits saw the biggest increase in decades due to inflation. But many are still struggling to afford food.

Tara Kramer hasn’t always had enough money to follow her doctor’s orders. She has a complex disability—hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, which causes chronic pain and mobility and digestive issues—and good nutrition and physical therapy could help keep her symptoms under control.

As grocery prices rise, women have few places to turn. Some report skipping meals, federal food benefits have not kept up and food pantries are also starting to feel the impact.

Over 9,000 emails from low-income families across the country have hit the inboxes of lawmakers recently. They’re writing about the difference the Child Tax Credit has made to their families.

Even as the government expanded aid programs, many people faced barriers to using them. That problem is now being addressed with apps and streamlined websites.

Soon after the pandemic shuttered the U.S. economy, food banks were overwhelmed by demand, with cars lined up for miles as people in need waited to pick up groceries.

Soon after the pandemic shuttered the U.S. economy, food banks were overwhelmed by demand, with cars lined up for miles as people in need waited to pick up groceries. As the hunger crisis worsened, the federal government stepped in to increase food stamp benefits.

The pandemic had the potential to bring about complete economic devastation for millions of people in the United States. According to research by Pew, more than 9 million U.S. workers lost their jobs during the first three quarters of 2020.

The $1.9 trillion pandemic relief package moving through Congress advances an idea that Democrats have been nurturing for decades: establishing a guaranteed income for families with children.

The sudden increase of time with their children has reminded some low-income parents of what they have been missing. “It’s an odd silver lining, but it’s there,” says Jane Waldfogel, a professor at the Columbia School of Social Work.

Two new studies show the effect of the emergency $2 trillion package known as the Cares Act and what happened when the money ran out.