Discussion – Public Policy Solutions to the Hidden Costs of Poverty

Discussion – Public Policy Solutions to the Hidden Costs of Poverty

Question 1: How Does Poverty Cost the Poor More?

Poverty is among the issues that promote inequality in many regions in the United States. Several factors, including education levels and unemployment, influence the population of poor people in different States. For example, in Portland, 12.6% of the population in 2018 lived in poverty. This population experiences challenges meeting their daily needs because poverty costs the poor more. For example, the poor spend more on healthcare services because of limited access to affordable quality care, preventive care, and health insurance. Poverty also costs more for the poor because they experience a higher cost of basic goods and services. According to Poor People’s Campaign (2020), people living in poverty pay more for basic needs such as utilities, shelter, and food because they cannot access credit or cheaper bulk buying options. The poor also have limited educational opportunities, which highlights that poverty costs the poor more. For instance, poor people have limited access to quality public education, impacting their ability to meet the academic requirements needed to secure good jobs.

Question 2: Policy Recommendation

Public social security pensions are vital in preventing poverty among old people. According to the United Nations (2013), there is a high risk of old-age poverty rates unless specific policy changes are made. For instance, sustaining pension levels can promote the availability of pension funds for older adults, leading to income security, especially in middle and low-income households with insufficient private savings. Public social security pensions are also important institutional solutions to ensure income security in old age because they reduce dependency on family members and offer a stable income that protects older people from falling into poverty when they can no longer work and generate income. In addition, this prevents the financial burden the old may put on younger generations taking care of them. Therefore, policy recommendations on promoting access to public social security pensions should emphasize that increasing the coverage of public pensions is important because it promotes a basic standard of living for the old and limits the risk of old-age poverty.

Question 3A: Ways the Expanded Childcare Tax Credit and the Economic Impact Payments Reduced Childhood Poverty

Federal and local governments across the United States have taken various measures to help poor and low-income families. For instance, the Temporary National Assistance for the Needy Families program was introduced to end welfare by creating gainful employment for the heads of households (National Association of Social Workers, 2016). The government also introduced the expanded childcare tax credit and the economic impact payments, which reduced childhood poverty by half in several ways. According to Turner (2022), the tax credit and economic impact payments enabled families to spend more on basic needs such as school supplies, rent, utility bills, clothing, and food. The ability to spend more on basic needs was because of increased household income. For example, families that accessed the payments could use their monthly income to pay for basic needs, thus directly reducing the economic strain. The payments also stabilized household budgets by providing immediate relief during crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic, hence preventing many families from falling below the poverty line.

Question 3B: Benefits Stated By Parents in the NPR Article

The NPR article discusses the benefits reported by parents who accessed the childcare tax credit. One of the benefits was the ability to cover basic expenses such as rent and food. The second benefit was reduced financial stress, allowing parents to focus on caregiving. The third benefit is improved mental health and well-being because of reduced financial worries. Some parents stated that they used the payments to pay off debts and meet unexpected expenses, which led to reduced financial stress (Turner, 2022). This benefit was linked to the fourth benefit, which is increased savings. Some parents mentioned that the payments allowed them to save the money they got from their income, which reduced financial stress (Turner, 2022). Another benefit was access to healthcare and improved children’s nutrition. The parents stated that the payments allowed them to improve their children’s nutrition and access to healthcare because they had more money to meet their essential needs.

Question

The module highlights that the success of programs aimed at helping the poor relies on the taxes collected by the local and federal governments. For example, the English government used laws to increase taxes to raise funds to help the worthy poor, handicapped, and aged (Hansan, 2011). This raises concerns about what would happen if the federal and local governments could not raise enough funds to help the poor. Therefore, the question I would like the instructor to answer is: How can public policy help address the hidden cost of poverty, especially in urban areas with a high cost of living?

References

Hansan, J. E. (2011, December 1). English poor laws: Historical precedents of tax-supported relief for the poor. Social Welfare History Project. https://socialwelfare.library.vcu.edu/programs/poor-laws/

National Association of Social Workers. (2016). On 20th anniversary NASW disappointed TANF not meeting goal to “end welfare as we know it”. NASW Home. https://www.socialworkers.org/News/News-Releases/ID/128/On-20th-Anniversary-NASW-disappointed-TANF-not-meeting-goal-to-end-welfare-as-we-know-it

Poor People’s Campaign. (2020). Poor people’s campaign. https://www.poorpeoplescampaign.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/CostofPoverty

Turner, C. (2022, January 27). The expanded child tax credit briefly slashed child poverty. Here’s what else it did. NPR. https://www.npr.org/2022/01/27/1075299510/the-expanded-child-tax-credit-briefly-slashed-child-poverty-heres-what-else-it-d

United Nations. (2013). Income poverty in old age: An emerging development priority. https://www.un.org/esa/socdev/ageing/documents/PovertyIssuePaperAgeing

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In a post, answer the following questions:
Question 1
Read English Poor Laws: Historical Precedents of Tax-Supported Relief for the Poor and The Poor People’s Campaign.
The Poor People’s Campaign [DOCX].
The Poor People’s Campaign [PDF].
In 150 words, provide the number of poor in your state (see map) in 2018, and using the cost of poverty factsheet, discuss three ways poverty costs the poor more.

Discussion – Public Policy Solutions to the Hidden Costs of Poverty

Question 2
Read Income Poverty in Old Age: An Emerging Development Priority.
Income Poverty in Old Age: An Emerging Development Priority [DOCX]
Income Poverty in Old Age: An Emerging Development Priority [PDF]
In 150 words, discuss the policy recommendation on how public social security pensions are important institutional solutions to ensure income security in old-age.
Question 3
Read On 20th Anniversary NASW Disappointed TANF Not Meeting Goal to “End Welfare as We Know It” and The Expanded Child Tax Credit Briefly Slashed Child Poverty. Here’s What Else It Did.
3A: In 150 words, using the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities report, discuss two ways the expanded childcare tax credit and the economic impact payments reduced childhood poverty by half.
3B: In 150 words, discuss five benefits stated by parents in the NPR article.
Write one question, related to the content in this module, that you would like the instructor to answer.

https://socialwelfare.library.vcu.edu/programs/poor-law’s
https://www.poorpeoplescampaign.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/CostofPoverty_FINAL.pdf
https://www.un.org/esa/socdev/ageing/documents/PovertyIssuePaperAgeing.pdf

https://www.socialworkers.org/News/News-Releases/ID/128/On-20th-Anniversary-NASW-disappointed-TANF-not-meeting-goal-to-end-welfare-as-we-know-it

https://www.npr.org/2022/01/27/1075299510/the-expanded-child-tax-credit-briefly-slashed-child-poverty-heres-what-else-it-d