Research by Author & Topic

Publications by Sheila R. Zedlewski on Poverty

In this commentary for The Press-Enterprise (Riverside, Calif.), Olivia Golden and Sheila Zedlewski advise states to grab the federal dollars offered by the economic stimulus package to help pay for recession-driven increases in the demand for welfare.

Older adults often are left out of policy conversations on poverty because many believe that relatively few of them experience economic hardship. Yet an updated measure of poverty indicates that the rate for adults ages 65 and older matches the rate for children. The Economic Recovery package under consideration includes some provisions that would benefit older adults, but more could be done. One-time payments for those receiving welfare and increases in food assistance benefits especially would help some poor older adults. Investments in the job skills of those who want to work should also be considered.

The Census Bureau’s official poverty measure no longer reflects the true resources or needs of adults age 65 and older. Recent consumption data show that older adults generally require more to cover their basic needs and economic data show that older adults have more resources than are reflected in the official poverty measure. This paper shows the sensitivity of poverty rates for older adults to alternative measures of consumption needs and income resources. The alternative measures all show that number of older adults living in poverty is greater than the official measure indicates.

This study uses data from the National Survey of America's Families 1997, 1999, and 2002, to summarize what we have learned about families potentially affected by welfare reforms passed in 1996. We describe outcomes for low-income families currently on welfare, families that recently left welfare, and those that have never received welfare. Changes in welfare policy, the economy and broader societal trends potentially affected all three groups. Our results show important differences in the relative well-being of these three groups over time, including changes in employment, poverty, and the share of families disconnected from either cash government assistance or work.

About a quarter of American families with children work regularly but remain low-income. State and federal practitioners, policymakers, and national experts met in May 2005 to examine this group of working families that barely make ends meet despite "playing by the rules." This conference report lays out the salient point of the two-day roundtable and the thrust of a future agenda.

Executive Report:Food stamps are a significant source of food assistance for families with incomes below 130 percent of the poverty level. The average participating household received roughly $200 a month in benefits during fiscal year 2004. Despite the value of the benefit, many eligible persons do not enroll in the Food Stamp Program (FSP). This report summarizes the findings from 18 local outreach projects the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) funded in 2002 to test outreach strategies. The projects, which were implemented at different locations across 15 states, included a technological component and/or partnerships with other organizations to expand the scope of outreach. All projects aimed to increase awareness of the FSP and increase the number of food stamp participants.

Food stamps are a significant source of food assistance for families with incomes below 130 percent of the poverty level. The average participating household received roughly $200 a month in benefits during fiscal year 2004. Despite the value of the benefit, many eligible persons do not enroll in the Food Stamp Program (FSP). This report summarizes the findings from 18 local outreach projects the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) funded in 2002 to test outreach strategies. The projects, which were implemented at different locations across 15 states, included a technological component and/or partnerships with other organizations to expand the scope of outreach. All projects aimed to increase awareness of the FSP and increase the number of food stamp participants.

[BBC News] In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, many poor families scattered throughout the United States. "Images of people trapped in New Orleans after Katrina have rekindled interest in American poverty," says Sheila Zedlewski, director of the Income and Benefits Policy Center. Discussing Katrina's impact on poor families, Zedlewski offers perspective on how the storm could serve as a catalyst "to confront poverty head on and create a system that protects all from shock and ruin."

This policy brief examines low-income children's participation in food assistance programs and explores the potential to improve food security by extending this safety net to more children. The results show that the nutrition safety net plays an important role in low-income families' lives. Seven out of ten young children and almost eight out of ten school-age children in low-income families receive some nutrition assistance. Nonetheless, the safety net fails to reach three out of ten low-income children. Also, one in five poor children receive no nutrition assistance. The authors conclude that the food safety net has considerable room to expand.

Data from the National Survey of America's Families show that food stamp participation rates increased significantly between 1997 and 2002 for former welfare recipients with monthly incomes below poverty. The participation rates for poor families with children and no welfare experience did not change since 1997. For example, less than one in three families without welfare experience and incomes below one-half the poverty line (two-thirds of all families in this income category) reported receiving food stamps in 2002. This suggests that new food stamp program rules and procedures designed to facilitate access to benefits are only making a difference for families with some connection to the cash welfare system.