Social safety net

People experiencing poverty lack more than money: they also lack autonomy and power, and they are often denied dignity and respect. Urban researchers measure poverty’s several dimensions and analyze the effectiveness of social insurance and public assistance programs designed to help struggling families meet basic needs. Policymakers, advocates, practitioners, and philanthropists rely on Urban’s timely evidence to inform poverty-reduction efforts and to shape solutions for reducing barriers families face as they strive for social and economic mobility.

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Brief

Access to Paid Leave Is Lowest among Workers with the Greatest Needs

This brief uses nationally representative data from the December 2021 round of the Urban Institute’s Well-Being and Basic Needs Survey to examine patterns in access to paid family and medical leave among workers ages 18 to 64.

Research Areas

Child welfare

Tags

Disability Insurance

Refundable tax credits

Hunger and food assistance

Families with low incomes

Poverty

Welfare and safety net programs

From Safety Net to Solid Ground

Research Methods

ATTIS Microsimulation Model

Featured Experts

Vice President, Income and Benefits Policy

Senior Fellow

Principal Research Associate

Events

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What Does It Take To Transform Persistent Rural Poverty into Opportunity?

Display Date

October 13, 2021
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How Might States’ Responses to the Pandemic Affect Safety Net Programs?

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April 29, 2021
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Restoring Immigrant Families’ Connections to the Safety Net

Display Date

April 1, 2021
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State of the States 2021: Pandemic Response and Recovery

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March 9, 2021
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State of the Schools 2020: The Educational Costs of the COVID-19 Pandemic

Display Date

August 12, 2020
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State of the States: Pandemic-Driven Budgeting Innovations

Display Date

July 8, 2020

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Chair, Urban Institute Institutional Review Board
Vice President, Income and Benefits Policy
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Vice President, Metropolitan Housing and Communities Policy
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Associate Vice President
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Vice President for Technology and Data Science
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Practice Area Lead: Housing as a Platform
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and Director, National Neighborhood Indicators Partnership
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Director, HOST Initiative
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Codirector, DYNASIM Microsimulation Model
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