The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities released a report discussing the reasons why poverty has remained frozen despite continued economic growth. This lack of progress can be attributed to a weakening of unemployment insurance (UI). UI benefits kept over 1.7 million people – jobless workers and their families – above the poverty line in 2012, however that was 600,000 fewer than in 2011, and over 1.5 million fewer than in 2010. This report states the reasoning behind the fall in UI benefits, and provides numerical evidence of UI's influence on poverty rates.

Brookings released a social mobility memo discussing how poor health as a child hinders future success. It states that health inequality may play a large role in holding back mobility in the United States. Examples of evidence-based relationships between income and health are given, as well as suggestions on how to use this information to better promote an improved health and social environment in the United States.

The Urban Institute held a roundtable with experts representing a diverse range of perspectives on U.S. workers. They were charged with informing a broad workforce policy agenda that would reflect the nation's changing economic and government landscape. The experts set out to address unemployment and explore innovative approaches to meeting employer demand for skilled workers. This report highlights workforce innovations and practices that attendees felt held the most promise and the most challenges for ensuring a more effective U.S. workforce system.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration released a Data Spotlight report addressing the reasoning behind why over five million adults every year have an unmet need for mental health care and do not receive mental health services. According to the 2009 to 2011 National Surveys on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), cost/insurance issues were the most frequently mentioned reasons for not receiving mental health services. Unmet mental health needs can have a direct effect on the well-being of the individual, their relationships, and their employment.

The National Women's Law Center (NWLC) released a report that provides a gender analysis of national and State poverty and income data for 2012, released by the Census Bureau in September 2013. The National Women's Law Center supplies this analysis because little information broken out by gender is available directly from the Census Bureau's series of reports titled "Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States." The report found that poverty rates among women, like poverty rates overall, remained at historically high levels last year. Women's poverty rates were once again substantially above the poverty rates for men. The data also show that income supports such as Food Stamps/SNAP benefits kept millions of Americans out of poverty last year. The wage gap remained unchanged in 2012, with women working full time, year round typically earning 77 cents to every dollar paid to their male counterparts – the same level at which they have remained for a decade.

The Child Support Enforcement (CSE) program was enacted in 1975 as a federal-state program (Title IV-D of the Social Security Act) to help strengthen families by securing financial support for children from their noncustodial parent on a consistent and continuing basis and by helping some families to remain self-sufficient and off public assistance by providing the requisite CSE services. Over the years, CSE has evolved into a multifaceted program. While cost-recovery still remains an important function of the program, its other aspects include service delivery and promotion of self-sufficiency and parental responsibility. In FY2012, the CSE program collected $27.7 billion in child support payments and served nearly 15.7 million child support cases. However, the program still collects only 63% of current child support obligations for which it has responsibility and collects payments for only 59% of its caseload. (author abstract)

This article provides a historical look at federal policy as it relates to the employment of people with disabilities over the last 40 years. Of particular interest to TANF stakeholders is the descriptions of integrated employment and EmploymentFirst, two strategies that the Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) has promoted to help individuals with serious disabilities connect with work.

Offered by the Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP), this Web site lists a wide variety of guides and toolkits for professionals interested in connecting individuals with disabilities with employment. Each publication can be viewed online, or a free copy may be ordered through the mail. Publications include posters, brochures for individuals with disabilities, and tips sheets for professionals.

This short paper examines the effects the Great Recession had on both TANF and SSI take up rates. It also examines the effect that welfare reform had on SSI rates and concludes that since welfare reform in 1996, SSI has been playing a larger part in the general safety net for low-income individuals and families.

This article briefly reviews research on transition challenges for youth with disabilities in the juvenile justice system and supports needed to become self-sufficient. Profiles of four State programs are provided, including program models, results, funding, and evaluation efforts. From the four example States, common themes are identified for future work.