Welcome to The Poverty Institute
A RESPECTED AUTHORITY ON THE ECONOMIC VITALITY OF RHODE ISLAND AND ITS RESIDENTS ...
CURRENT ISSUES
CHART: EARNINGS FROM JOBS NOW RI IMPACT RECEIPT OF PUBLIC BENEFITS
The Poverty Institute has received a number of inquiries regarding the impact that earnings from the Jobs Now RI program will have on a family's or individual's receipt of public benefits. Jobs Now RI participants are paid wages just like other employees. Thus, earnings are treated the same as regular wages for public benefit purposes - which depends on whether it is the adult or child who is the earner. Visit our homepage to find the chart that summarizes how income is treated in the RI Works, SNAP, RIte Care and Child Care Assistance program.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT RI WORKS
At the end of June, 850 families (including 1,200 children) around the state will lose their RI Works cash assistance benefits because they will reach the new 24 month time limit. Families can continue to receive cash assistance benefits if they request a "hardship exception." To learn more about how to help families apply for a "hardship exception" so that they can continue to receive benefits click here.
- MEDIA: Safety net wears thin for Rhode Islanders hitting 24-month welfare limit (Providence Journal, Front Page, 7.10.10)
THE GUIDE TO GOVERNMENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE!
This Guide is a web-based tool designed to provide an overview of basic eligibility rules and guidelines for the government assistance programs that help low- and modest-income Rhode Islanders meet their basic needs. These programs include Income Supports, Food Assistance, Health Care, Child Care, Housing, Utilities and Tax Credits.
Click here to access The Guide. Since program requirements change often, this is meant to be an online resource that will be updated regularly. Click here to sign up for our "Benefits Bulletin," a monthly e-news that alerts you to changes in eligibility guidelines for these programs.
- NEW TO THE GUIDE: Summary pieces that give a brief overview of programs for families and adults is now available. We urge providers to print out these summaries and have them available for families and individuals that are seeking benefits. Click here for the Summary for Low-Income Families or the Summary for Low-Income Adults.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT IMMIGRANT CHILDREN AND RITE CARE
Most lawfully present immigrant children are now eligible for Medical Assistance (including RIte Care, RIte Share and Katie Beckett) as oflong as they meet other eligibitlity rules. This includes children who have "green cards" (lawful permanent residents) who no longer have to wait five years to be eligible for coverage. Children who are refugees or asylees and others who have a legal status are also eligible. Families should contact a Family Resource Counselor for help applying for their children. To learn more about helping families apply for their children click here.
REPORT: "An Uneven Path: State Investments in Women's Economic Self Sufficiency"
The Poverty Institute is proud to announce the public release of our newest report "An Uneven Path: State Investments in Women's Economic Self Sufficiency." State investments in programs that help women and their families attain or maintain economic self-sufficiency have been severely eroded in recent years. This report, co-released with the Women's Fund of Rhode Island, documents the impact of the cuts to the four main programs that help low- and modest-income families make ends meet: child care assistance, cash assistance, health care, and child support. In these harsh economic times, it is imperative that women have access to the programs that help them seek and sustain employment while caring for their families.
Read the full report
Read the executive summary
Read the press release
LATEST NEWS
MEDIA: Wealthy Reap Rewards While Those Who Work Lose (Interpress Service, 7.9.10)
"Within last five years the state cut back work support programs like child care assistance and funded health insurance," Brewster said. "The cruel irony is that when families really need help, less is available."
MEDIA: The Global Waiver, One Year Later (RI Monthly, 6.24.10)
“The bottom line is: How much is the state willing to invest in Medicaid?” asks Linda Katz of the Poverty Institute. “The waiver has given the state some fiscal relief, but that hasn’t been used to expand services, just to offset state general revenue spending.”
MEDIA: Unemployment benefit goes up, reflecting rise in cost of living (Providence Journal 6.16.10)
Kate Brewster, executive director of the Poverty Institute, of Providence, a social-policy think tank, said that the increase in the maximum weekly benefit will help. “As the cost of living rises every year, it’s important that we adjust our unemployment benefits to coincide with that, so that people don’t fall further behind,” Brewster said.
MEDIA: Group sees R.I. tax plan as a boost (Providence Journal 6.3.10)
Russell Dannecker, fiscal policy analyst at the Poverty Institute, of Providence, a social policy think tank, said the revenue loss would occur “at the worst possible time” as the state faces budget deficits.
FREQUENTLY USED DOCUMENTS
2008 Rhode Island Standard of Need (12.08)
Every two years, The Poverty Institute publishes The Rhode Island Standard of Need (RISN) to provide a realistic standard for measuring the economic well-being of families and single adults. The RISN answers two fundamental questions:
• What is the cost of meeting basic needs for a single parent family, two-parent family, and a single adult in Rhode Island
• How do state and federal work supports help individuals and families meet the cost of basic needs?
Click here for the full report, executive summary, charts and media coverage for the 2008 RISN
