Nearly one in five Georgians — and one out of four children — lives in poverty. That’s a lot: in only four other states is the poverty rate higher.
We’re talking about an income of $22,350 for a family of four. That’s less than half of what it takes for… [Read more]

Categories: Clare S. Richie, Economic Security | Comments (1)

Georgia recently attracted the attention of Congress because of its abuse of a tactic that has eroded services for Georgians struggling to get out of poverty.  Nearly half of Georgia’s required contribution to Temporary Assistance for Needy Families,  which is supposed to match federal funding, now comes from private third-party… [Read more]

Categories: Blog, Clare S. Richie, Economic Security | Comments (1)

For the second year in a row, Georgia will waste more than $20 million of taxpayer money cleaning up a mess created by more than a decade of irresponsible corporate tax breaks.
Corporate tax breaks and unprecedented tax holidays in the years leading up to the recession have drained more… [Read more]

Categories: Blog, Clare S. Richie, Economic Security | Comments (1)

A perfect storm has hit Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) in Georgia, and the results could be devastating. Reduced by nearly $125 million, TANF in Georgia is at a new low, surpluses from previous years are gone, and the state is relying heavily on private funds that may ultimately… [Read more]

Despite the drop in federal TANF funds, Georgia policymakers continue to use federal TANF funds to replace state funds without regard to prioritizing state programs that directly promote family self-sufficiency.  For FY 2013, lawmakers allocated 43 percent of the federal TANF to satisfy TANF’s direct purposes, while 57 percent of… [Read more]

Categories: Clare S. Richie, Economic Security, Reports | Comments (1)

The game of robbing Peter to pay Paul continues in Georgia. To keep one critical budget intact, the Department of Human Services (DHS) is proposing cuts to two other critical programs.
In the end, everybody loses.
DHS proposes to fill some gaps in the amended 2013 budget by shuffling around… [Read more]

Things are about to get worse for as many as 190,000 Georgia families struggling to make ends meet because of unemployment. Starting in July, unemployed Georgians will lose between $260 and $1,820 in unemployment insurance payments due to a new law passed this spring by the Georgia Legislature.
And… [Read more]

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Under the General Assembly’s plan to repay the $746.8 million federal loan Georgia borrowed to meet its unemployment insurance obligations during the recession, laid-off Georgians will lose their state unemployment benefits faster, while employers will receive a permanent cut in their unemployment insurance (UI) obligations. The new law means struggling families… [Read more]

Categories: Clare S. Richie, Fact Sheets | Comments (1)

The FY 2013 Budget Analysis: Human Services report examines key trends within the Department of Human Resources (DHS), including budget cuts and staff reduction and restructuring all while demand for services has increased. What takes DHS to a new low in FY 2013; however, is the loss of $37.3 million in… [Read more]

Categories: Clare S. Richie, Library, Reports, State Budget | Comments (1)

The TANF federal allocation, which states receive each federal fiscal year (October – September) has several components. For Georgia, the relevant components are the TANF Federal Block Grant and the TANF Supplemental Grant.  Although Congress extends the TANF program, without the TANF Supplemental Grant, Georgia loses $37.3 million federal funds.… [Read more]

Categories: Clare S. Richie, Fact Sheets, Library | Comments (1)