. Federal welfare reform has led to the "elimination of welfare as we know it" and several tax reforms have substantially … increased the role of "in-work"' assistance. In 2010, we spent more than 5 dollars on the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) for … every dollar spent on cash benefits through Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), whereas in 1994 on the eve of …

It is well documented that individuals do not spend SNAP benefits smoothly over the month after receipt. Rather …, recipients spend a disproportionate share of benefits at the beginning of the benefit month. This has costs for recipients and … beneficiaries and those who receive other government benefits. We use data from USDA's National Household Food Acquisition and …

of needy parents on government benefits, in part by promoting marriage; the pre-reform welfare system was widely believed … to discourage marriage because it primarily provided benefits to single mothers. However, welfare reform may have …