Because the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program has both income limits and asset limits, those on the margin of eligibility for the elderly component of the program face incentives to reduce labor supply prior to becoming eligible. The authors’ past research relying on cross-state...

Welfare reform changed the federal funding mechanism for state-run welfare programs for families from an open-ended match to fixed block grants. Major concerns about reform were that states would receive less federal funding in the long run and face hard-to-plan-for volatility in demands for...