#economic-safety-net

[ follow ]
UK politics
fromwww.independent.co.uk
14 hours ago

Austerity-era benefit cuts plunged nearly a quarter' of children into poverty

Austerity measures in Britain have led to a significant increase in long-term childhood poverty, affecting nearly a quarter of children born since 2010.
#consumer-sentiment
US Elections
fromwww.businessinsider.com
13 hours ago

Americans are more frustrated with the economy than ever and sky-high gas prices could be a big reason why

Gas prices significantly impact American consumer sentiment, with higher prices correlating to lower feelings about the economy.
US Elections
fromAxios
16 hours ago

Americans hate the 2026 economy

Consumer sentiment is at an all-time low, reflecting economic concerns despite low unemployment and rising GDP.
US Elections
fromwww.businessinsider.com
13 hours ago

Americans are more frustrated with the economy than ever and sky-high gas prices could be a big reason why

Gas prices significantly impact American consumer sentiment, with higher prices correlating to lower feelings about the economy.
US Elections
fromAxios
16 hours ago

Americans hate the 2026 economy

Consumer sentiment is at an all-time low, reflecting economic concerns despite low unemployment and rising GDP.
#social-security
fromFortune
3 days ago
Retirement

The next generation of senators has a ticking time bomb in their lap: Social Security's insolvency, without a plan for national debt | Fortune

Retirement
from24/7 Wall St.
1 week ago

How to Avoid Social Security's Most Hated Trap

Many retirees face taxes on Social Security benefits, which can feel like double taxation due to low income thresholds.
Retirement
from24/7 Wall St.
1 week ago

64% of Americans are Making a Fundamental Mistake on Social Security

Social Security's trust fund may run dry by 2032, but benefits will still be paid from ongoing revenue, covering about 75% of promised benefits.
Retirement
from24/7 Wall St.
18 hours ago

How a 401(k) Helps Your Social Security Benefits Go Further

Maximizing Social Security benefits is crucial, and a 401(k) can provide the flexibility to delay claiming for higher payouts.
Retirement
fromFortune
3 days ago

The next generation of senators has a ticking time bomb in their lap: Social Security's insolvency, without a plan for national debt | Fortune

Social Security and Medicare face imminent funding crises, with deadlines for Congress to address these issues approaching rapidly.
Retirement
from24/7 Wall St.
5 days ago

Social Security's Funding Problem Just Got $169 Billion Worse

Social Security faces potential benefit cuts due to funding shortages and recent legislative changes affecting tax revenue.
Retirement
from24/7 Wall St.
1 week ago

Social Security Issues Major Warning to Retirees

Retirees must be vigilant against increasing government impostor scams targeting their Social Security information.
Retirement
from24/7 Wall St.
1 week ago

How to Avoid Social Security's Most Hated Trap

Many retirees face taxes on Social Security benefits, which can feel like double taxation due to low income thresholds.
Retirement
from24/7 Wall St.
1 week ago

64% of Americans are Making a Fundamental Mistake on Social Security

Social Security's trust fund may run dry by 2032, but benefits will still be paid from ongoing revenue, covering about 75% of promised benefits.
Business
fromFortune
1 day ago

Turns out the American middle class didn't die. It got richer-and felt poorer | Fortune

Affluent Americans in 2026 experience a sense of unease despite material wealth, reflecting a structural shift in the economy and perceptions of prosperity.
Healthcare
fromwww.amny.com
16 hours ago

Op-ed | To tackle affordability, we must have fair hospital pricing | amNewYork

Two out of three New Yorkers delayed healthcare due to costs, with hospital price inflation exceeding 100% since 2009.
Public health
fromwww.theguardian.com
1 day ago

Trump's new budget ignores dying Americans and gives away record sums to the US military

Americans face high avoidable deaths due to inadequate healthcare access and rising costs, with significant budget cuts proposed for health services.
Psychology
fromSilicon Canals
3 days ago

Research suggests people who grew up with very little and later accumulated real wealth don't feel wealthy - they feel temporarily safe, and there's a difference - Silicon Canals

Scarcity significantly reduces cognitive performance, impacting decision-making and mental bandwidth, regardless of actual intelligence.
NYC parents
fromBronx Times
3 days ago

OUR FORGOTTEN BOROUGH | The personal impact of new SNAP work rules on Bronx residents - Bronx Times

New federal SNAP work requirements affect 120,000 New Yorkers, mandating documentation of work or training to maintain benefits.
#inflation
Coffee
fromFortune
3 days ago

Inflation goes up by a whopping monthly rate of nearly 1%-and it's hitting you at the grocery store and gas station | Fortune

Caffeine addiction is costly as coffee prices surged 30.5% year over year due to inflation and tariffs.
Coffee
fromFortune
3 days ago

Inflation goes up by a whopping monthly rate of nearly 1%-and it's hitting you at the grocery store and gas station | Fortune

Caffeine addiction is costly as coffee prices surged 30.5% year over year due to inflation and tariffs.
fromPortland Mercury
4 days ago

Study: Rent Assistance is the Most Requested Support Service Among Homeless Residents - Portland Mercury

"Collectively, the findings from this report paint a picture of people experiencing homelessness who know what they need to obtain and maintain permanent housing."
Portland
Careers
fromFortune
3 days ago

The job market is so bad, workers now think they have worse odds of finding a role than during the pandemic | Fortune

Job seekers are more pessimistic about job prospects now than during the pandemic peak, despite recent job growth statistics.
Mental health
fromSilicon Canals
4 days ago

I grew up lower middle class and the thing nobody explains is how the financial anxiety doesn't leave when the money arrives. You can have six months of savings and still feel the phantom weight of an empty account because your nervous system was calibrated in a house where the math never quite worked and it stored that frequency permanently - Silicon Canals

Chronic stress from childhood financial instability affects adult behavior and emotional responses to money.
San Francisco
fromPadailypost
4 days ago

Opinion: How to convince voters to raise taxes? Cry wolf

Bay Area leaders are using fear tactics to push for a half-cent sales tax increase for mass transit, framing it as a citizen initiative.
Artificial intelligence
fromThe Nation
5 days ago

We All Hate AI, but if You're Poor, It Can Really Ruin Your Life

Luxury brands are emphasizing human artistry over AI to maintain exclusivity and appeal to consumers' desire for authenticity.
NYC politics
fromCity Limits
5 days ago

Opinion: Corporate Democrats Who Refuse to Tax the Rich Are Protecting Their Donors. Vote Them Out.

New leaders are needed to advocate for working people and reform New York's inequitable tax system.
#solar-energy
Environment
fromwww.dw.com
6 days ago

How to make your home shockproof when energy prices go wild

Homeowners are significantly reducing energy costs by installing solar panels and heat pumps, leading to lower electricity and gas expenses.
Environment
fromwww.dw.com
6 days ago

US citizens beat rising energy bills with homegrown power

Homeowners are significantly reducing energy costs and reliance on fossil fuels by installing solar panels and heat pumps.
Environment
fromwww.dw.com
6 days ago

How to make your home shockproof when energy prices go wild

Homeowners are significantly reducing energy costs by installing solar panels and heat pumps, leading to lower electricity and gas expenses.
Environment
fromwww.dw.com
6 days ago

US citizens beat rising energy bills with homegrown power

Homeowners are significantly reducing energy costs and reliance on fossil fuels by installing solar panels and heat pumps.
NYC real estate
fromFortune
5 days ago

Housing is so expensive, even a $87 billion Wall Street bank is giving workers $6.5K in cash to get on the property ladder | Fortune

Many American workers have abandoned homeownership dreams due to a housing crisis, prompting BNY to offer financial assistance for first-time homebuyers.
fromKqed
6 days ago

Hundreds of Thousands Could Be Booted From CalFresh and Medi-Cal. This Bill Aims to Help | KQED

House Speaker Mike Johnson stated that the work requirement helps 'return the dignity of work to young men who need to be out working instead of playing video games all day.' However, Saucedo countered that most benefit recipients are already employed, and research indicates that such requirements do not enhance employment or earnings.
California
UK news
fromwww.independent.co.uk
6 days ago

Warning issued over precarious' state of long-term adult social care in England

The Independent provides critical journalism on pressing issues without paywalls, relying on donations to support its reporting efforts.
#gas-prices
Retirement
from24/7 Wall St.
18 hours ago

Social Security COLA Watch: Here's How the Latest CPI Data Could Impact Next Year's Raise

Higher gas prices impact overall costs, potentially leading to increased Social Security COLA adjustments for seniors.
Washington DC
fromTruthout
1 week ago

Low-Income Moms Struggle to Keep Their Families Afloat Amid Gas Price Increases

Gas prices have surged due to the war in Iran, significantly impacting single mothers' budgets and daily lives.
Retirement
from24/7 Wall St.
18 hours ago

Social Security COLA Watch: Here's How the Latest CPI Data Could Impact Next Year's Raise

Higher gas prices impact overall costs, potentially leading to increased Social Security COLA adjustments for seniors.
Washington DC
fromTruthout
1 week ago

Low-Income Moms Struggle to Keep Their Families Afloat Amid Gas Price Increases

Gas prices have surged due to the war in Iran, significantly impacting single mothers' budgets and daily lives.
Business
fromnews.bitcoin.com
1 day ago

Analyst Says Federal Reserve Is Ignoring US Recession Signals in 2026

The Fed risks a historic policy error by maintaining rates amid slowing GDP and consumer spending, according to QI Research CEO Danielle DiMartino Booth.
Healthcare
fromTruthout
4 days ago

Trump Budget Proposal Shreds Health and Food Programs to Feed the War Machine

Trump suggests offloading Medicaid, Medicare, and child care costs to states amid war, risking health care access for millions.
fromwww.aljazeera.com
4 days ago

US fertility rate drops to all-time low, continuing a two-decade decline

The fertility rate for 2025 was reported at 53.1 births per 1,000 women aged 15 to 44, marking a one percent drop compared to the previous year.
Public health
Non-profit organizations
fromNextgov.com
5 days ago

Treasury is creating a database with pandemic aid recipients' sensitive information

The Treasury Department is creating a central database for pandemic relief benefit recipients, raising privacy concerns and legal challenges.
fromwww.housingwire.com
1 week ago

Homeowner Assistance Fund backstopped vulnerable borrowers

The insights from this report help us think about potential gaps in the loss mitigation waterfall and the types of homeowners who may benefit from targeted support when they experience a crisis.
SF real estate
US Elections
fromFortune
4 days ago

'Every time you see that power bill, you're just sick': Meet a West Virginian whose $900 electric charge is more than her fixed income | Fortune

Soaring utility costs are forcing families in West Virginia to choose between food and heat, despite living in an energy-rich area.
Higher education
fromFortune
3 days ago

'Downward mobility is incredibly radicalizing': The college bargain is broken. What comes next could reshape America | Fortune

The value of a college degree has diminished while unemployment for recent graduates has risen since 2022.
Left-wing politics
fromPsychology Today
2 weeks ago

How the Battle for Affordable Care Became a Culture War

The Affordable Care Act's passage and implementation faced significant political and cultural challenges, shaping national discourse for years to come.
fromApaonline
3 weeks ago

Good Work and Economic Democracy

Within the workplace, the content and conditions of work are largely controlled by employers who often have an interest in degrading the quality of work, both to increase productivity and to increase their control over employees in the workplace. Outside the workplace, employers have both an incentive and the power to undermine measures that would improve the quality of work through the political process.
Philosophy
US Elections
fromFortune
2 weeks ago

Wealth taxes on billionaires and $30 minimum wages are part of the same plan, advocate says. 'They should pay their fair share' | Fortune

Most voters support a billionaire tax, with 52% of California voters favoring a one-time 5% tax on the state's billionaires.
Higher education
fromThe New Yorker
1 week ago

The Economist Who Wants to Solve America's Wage Problem

Empowering workers and establishing mandatory wage standards across industries is essential for addressing wage inequality.
Retirement
fromSilicon Canals
1 week ago

What no one tells you about a working-class retirement - Silicon Canals

Retirement can lead to unexpected physical and identity challenges for those who defined themselves by their work.
US politics
fromIntelligencer
1 month ago

GOP Crusade Against 'Fraud' Just Means Big Safety-Net Cuts

Congressional Republicans plan to cut safety-net programs by framing them as 'fraud prevention' measures to fund tax cuts, defense spending, and deportation initiatives, using racially coded rhetoric dating back decades.
US Elections
fromThe Nation
2 weeks ago

How Trump's Economy Is Crushing Everyday Americans

Rising costs of living are forcing Americans to choose cheaper, shelf-stable food options while economic policies worsen financial strain.
US news
fromThe Washington Post
1 month ago

One-third of Americans skip meals or other needs to afford health care

Rising health care costs force Americans to reduce spending, skip meals, delay major life decisions like homeownership and parenthood, and postpone retirement.
#social-security-insolvency
fromFortune
1 month ago
US politics

Social Security has kept wealth inequality in check for decades. Trump's policies could deplete it in 6 years | Fortune

from24/7 Wall St.
2 months ago
Retirement

Social Security Experts Warn The Government 'must break its promise on Social Security' to avoid 'imminent insolvency'

fromFortune
1 month ago
US politics

Social Security has kept wealth inequality in check for decades. Trump's policies could deplete it in 6 years | Fortune

from24/7 Wall St.
2 months ago
Retirement

Social Security Experts Warn The Government 'must break its promise on Social Security' to avoid 'imminent insolvency'

Healthcare
fromCbsnews
1 month ago

Millions of Americans skip meals, stretch medication to afford health care

One-third of Americans cut everyday expenses and skip meals to afford healthcare, with 82 million making financial sacrifices including borrowing money and reducing utilities.
Public health
fromTruthout
1 month ago

Trump Administration Quietly Moves to Strip Food Aid From Millions

The Trump administration is pursuing a regulatory change to eliminate broad-based categorical eligibility in SNAP, which would remove federal nutrition assistance from approximately 6 million low-income Americans, including nearly 2 million children.
US news
fromwww.npr.org
1 month ago

Out of work and with 2 teens, this mom may lose food stamps under Trump's changes

New SNAP work requirements eliminate food assistance exemptions for single parents with children aged 14 and older, creating financial hardship for vulnerable families already struggling with unemployment and poverty.
fromCity Limits
1 month ago

Federal Bill Would Upgrade EBT Cards to Prevent 'Skimming' Thefts

EBT card theft is a huge, huge problem. In New York alone, in the first six months of last year, $14 million of SNAP benefits were stolen. We get these complaints all the time to our office.
US politics
US Elections
fromwww.theguardian.com
1 month ago

Everything is going up': Americans struggle with affordability despite Trump's claims

US workers continue facing affordability struggles despite Trump's campaign promises, with rising costs outpacing wages and tariffs increasing prices for most Americans.
Non-profit organizations
fromTruthout
1 month ago

"Low-Wage 20" Report Calls Out Companies Paying Worker Below Medicaid, SNAP Thresholds

Workers at America's largest low-wage corporations depend on public benefits because their pay is insufficient, while CEOs receive astronomical compensation.
Public health
fromABC7 San Francisco
1 month ago

Trump's new Medicaid work mandate could leave thousands of homeless Californians uninsured

Trump's new Medi-Cal work requirements and increased verification frequency will likely cause over 90% of unhoused Californians to lose health insurance coverage starting in 2027.
US politics
fromwww.theguardian.com
1 month ago

Workers at top 20 US low-wage firms rely on public assistance, report says

Millions of workers at major US corporations earn wages so low they qualify for government assistance, while companies spend billions on stock buybacks instead of raising pay.
fromTruthout
1 month ago

Federal Funding for People in Poverty Is Going to Anti-Abortion Centers Instead

The bulk of the money Missouri gives to its crisis pregnancy centers comes from federal funds meant to assist families experiencing poverty with basic necessities and child care, Republican Rep. Jason Smith said on the U.S. House floor in January. As many as $3 of every $4 for pregnancy centers in Missouri was from the federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program in 2024, and in the 2026 fiscal year, it will be $2 out of $3.
Non-profit organizations
Retirement
from24/7 Wall St.
3 weeks ago

This Could Be Social Security's Most Confusing Rule

Spousal Social Security benefits cap at 50% of the spouse's primary insurance amount and cannot grow beyond this maximum, unlike individual benefits which increase 8% annually when delayed past full retirement age.
Healthcare
fromThe Atlantic
1 month ago

The Cost of Not Having Health Insurance

A woman survives a burst brain aneurysm and undergoes emergency surgery, with family members gathering to support her recovery in the ICU.
US politics
fromFast Company
1 month ago

State lawmakers have introduced 100+ bills to rein in wealth hoarding

At least 19 states have introduced over 100 bills in the 2026 legislative session to address wealth inequality and rising costs of living through tax policy reforms and wealth redistribution measures.
Careers
fromBusiness Insider
1 month ago

Americans don't have enough savings for longer and longer job searches

Prolonged job searches and low hiring rates are creating severe financial strain for many Americans who lack sufficient emergency savings.
UK news
fromwww.bbc.com
2 months ago

Government to give cash payouts to people in financial crisis

Crisis and Resilience Fund provides £1bn yearly for three years to let councils deliver cash emergency support to low-income people.
US news
fromwww.npr.org
2 months ago

How Americans feel about the economy and their spending habits

A relatively small group of well-off shoppers is driving a large share of consumer spending that sustains solid U.S. economic growth.
US politics
fromPsychology Today
2 months ago

In the U.S., Who Deserves Financial Stability?

Cultural defaults like individualism and the American Dream shape attitudes toward social welfare and can help or hinder changemakers seeking equitable policy solutions.
US politics
fromThe Atlantic
2 months ago

Democrats Need to Take Welfare Fraud Seriously

Massive welfare fraud in Minnesota exposed systemic oversight failures that demand stronger state and federal safeguards to prevent large-scale abuse and restore public trust.
US politics
fromFortune
1 month ago

Trump celebrates 2.4 million Americans 'lifted' off SNAP benefits after his tax-cut law slashed funding and tightened work requirements | Fortune

Trump's administration cut SNAP by $186 billion over 10 years, removing 2.4 million Americans from food assistance while tightening work requirements and expanding tax cuts for wealthy individuals and corporations.
US politics
fromwww.aljazeera.com
2 months ago

Struggling to get by: Behind the US underemployment crisis

Economic policies and federal funding cuts left nonprofit workers vulnerable, causing layoffs, hiring freezes, and prolonged financial hardship despite extensive job searching.
US politics
from24/7 Wall St.
2 months ago

Trump Administrations New Tax Rule Puts Social Security at Risk

A new $6,000 senior standard deduction boost in 2026 increases short-term senior tax savings but accelerates Social Security trust fund depletion by roughly six months.
US politics
fromThe Mercury News
2 months ago

Letters: Next appropriations bill must restore SNAP cuts

Congress must repeal SNAP cost‑shift provisions requiring states to share SNAP food benefit costs to prevent shifting millions in annual expense onto California.
[ Load more ]