Material Hardship and the Safety Net

Colleen Heflin, Professor, Maxwell School of Public Affairs, Syracuse University.

This video discusses research on material hardship, which is the inability of households to meet basic needs and essential expenses. The research found that overcoming paths to material hardship, such as regaining employment after job loss, may not move low-income households back to equilibrium. Households receiving assistance from public programs like SNAP (the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) or TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) still experience material hardship. This video also discusses some of the challenges associated with attaching work requirements to service receipt.