GCO Safety Net Reform Collection
Pioneering a New Era of
Conservative Safety Net Reform
Thank you to the Searle Freedom Trust for making this work possible and empowering millions of Americans to find a path to flourishing and self-sufficiency.
Research Products
The Benefits Cliffs Problem—Worse Than You Think?
Safety net programs can help individuals in difficult times. However, for single parents who need assistance, serious barriers can trap them in the system. Using precise rules of eligibility, GCO studied the hypothetical case of Sophia, a representative single mom with two children in North Carolina.
The research brief examined four packages of safety net programs—including the Earned Income Tax Credit, Medicaid, and subsidized child care services—considering situations in which no family member has a disability and in which one child has a disability.
Solving Medical Assistance Benefits: Removing the Healthcare Barriers That Trap People in Poverty
This brief highlights some of the challenges with the current health insurance system and Medicaid benefits cliffs while outlining solutions.
Workforce Engagement:
A Missing Link in Understanding Income Inequality
This report highlights the ways social safety net programs like SNAP and Medicaid provide critical support but also discourage career advancement.
The Benefits of Work: Why Work Is More Than a Job
This literature review provides an overview of the evidence-based positive and negative impacts of employment. It shows how, overall, employment provides both financial and nonfinancial benefits. This research strengthens the argument that public policies should promote rather than disincentivize work.
Stories
Joyelle’s Story
Frankie’s Story
Op-Eds and Media
Congress Blows an Opportunity to Help Those Left Behind (Real Clear Policy)
Basic Income Is the Wrong Solution for Atlanta’s Poor (Real Clear Policy)
Strengthening Welfare: How DOGE Can Help Open Doors to Work and Opportunity (The Well News)
A Path from Welfare to Self-Sufficiency (Governing)
Substantial Policy Moves Sought for Georgia Child Care Costs (The Center Square)
Hidden Costs of Getting a Raise for America’s Working Poor (The Black Chronicle)
