safety-net Archives - For Opportunity

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What Is Georgia’s SNAP Error Rate? And What Can Policymakers Do About It?

Georgia’s SNAP payment error rate was 15.21% in 2025, one of the highest in the country. Learn what that number means and how lawmakers are working to reduce it.

Marie LadinoSeptember 17, 20265 min read

Blog Post

Understanding Benefits Cliffs

What to know about these overlooked poverty traps Millions of Americans rely on government-run safety net programs to help meet their fundamental […]

Georgia Center for OpportunityAugust 14, 20266 min read

Blog Post

Understanding Welfare Work Requirements: New Eligibility Rules for SNAP and Medicaid

Big changes are in process for some recipients of Medicaid and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP or food stamps) benefits and for the state governments that administer the programs. See a breakdown of the changes and who they will actually affect.

Paolo ResteghiniJanuary 23, 20269 min read

Blog Post

What Georgia can learn from other states about fixing welfare

Like most states, Georgia's welfare system is a maze of complex rules and disconnected programs that trap people in a cycle of frustration and dependence. A few states are beginning to rethink how welfare operates and are making changes that could also work in Georgia.

Georgia Center for OpportunityJune 30, 20254 min read

Blog Post

How safety-net benefits discourage low-income workers from escaping poverty

A new research paper from GCO shows the ways social safety-net programs like food stamps and Medicaid provide critical support but also discourage career advancement.

David BassAugust 8, 20242 min read

Blog Post

A Better Safety Net in Georgia: Mapping the One Door Policy (House Bill 738) Would Be a Big Step Forward

Legislation pending in the Georgia Legislature, House Bill 738, would create a task force to explore how Georgia could use Utah’s One Door policy to build a safety net system that helps more people find meaningful work and pathways out of poverty.

David BassFebruary 22, 20245 min read

Blog Post

Missouri is first state to pass law addressing benefits cliffs

Key Points Missouri lawmakers recently took an important step toward helping poor and working-class residents escape safety-net benefits cliffs and experience the […]

David BassNovember 15, 20234 min read

Blog Post

Solving the food stamp benefits cliffs

SNAP benefits cliffs are locking individuals and families in poverty. Our report outlines changes that can be made to fix the cliff.

David BassOctober 26, 20233 min read

Blog Post

How a government shutdown hurts the poor: impacts on SNAP, WIC, and safety net reforms

For many Americans who currently need assistance from programs like SNAP, WIC, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), and Social Security, a government shutdown can be a fearful prospect—and a distraction from the bipartisan solutions Congress should act on to better serve low-income Americans.

Georgia Center for OpportunitySeptember 29, 20238 min read

Blog Post

Are Work Requirements Good or Bad?

The discussion around work requirements is important because it challenges us to ask, “What is the purpose of our safety net system?”

Corey BurresJune 1, 20234 min read

Tag: safety-net

What Is Georgia’s SNAP Error Rate? And What Can Policymakers Do About It?

Missouri is first state to pass law addressing benefits cliffs

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What Is Georgia’s SNAP Error Rate? And What Can Policymakers Do About It?

Understanding Benefits Cliffs

Understanding Welfare Work Requirements: New Eligibility Rules for SNAP and Medicaid

What Georgia can learn from other states about fixing welfare

How safety-net benefits discourage low-income workers from escaping poverty

A Better Safety Net in Georgia: Mapping the One Door Policy (House Bill 738) Would Be a Big Step Forward

Missouri is first state to pass law addressing benefits cliffs

Solving the food stamp benefits cliffs

How a government shutdown hurts the poor: impacts on SNAP, WIC, and safety net reforms

Are Work Requirements Good or Bad?

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