Administration’s Proposed Change To Poverty Calculation Could Result In Millions Losing Government Assistance
The poverty level is used to determine things like who qualifies for Medicaid and food stamps. Critics seized on the proposal as the Trump administration’s latest broadside against those struggling the most to make ends meet.
The New York Times:
Trump Administration Seeks To Redefine Formula For Calculating Poverty
The Trump administration is proposing regulatory changes that could result in cuts in federal aid to millions of low-income Americans. The proposal by the Office of Management and Budget on Monday would change how inflation is used to calculate the official definition of poverty used by the Census Bureau to estimate the size of the country’s poor population. The measure is also often applied to determine eligibility for government benefits. (Karni, 5/7)
The Wall Street Journal:
Trump Considers Poverty-Gauge Change That Could Trim Rolls On Aid Programs
The change in the poverty calculation would fit with other steps taken by the White House to reduce access to federal welfare programs, a policy shift that has alarmed consumer groups while appealing to conservatives who call for reducing spending on social programs. The administration has allowed states to impose work requirements in Medicaid. It has also backed a plan to make it harder for legal immigrants who use public assistance programs to come to the U.S. or stay permanently. The number of people affected by the change would be small at first but would grow over time, said Aviva Aron-Dine, vice president for health policy at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a nonpartisan research and policy institute. She said it could affect the income thresholds used to determine Medicaid eligibility. (Armour, 5/7)
