During the 2025 tax debate, policymakers have the opportunity to remake the tax code so that it is fairer, works for low- and moderate-income people and families, and advances racial equity. A key priority should be expanding the Child Tax Credit to benefit the roughly 19 million children shut out from receiving the full credit […]

While a powerful wage booster that benefits millions of families with children each year, the federal Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) provides extremely limited support to adults aged 25-64 who work low-paying jobs and are not raising children in their household. Low-paid workers who are younger than 25 or older than 64 are excluded from […]

Census data paint a complicated picture of progress against poverty in 2023, as the national poverty rate fell, rose, or held steady depending on which measure is used: In other words: using inflation-adjusted measures, poverty fell under the official poverty measure, but was unchanged using the alternative SPM, which accounts for food assistance expirations.Stronger government […]

Few people understand the impact of Medicaid better than people enrolled in the program, but their perspectives are often underrepresented in official decision-making. New federal rules present an opportunity for state advocates working on building community power to help ensure the voices of Medicaid enrollees are centered in policy decisions.The previous guidance lacked specificity, leading […]

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) finalized a rule in May 2024 that sets new standards for state agencies to better engage Medicaid enrollees and their families in the Medicaid decision-making process through implementation of Medicaid Advisory Committees (MACs) and Beneficiary Advisory Councils (BACs). As states create their MACs and BACs, state advocates […]

This week at CBPP, we focused on federal taxes, poverty and inequality, and health.  Chart of the Week — End of Pandemic Assistance Largely Reversed Recent Progress in Reducing Child Poverty     A variety of news outlets featured CBPP’s work and experts this past week. Here are some of the highlights: