It's Not Like I'm Poor

How Working Families Make Ends Meet in a Post-Welfare World

Nonfiction, Social & Cultural Studies, Social Science, Anthropology, Sociology, Political Science
Cover of the book It's Not Like I'm Poor by Sarah Halpern-Meekin, Kathryn Edin, Laura Tach, Jennifer Sykes, University of California Press
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Author: Sarah Halpern-Meekin, Kathryn Edin, Laura Tach, Jennifer Sykes ISBN: 9780520959224
Publisher: University of California Press Publication: January 14, 2015
Imprint: University of California Press Language: English
Author: Sarah Halpern-Meekin, Kathryn Edin, Laura Tach, Jennifer Sykes
ISBN: 9780520959224
Publisher: University of California Press
Publication: January 14, 2015
Imprint: University of California Press
Language: English

The world of welfare has changed radically. As the poor trade welfare checks for low-wage jobs, their low earnings qualify them for a hefty check come tax time—a combination of the earned income tax credit and other refunds. For many working parents this one check is like hitting the lottery, offering several months’ wages as well as the hope of investing in a better future. Drawing on interviews with 115 families, the authors look at how parents plan to use this annual cash windfall to build up savings, go back to school, and send their kids to college. However, these dreams of upward mobility are often dashed by the difficulty of trying to get by on meager wages. In accessible and engaging prose, It’s Not Like I’m Poor examines the costs and benefits of the new work-based safety net, suggesting ways to augment its strengths so that more of the working poor can realize the promise of a middle-class life.

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The world of welfare has changed radically. As the poor trade welfare checks for low-wage jobs, their low earnings qualify them for a hefty check come tax time—a combination of the earned income tax credit and other refunds. For many working parents this one check is like hitting the lottery, offering several months’ wages as well as the hope of investing in a better future. Drawing on interviews with 115 families, the authors look at how parents plan to use this annual cash windfall to build up savings, go back to school, and send their kids to college. However, these dreams of upward mobility are often dashed by the difficulty of trying to get by on meager wages. In accessible and engaging prose, It’s Not Like I’m Poor examines the costs and benefits of the new work-based safety net, suggesting ways to augment its strengths so that more of the working poor can realize the promise of a middle-class life.

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