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How do low-income single-mothers get by when unemployment strikes: Patterns of multiple program participation after transition from employment to unemployment.
Wu, Chi-Fang; Chang, Yu-Ling; Yoon, Soohyun; Musaad, Salma.
  • Wu CF; School of Social Work, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, United States of America.
  • Chang YL; School of Social Welfare, University of California, Berkeley, California, United States of America.
  • Yoon S; School of Social Work, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, United States of America.
  • Musaad S; Department of Pediatrics, USDA/ARS Children's Nutrition Research Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America.
PLoS One ; 17(9): e0274799, 2022.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-2039429
ABSTRACT
Little is known about longitudinal patterns of welfare program participation among single mothers after they transition from employment to unemployment. To better understand how utilization patterns of these welfare programs may change during the 12 months after a job loss, we used the 2008 Survey of Income and Program Participation to examine the patterns of participation in Medicaid, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, and unemployment insurance among 342 single mothers who transitioned from employment to unemployment during the Great Recession. Using sequence analysis and cluster analysis, this paper identified four distinct patterns of program participation (a) constantly receiving in-kind benefits; (b) primarily but not solely receiving food stamps; (c) inconsistent unemployment insurance or Medicaid-based benefits; and (d) limited or no benefits. Almost two-fifths of our sample of single mothers received inconsistent, limited, or no benefits. Results of the multinomial regression revealed that race, work disability, poverty, homeownership, and region of residence were significant factors that influenced whether study subjects participated in or had access to social safety net programs. Our findings illustrate the heterogeneity in patterns of multiple program participation among single mothers transitioning from employment to unemployment. Better understanding these varied patterns may inform decisions that increase the accessibility of US social safety net programs for single mothers during periods of personal economic hardship.
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Full text: Available Collection: International databases Database: MEDLINE Main subject: Unemployment / Food Assistance Type of study: Observational study / Prognostic study Limits: Humans Country/Region as subject: North America Language: English Journal: PLoS One Journal subject: Science / Medicine Year: 2022 Document Type: Article Affiliation country: Journal.pone.0274799

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Full text: Available Collection: International databases Database: MEDLINE Main subject: Unemployment / Food Assistance Type of study: Observational study / Prognostic study Limits: Humans Country/Region as subject: North America Language: English Journal: PLoS One Journal subject: Science / Medicine Year: 2022 Document Type: Article Affiliation country: Journal.pone.0274799