Reform Reversed: The Restoration of Welfare Benefits to Immigrants in California Book

The 1996 federal welfare reform legislation called for many dramatic changes in the welfare system. However, some of these changes were not well considered, and subsequent legislation has already modified or reversed several of the original reforms. The authors examine one such instance-the denial and reinstatement of benefits for noncitizen immigrants under the federal Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Food Stamps programs. The authors agree that the original decision to cut benefits across the board would have left many families destitute, with no apparent hope of relief. Yet, in simply reversing the decision a year later and restoring SSI benefits, lawmakers were giving welfare dollars to thousands of people who did not need public assistance. The authors suggest that a better approach might be to consider the income of other household members. Their analysis shows that under such a scenario many immigrants would be disqualified and others would receive lower benefits, whereas the most impoverished-those living alone or in poor families-would receive the support they so desperately need.