Transitional ‘benefit cliff’ legislation would help more Missourians take raises, drop state assistance

      A plan that would allow Missourians who are on certain state financial assistance programs to gradually get off of them without falling off a so-called “benefits cliff” is one of the things awaiting action from Governor Mike Parson (R). 

Representative ALex

      That “cliff” is what policy makers call situations when a person accepts a salary increase that puts them over the income limits for programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), and what that person then loses in benefits is more than the amount their pay would increase.  The result is that often, Missourians on benefits programs are forced to reject promotions and raises, for their own good and that of their families.

      The House passed last month a proposed transitional program that would let people get off of state programs incrementally as their income increases. 

      “Our social safety net system, our welfare system in the State of Missouri, isn’t working.  It’s designed in such a way that it really does trap people in poverty and discourages people from trying to get out,” said Springfield Republican Alex Riley, the House sponsor of that legislation.  “My goal with the benefits cliff bill was to create a pathway where our welfare system really does what its intended to do, and that’s to serve as a hand up to people to help pull them out of these tough situations that they’re in, and not to serve as an anchor that keeps them in poverty forever and then results in this generational cycle of poverty that unfortunately far too many in our state are in.”

      The legislation would apply to SNAP and TANF, and expand and make permanent existing transitional benefits for the child care subsidy program.  Benefits to a participant would be reduced relative to their increases in pay until they are making twice the federal poverty rate. 

      Representative Keri Ingle (D-Lee’s Summit), whose background is in social work, said most Missourians, even if they haven’t been on these programs, could understand having to make the decisions some have had to make, to turn down pay increases.

      “I don’t think it’s hard for most people to imagine, in this economy, but, you absolutely wouldn’t want to be in a situation where you had to cut your income,” said Ingle.  “One of the great things about this bill is that it allows people to slowly ween off the system.  It allows them to be in situations where it doesn’t adversely affect their income to accept a higher paying job, or to have a higher income, to accept a raise, and still have some of those benefits until they can kind of slowly ween off of them and be self-sufficient.  We’re really empowering working folks within our state with families to come off the system but to do it in a way that they’re still having all their needs met.”

Representative Keri Ingle (Photo: Tim Bommel, Missouri House Communications)

      Riley said there’s nothing in Missouri’s various policies and statutes that does what this would do.

      “There are some minor benefits cliffs provisions in place for, I think, food stamps, but it hasn’t really worked, so this is a bigger bite at the apple that will, hopefully, do a better job of actually resolving that issue,” said Riley.  “Once this has been implemented and is in effect for a few years I expect we’re going to start to see large numbers of people coming off the rolls over time and then once we get a really good opportunity to see how this has played out over time, we’ll have an opportunity to make adjustments if we need to, but hopefully we won’t have to.”

      He said the legislation might have to be revisited over time for factors like inflation. 

      In the end, the legislation received broad bipartisan support.  It is a proposal that had been around for several years, sponsored by members of both parties.  Even so, Riley said such issues can present a narrow path to success.

      “It’s hard to do any sort of welfare reform in a bipartisan way but this was a way that we could do that.  You had Democrats that were okay with this type of reform, you had Republicans of all shapes and sizes, from your conservative wing, your Libertarian wing, your more moderate wing, that recognized that this is a structure that makes sense and will benefit the state as a whole for a long time to come.”

      He said giving people a way to get off of state benefits is good for them, good for state agencies, and good for the state’s budget.

      “It’s good for the individuals because they’re starting to work their way out of poverty, they’re becoming more self-sufficient, which is good for the state when you have more people working and getting off of benefits.  It’s going to ultimately result, over time, in the state having to spend fewer dollars on folks on benefits and it will result in fewer people, ultimately, on benefits, over time.”

      Ingle said most people who are getting state help don’t want to do so for any longer than is necessary, and they will appreciate this program.

      “I think it’s a common misconception that people want to stay on the system, or people don’t want to be self-sufficient … but people have to be able to pay their bills and to feed their children, and so at the end of the day it’s just a common sense solution to that problem.”

      Riley said, “My excitement and focus with being able to get this done this year was really to create a pathway for people who are on state benefits but don’t want to be on those, who want to be self-sufficient, who want to work and start to get out of these tough economic situations, a way to do so, and I think we accomplished that with this bill.”

      The language passed as part of Senate Bill 106 and Senate Bills 45 & 90, broad bills dealing with various public health issues.  Governor Parson could sign either or both of those bills into law, veto them, or allow them to become law without his action. If this proposal becomes law it would become effective on August 28.

Help for low-income and disabled Missourians a focus in final days of session

      In the House, proposals that would help Missourians with disabilities, those with low incomes, and new mothers on state assistance, are being given every chance to become law before the end of the session next week.  The chamber has voted to add those pieces of legislation to several bills that are still in play in these final days.

Representative Melanie Stinnett (Photo: Tim Bommel, Missouri House Communications)

      Among those is a transitional program meant to help people get off of state assistance gradually as their income increases.  House members say the state’s assistance programs for low-income Missourians trap people in poverty because if they accept a raise that puts them above a program’s limits, they could lose more in state benefits than they gain from a raise. 

      The measure, sponsored by Representative Alex Riley (R-Springfield), would let people incrementally transition off of state assistance, “Trying to create this transitional system that encouraged people to work, that encouraged people to take those raises and to start to work their way up the income ladder and to hopefully, once this goes into effect, actually reduce the number of people receiving benefits in the state.”

      That provision is the product of years of work by members of both parties.  Lee’s Summit Democrat Keri Ingle called it a, “great bill … it’s been a bipartisan effort to essentially wean folks off of assistance, whether it’s TANF or SNAP, and make it easier for Missourians to get what they need to be successful working citizens while at the same time making sure that all of their needs are being met.”

Representative Bridget Walsh Moore (Photo: Tim Bommel, Missouri House Communications)

      The House has voted this week to add that language to two bills.  It did the same for language sponsored by Representative Melanie Stinnett (R-Springfield) that could allow individuals with disabilities to finally be able to advance in their careers without worry of losing state assistance. 

      The changes to the state’s Ticket to Work health insurance program within MO HealthNet would increase the limit to how much a person can earn before they lose benefits, and would not count up to $50,000 of a spouse’s income toward that limit.  It would also direct state agencies to have policies to recruit and keep employees with disabilities and create competitive ways to integrate them into workforces.

      “These are people who are actually begging us to work, who want to work, who want to get promotions, who want to seek new jobs.  What [this] bill does is address the fiscal cliff, making sure that you don’t have to do quite as much of a tap dance that too many people in our state are doing, where you’re allowed to make so much money but only to a certain point,” said St. Louis Democrat Bridget Walsh Moore.

      Walsh Moore, who lives and works with a disability, said the benefits that individuals stand to lose often enable them to have a job in the first place.  Things like, “a personal care attendant, your health insurance your additional services and equipment that you receive through the state that allow you to work.  This would address and allow you to make more money, put that money back into the economy because if you make more money you’re going to spend more money.”

Representative Alex Riley (Photo: Tim Bommel, Missouri House Communications)

      Also supported in the House this week has been a bipartisan plan to extend post-partum coverage under MO HealthNet or Show-Me Healthy Babies from 60 days to a year.

      Stinnett, one of several sponsors of this proposal, said, “In 2019, 75-percent of pregnancy-related deaths in Missouri were determined to be preventable; those deaths that were attributed to things like embolism, hemorrhage, infections, concerns with cardiovascular health, chronic health conditions, and there’s one common denominator that can save these women’s lives, and that’s healthcare access.”

      Several Republicans have cited this as an important pro-life provision.  Representative Darin Chappell (R-Rogersville) said, “We who talk about being pro-life, I don’t know how we do that and then cut off the most vulnerable of our society after 60 days … I believe if we’re ever going to spend money [on benefits programs] it ought to be for those most vulnerable among us.  Those very ones that we fought for them to be able to be born.  We have to take care of them.”

      Representative Tony Lovasco (R-O’Fallon) said even very conservative Republicans like himself could get behind all of these proposals, which don’t expand the state’s assistance programs.

Representative Keri Ingle (Photo: Tim Bommel, Missouri House Communications

 “The reality is we are in a situation where we all, in all of our districts, have employers that are begging for workers.  The number of unfilled positions right now is just astronomical and the idea that we as a state might incentivize people to stay home and not work and not take a promotion, not take a job opportunity because they might just make a slim little bit more money that puts them in a hole when it comes to feeding their family, well that’s just insane.”      

Sponsors are hopeful at least one of the bills containing these provisions will reach the governor’s desk before the session closes at 6pm on May 12.

Legislature’s budget proposal would save Summer Jobs program for young adults

The budget passed last week by the state legislature would save a program that helps low-income youth enter the workforce.

Representative Bruce Franks (photo; Tim Bommel, Missouri House Communications)
Representative Bruce Franks (photo; Tim Bommel, Missouri House Communications)

Governor Eric Greitens’ (R) budget proposal would have cut all funding to the Summer Jobs League within the Department of Economic Development.  It had $8.5-million last year.  The House had proposed restoring $6-million to the program.  It compromised with the Senate to fund it at $4-million in fiscal year 2018.

Representative Bruce Franks (D-St. Louis), Junior, was responsible for making sure that program received some support.

“I’m happy with the $4-million.  Do I wish it was more?  Of course, but at the end of the day we’ll be able to put some young folks to work,” Franks said.

The Summer Jobs League gives 16- to 24-year-olds from low-income homes in the St. Louis and Kansas City areas work opportunities in fields they’re interested in.  The League pays up to $8.50 an hour for 240 hours.  Business owners don’t have to pay those employees while they are enrolled in the League, but often hire those employees after their time in the league is up.

Franks said it provides important opportunities for young adults whose lives might otherwise lack structure.

“To be able to come in here and get this structure and work at amazing places like Ballpark Village and the Scottrade Center, and our police department, circuit attorney’s office … lawyers’ offices, doctors’ offices, just to get them on the right road,” said Franks.  “It’s more than just, ‘Hey, I’m going to give you a job, you work a couple hours.’  It’s a fundamental, comprehensive way of fighting crime from the root cause by providing the resources that we lack in our economically distressed communities.”

Franks emphasized the program is not just about getting jobs for “kids.”

“It’s about young adults, between the ages of 16 through 24, who get on the road to viable employment through Summer Jobs,” said Franks.  “This program has saved lives; has gotten people on the road to different careers, different trainings, even in my particular business with some of the youth we’ve been able to hire who have moved on to work in corporate offices.”

Franks hopes in future years he can work to put more funding into Summer Jobs to see it offered in more parts of the state.

“The object is to make a viable program for all of the state of Missouri in every single part of Missouri – rural areas, St. Louis City, Kansas City – that’s what it’s about.  It’s not just about one particular area because disenfranchisement doesn’t have a color.  It’s not biased at all,” said Franks.

The budget has been sent to Governor Greitens for his consideration.

Earlier story:  House budget plan would save program to get low-income youths into workforce