Badger InstituteBadger Institute
  • Home
  • Issues
    • Taxes
    • Education
    • Crime & Justice
    • Spending & Accountability
    • Economy & Infrastructure
    • Licensing
    • Healthcare
    • Civil Society
  • Mandate for Madison
  • Research
  • Magazines
    • Diggings
    • Wisconsin Interest
  • Events
  • Media
    • Podcast
    • Fact Sheets
    • Viewpoints
    • Press Releases
    • Badger in the News
    • Video
    • Audio
    • Testimony
  • About
    • Our Mission
    • Board of Directors
    • Team
    • Visiting Fellows
    • America’s Future
    • Careers
  • Newsletter
  • Donate
  • Contact Us

Subscribe for Updates

Get the latest news and updates from Badger Institute.

What's New

Wisconsin lawmakers in the dark on broadband

March 16, 2023

The underfunded part of Wisconsin public schooling

March 16, 2023

If we don’t pay for roads, we don’t get mobility

March 9, 2023
Facebook Twitter YouTube LinkedIn Instagram
TRENDING:
  • Wisconsin lawmakers in the dark on broadband
  • The underfunded part of Wisconsin public schooling
  • If we don’t pay for roads, we don’t get mobility
  • Assembly Speaker calls for tolling to fund Wisconsin infrastructure
  • Foreseeing the Future of Wisconsin’s Flat Tax
  • Wisconsin voters will be asked about welfare work requirements
  • A state without convictions
  • Why Wisconsin Needs a Flat Tax and Education Reform
  • Donate
  • Newsletter
  • Contact
Facebook Twitter YouTube LinkedIn Instagram
Badger InstituteBadger Institute
SUPPORT OUR MISSION
  • Issues
    • Taxes
    • Education
    • Crime & Justice
    • Spending & Accountability
    • Economy & Infrastructure
    • Licensing
    • Healthcare
    • Civil Society
  • Mandate for Madison
  • Research
  • Magazines
    • Diggings
    • Wisconsin Interest
  • Events
  • Media
    • Podcast
    • Fact Sheets
    • Viewpoints
    • Press Releases
    • Badger in the News
    • Video
    • Audio
    • Testimony
  • About
    • Our Mission
    • Board of Directors
    • Team
    • Visiting Fellows
    • America’s Future
    • Careers
Facebook Twitter YouTube LinkedIn
DONATE
Badger InstituteBadger Institute
Home » Economy and Infastructure » Improving Wisconsin Works Transition for low-income families
Economy and Infastructure

Improving Wisconsin Works Transition for low-income families

By Angela RachidiOctober 1, 2020
Share
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest

Parents with disabilities or health limitations often time out of the program or end up on disability insurance

The government’s cash assistance program for low-income parents in Wisconsin is called Wisconsin Works, or W-2.  

The number of parents receiving such assistance fluctuates over time, largely in step with the strength of the economy. Over the past 15 years, it has ranged from slightly more than 30,000 right after the Great Recession to approximately 12,000 in 2019. But no matter what the specific number, there is increasing evidence that too many recipients never benefit from the virtues of work.  

Low-income W-2 parents who struggle in the labor market because of disabilities or health limitations are a particular concern. Called the W-2 Transition population, they are the focus of this report. This group has included as many as 9,750 low-income parents who received W-2 cash assistance in 2004 to as few as 3,171 in 2019.  

These parents face unique challenges to employment, but many of them have the capacity to work and can travel a path to economic security with the right assistance.  

While pinpointing exact numbers is difficult due to data limitations, the findings suggest that many of these W-2 Transition parents are not currently gaining employment and are instead leaving W-2 Transition because of program time limits or disability assistance receipt.  

This trend does not bode well for Wisconsin’s low-income parents with disabilities and health limitations, nor for their children. Employment is the surest path  

out of poverty, and people with disabilities and health limitations have the ability and desire to work. This report recommends ways that the State of Wisconsin can better serve this vulnerable group of Wisconsin families that, history shows, is too often left trapped in poverty, dependent on the government and unable to support themselves or their families. The most important recommendations include:  

  • The Wisconsin Department of Children and Families (DCF) should collaborate with the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development’s Division of Vocational Rehabilitation to give low-income parents with disabilities or health limitations seeking W-2 assistance access to vocational rehabilitation expertise and services.  
  • The DCF should include a review of W-2 Transition’s SSI/SSDI advocate program as part of this restructuring, assessing whether it unnecessarily compels work-capable parents on W-2 to remain idle awaiting disability benefits.  
  • Also as part of this restructuring, the DCF should implement the 48-month W-2 time limit passed into law by the state Legislature in 2015, with the goal of moving W-2 Transition parents into sustainable employment within four years of entering the program. 
  • Wisconsin should develop a data infrastructure to track employment and disability outcomes for W-2 parents after they leave the program as a way to assess program effectiveness.  
DOwnload Report
W-2_2.0_whitepaper_FINALDownload
Reports
Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Telegram Email
Angela Rachidi

Related Posts

Assembly Speaker calls for tolling to fund Wisconsin infrastructure

March 2, 2023

Safety Net Fact Sheet

March 2, 2023

Those who pay for pavement set the width

January 26, 2023
Categories
Top Posts

Local pols filling old budget holes with massive COVID aid

December 8, 20221,449

This is not four years ago

November 10, 20221,287

A state without convictions

January 12, 2023644

Billions in federal spending in Wisconsin unaudited; results never measured

November 9, 2022489
Archives

Sign Up for Top Picks

Our weekly e-Newsletter with the latest items and updates

Connect with Badger Institute
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • LinkedIn
About Us
About Us

The Badger Institute is a nonpartisan, not-for-profit institute established in 1987 working to engage and energize Wisconsinites and others in discussions and timely action on key public policy issues critical to the state’s future, growth and prosperity.

Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube LinkedIn

Sign Up for Top Picks

Our weekly e-Newsletter with the latest items and updates

What’s New

Wisconsin lawmakers in the dark on broadband

March 16, 2023

The underfunded part of Wisconsin public schooling

March 16, 2023

If we don’t pay for roads, we don’t get mobility

March 9, 2023

Assembly Speaker calls for tolling to fund Wisconsin infrastructure

March 2, 2023
© 2023 Badger Institute | Privacy Policy | Disclaimer | Sitemap

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

This site uses functional cookies and external scripts to improve your experience.

Privacy settings

Privacy Settings

This site uses functional cookies and external scripts to improve your experience. Which cookies and scripts are used and how they impact your visit is specified on the left. You may change your settings at any time. Your choices will not impact your visit.

NOTE: These settings will only apply to the browser and device you are currently using.

CRM Software

Customer Relationship Management Software

Google Analytics

Google Analytics is a web analytics service offered by Google that tracks and reports website traffic. Google uses the data collected to track and monitor the use of our Service. This data is shared with other Google services. Google may use the collected data to contextualize and personalize the ads of its own advertising network.

You can opt-out of having made your activity on the Service available to Google Analytics by installing the Google Analytics opt-out browser add-on. The add-on prevents the Google Analytics JavaScript (ga.js, analytics.js, and dc.js) from sharing information with Google Analytics about visits activity.

For more information on the privacy practices of Google, please visit the Google Privacy & Terms web page: https://policies.google.com/privacy?hl=en

Powered by Cookie Information