April 2025 News Notes

PUBLIC BENEFITS ASSIST THE SAFETY NET

At the core of the Social Safety Net concept is the notion of providing a safety net for individuals and communities experiencing economic hardship, health crises, or financial setbacks, particularly focused on poverty alleviation. Social Safety Nets serve as a vital tool for protecting and supporting the most vulnerable members of society, ensuring that no one falls through the cracks of an unforgiving system. In essence, the Social Safety Net encompasses a range of programs and policies designed to deliver financial, material, and social assistance to those in need. They function as a buffer against the adverse effects of poverty, unemployment, disability, natural disasters, and other hardships that can destabilize individuals and families. To name a few:

Medicaid

Medicaid is a state/federal program that pays for medical and long-term care services for people with lower incomes, seniors, people with disabilities and some families and children. Services covered include laboratory and X-ray services, inpatient and outpatient hospital services, health screenings for children, and long-term care services and supports. When people with disabilities get access to health care and other disability services, they can live independent lives.

Medicaid makes this possible:

1.    It provides essential health care to millions of children and adults with disabilities, so they can live healthier, fuller lives.

2.    Infants with disabilities get a strong start in life through vital developmental support.

3.    People with disabilities receive assistance from home care workers for daily tasks, ensuring independence and dignity.

Social Security Disability Insurance

Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) pays benefits to you and certain members of your family if you are “insured,” meaning that you worked long enough and paid Social Security taxes.

Medicare

Medicare is the federal health insurance program for people who are sixty-five or older, certain younger people with disabilities, and people with End-Stage Renal Disease (permanent kidney failure requiring dialysis or a transplant, sometimes called ESRD).

Supplemental Security Income

Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is a federal program that provides benefits based on financial need. This income supplement program is funded by general tax revenues (not Social Security taxes):

·         It is designed to help aged, blind, and disabled people, who have little or no income; and

·         It provides cash to meet basic needs for food, clothing, and shelter.

Governments play a crucial role in the implementation and administration of Social Safety Nets. They establish policies, allocate resources, and collaborate with international organizations and civil society to ensure the efficient and equitable delivery of support to those in need. Governments must strive to balance efficiency and equity, creating safety net programs that are accessible, transparent, and inclusive.

Kevin McGuckin, CEO