State General Assistance Programs are Shrinking

Despite increased need, the number of state General Assistance (GA) programs, which exist to assist very poor individuals without minor children and serve as a safety net of last resort, is shrinking. An updated paper on the state of GA programs from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP) emphasizes that only twenty-six states currently have GA programs to serve individuals in severe poverty without minor children, who don’t qualify for SSI, and are not elderly. In addition, benefits have shrunk in real dollars in almost every state since the late 1990’s – some states have actively cut benefits while many others have failed to raise benefits to keep up with inflation.