It's Not Like I'm Poor: How Working Families Make Ends Meet in a Post-Welfare World (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9780520275355)

The world of welfare has changed radically. As the poor trade welfare checks for low-wage jobs, their low earnings qualify them for a hefty check come tax time--a combination of the earned income tax credit and other refunds. For many working parents this one check is like hitting the lottery, offering several months' wages as well as the hope of investing in a better future. Drawing on interviews with 115 families, the authors look at how parents plan to use this annual cash windfall to build up savings, go back to school, and send their kids to college. However, these dreams of upward mobility are often dashed by the difficulty of trying to get by on meager wages. In accessible and engaging prose, It's Not Like I'm Poor examines the costs and benefits of the new work-based safety net, suggesting ways to augment its strengths so that more of the working poor can realize the promise of a middle-class life.

Author: Sarah Halpern-Meekin, Kathryn Edin, Laura Tach
ISBN-10: 0520275357
ISBN-13: 9780520275355
Publisher: University of California Press
Language: English
Published: 01/14/2015
Pages: 304
Format: Paperback
Weight: 0.92lbs
Size: 8.90h x 5.90w x 0.70d

Review Citation(s):
Choice 06/01/2015