 Worker/Family Orientated Policies |
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PROGRAM / POLICY / INITIATIVE
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DESCRIPTION
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TARGET POPULATION
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Public Income Support Programs
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Social Security
Disability Insurance (DI)
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Program to insure workers against loss of income because of disability.
Payments are based on individuals’ lifetime average earnings covered by
Social Security.
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Disabled
adults with sufficient DI-covered earnings history.
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Supplemental
Security Income (SSI)
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Means-tested
program to provide monthly cash income to people age 65 and older and
those under 65 who are blind and disabled.
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People age
65 and older, blind, and people with disabilities of any age with limited
income.
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Workers’
Compensation
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Cash payments,
rehabilitation services, and medical benefits provided by employers to
workers who suffer work-related injuries or diseases.
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People who
suffer work-related injuries and diseases.
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Veterans
Administration Programs
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Programs
including disability compensation payments and veterans pensions that
provide payments to people aged 65 or older or under 65 and disabled who
served in the military.
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Veterans
of military service who are over 65 or disabled.
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Temporary
Assistance for Needy Families
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Program that
provides time-limited cash benefits to needy families with children.
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Low-income
families with children.
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In-Kind Benefits
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Medicare
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Public health
insurance program for individuals age 65 and over and persons with disabilities
participating in the DI program. The program provides both hospital coverage
(Part A) and supplementary medical insurance (Part B).
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People age 65 and older, DI beneficiaries, and former beneficiaries who are working.
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Medicaid
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Federal-State matching entitlement program
that provides medical assistance primarily to low-income and otherwise
needy individuals, including persons with disabilities. Eligibility might
be linked to SSI or TANF.
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Low-income
children and pregnant women, adults in families with dependent children,
people with disabilities, and the elderly.
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Assistive
Technology Act of 1998
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Provides
grants to states that may be used to provide AT devices to individuals
as well as to increase public awareness of available AT.
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Disabled
people in need of AT devices.
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Food Stamps
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Increase
the food purchasing power of low-income households by subsidizing food
purchases through coupons that can be used like cash at the grocery store.
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Low-income
households.
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Low-Income
Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)
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Makes grants
available to states and other jurisdictions to assist eligible households
to meet the costs of home energy.
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Low-income
households.
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The Housing
Choice Voucher Program
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Combines
the Section 8 Voucher and Section 8 Certificate programs, providing housing
assistance payments to participating owners on behalf of eligible tenants.
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Low-income
households.
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Supportive
Housing for Persons with Disabilities
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Provides
interest-free capital advances to nonprofit organizations to build, rehabilitate,
or purchase rental housing to be used as supportive housing for persons
with disabilities.
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Persons with
physical or mental disabilities.
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Job Training
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Individuals
with Disabilities Education Act
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Requires
states to provide free and appropriate public education for students with
disabilities at the elementary and secondary level.
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Children
and young adults with disabilities.
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State Vocational
Rehabilitation
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A Federal-State
program intended to help people with physical and mental impairments to
work by providing services including medical and therapeutic services,
counseling, education, training, and job placement assistance.
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Adults with
physical or mental impairments who are able to benefit from VR services.
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Veteran Vocational
Rehabilitation
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A program
similar to the state VR program that provides services exclusively to
veterans.
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Veterans
with service-related disabilities.
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State Workforce
Development Systems (Workforce Investment Act of 1998)
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Program mandated
by the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 that requires states to integrate
job training, adult education and literacy, and VR programs into a one-stop
delivery system.
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All adults,
youth who meet state-determined criteria.
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Independent
Living Training Programs
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Provides
grants to states and nonprofit organizations to establish and support
centers for independent living, which provide independent living skills
training, peer counseling, community outreach, and employment services.
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People with
significant disabilities.
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Projects
with Industry Program
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Program that
facilitates job placement for people with disabilities emphasizing job
training in work settings. Encourages partnerships among business, industry,
labor, and the rehabilitation community.
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Adults with disabilities.
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Tax Policies
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Income Exemption
of Flexible Healthcare Spending Accounts
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A benefit
that employers might offer and that allows employees to exclude up to
$3,600 per year of their healthcare expenses from their taxable income.
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All employees
of firms that offer the benefit.
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Itemized
Deduction of IRWEs
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Allows people
with disabilities who work to deduct the cost of impairment-related work
expenses (IRWE) from their taxable income.
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Persons with
physical or mental disabilities that limit ability to work.
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Earned Income
Tax Credit
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Supplements
the earnings of low-income workers by providing them with a refundable
income tax credit.
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Low-income
individuals.
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