Those who have found work are primarily in low wage, temporary, or marginal jobs that do not provide sufficient income to raise them above the poverty line. Most people leaving welfare for employment are moving into jobs that do not provide health insurance. Although the number of families eligible for Medicaid and food stamps has not changed, enrollment in both programs has fallen precipitously. Many states have actively discouraged families from applying for benefits to which they are entitled by instituting burdensome application procedures and creating a culture of intimidation that permits discriminatory and sometimes illegal practices by state agencies. For example, most documented immigrants who have arrived since 1996 are ineligible for food stamps and Medicaid.
Undocumented workers are very vulnerable to exploitation at the workplace.
Many working parents are being forced to place their children in substandard or inadequate child care because the alternatives are unaffordable. Despite neglect by state and national policymakers, grassroots groups are winning model policies at the local and state levels that could provide the basis for a renewed national commitment to address problems of poverty and inequality. Some of these ordinances also require the provision of health care benefits and other protections for low-wage workers. The governing body of the campaign is an organizing committee comprised of 30 member organizations. A seven-member executive committee is authorized to make operational decisions in between meetings of the organizing committee.