Multi-Year Effort to Improve Maine’s Anti-Poverty Programs: legislative progress sets the stage for more opportunity this fall

It is time to reimagine and rebuild Maine’s safety net. Maine took some positive steps toward real reform this legislative session, but more is needed as we look ahead to next year.

For Mainers who sought help from state government to make ends meet prior to the pandemic, seeing the difficulties unemployed Mainers had trying to get unemployment benefits during the public health crisis was no surprise. The pandemic highlighted the critical nature of the safety net, but also highlighted the ways in which we need to invest in and strengthen these programs to get people the help they needed quickly and easily in a crisis.

Government systems can be better—simpler, easier to access, and more effective when it comes to creating stability and opportunities to get ahead. Together we were taking steps to reform government’s anti-poverty programs before the pandemic hit.

In 2017, 2018, and 2019 we passed LIFT legislation to advance real reforms to increase economic security and opportunity for Maine families. In 2019, LIFT legislation in the Invest in Tomorrow bill package created a LIFT Working Group to recommend additional reforms. In 2020, the Working Group issued a comprehensive report. Then COVID-19 happened, and the work stalled.

This year, the Legislature did pass some reforms that came from the LIFT Working Group. We plan to build on these positive changes this September when the HHS Committee of the Legislature will hold a public hearing on a new report from DHHS that was established by our LIFT legislation. The report will focus on how families are faring and how programs are doing when it comes to increasing economic security and opportunity. The public hearing will provide an opportunity to advance more recommendations from the LIFT Working Group.

Several key recommendations from the LIFT Working Group did pass this session:

• No More Full-Family Sanctions in TANF: A bill passed that ends "full family sanctions" for families who receive income support (TANF). Before this change, entire families, including children, lost their income if the parent or caretaker breached TANF program rules (even though these “breaches” were often simple misunderstandings or clerical errors). This practice of punishing the entire family harms children and families by completely eliminating assistance, leaving them without income to pay their rent or purchase food and everyday necessities. Now, thanks to the work of Invest in Tomorrow; the LIFT working group, Mainers who shared their stories; and the support of the legislature and Governor, children will continue to receive essential financial help. This change becomes effective on October 18, 2021.

We are heartened that this change is part of a nationwide trend: states are recognizing that penalties like this are counterproductive to the goal of reducing poverty and providing opportunity to families. Penalties not only take away the resources that families use to stay housed and feed their families, but also deprive them of the education and training opportunities, child care, and transportation services that are essential to getting and keeping a job.

• No More Asset Tests in SNAP: Another recommendation from the LIFT working group report became law that will remove asset tests from the Food Assistance (SNAP) Program. This punitive policy was implemented by the LePage Administration and has worked to bar people from accessing food assistance needed to stave off hunger. Asset tests are error-prone and can mean that people who should qualify are improperly denied help. The elimination of asset tests for all Mainers will ensure more families who are food insecure can put food on the table. DHHS must make this change through rulemaking by January 1, 2022.
• More Work to Do on ASPIRE: The LIFT Working Group identified the need for serious reform and accountability measures in ASPIRE, TANF’s employment and training program, currently administered by Fedcap. We believe supportive education and training programs are critical to the state’s post-pandemic economic recovery, but the way ASPIRE is currently designed and administered is leaving many people worse off. We will continue having conversations throughout the summer, bringing together a leadership team of people with lived experience to shape a vision for ASPIRE.

We hope you will join us for the LIFT hearing in September, where we will have the chance to share the experiences of Maine families and the important role government should and can play to ensure that everyone has food in the fridge, a place to call home, and opportunity to get ahead!