CSJ Wins Fight to Lift the Cap on Kids!

Strengthening the Welfare Safety Net is a priority of the Coalition for Social Justice. We were excited to participate in a campaign in 2018 to win important gains for very low-income families receiving welfare cash benefits. CSJ helped to promote legislation to lift the welfare family cap that denies welfare benefits to children conceived while or soon after the family received assistance. Refusing a $100 grant per child as well as a $300 clothing allowance causes severe hardship for 8,700 desperately poor families in our state. Partly because of CSJ’s efforts, Lift the Cap legislation was passed by the legislature in July, 2018. Unfortunately, Governor Baker vetoed this legislation, and there was not enough time at the end of the legislative session to override the veto, so it was pushed to the 2019 agenda.

The House voted on April 10, 2019 to override the Governor’s veto and the Senate joined them on April 25, 2019!

“I don’t know a woman – and I don’t think she exists – who would have a baby for the sole purpose of having another [$100] a month.” State Senator Holly Mitchell (D. CA), successfully advocated for 2016 CA repeal

Lifting the Cap on Kids reverses a punitive law passed during welfare reform that was passed in the mid 1990s. This achievement helps improve the financial position of families living in the deepest level of poverty.

Thank you to the volunteers and partners for your continued advocacy towards ending poverty.