NCPA Publications: Welfare

Barriers to Affordable Housing

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) considers housing affordable if it costs less than 30 percent of a family's income. Yet, according to HUD, 12 million renters and homeowners…
How Tort Reform Cut Florida Workers’ Compensation Costs

Could tort reform reduce health care costs?  Using the legal system to resolve patient injury claims is expensive and inefficient. The cost of litigation - principally attorneys' fees - raises claim c…
Improving Savings Incentives for the Poor

Americans have been saving less and less of their after-tax income for the past 15 years. The annual personal savings rate averaged 8 percent from 1929 to 2000, but reached a historical low of 0.4 per…
Reforming the U.S. Poverty Standard

Policy experts expect the next administration to make major changes in the way the federal government measures poverty. The current poverty standard is an outmoded, 40-year-old measure that is adjuste…
Welfare Reform in Indiana

Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels has signed an agreement to outsource the administration of health, welfare and nutrition programs to a consortium led by the IBM Corporation and Affiliated Computer Services…
Integrated Disability and Retirement Systems in Chile

People are living longer and healthier lives, yet disability benefits are the fastest growing portion of social security expenditures in the United States and many other countries.  What can be done t…
Does It Pay to Save?

Does it pay to save?  The answer is often no.  In fact, penalties for saving are astronomical for some households, particularly young, single-parent and lower-income families.  But these are the very…
The Rising Burden of Health Spending on Seniors

The United States spends about 17 percent of its national income on health care, the highest in the world.  Some have wondered how high spending can go and what difference it will make.  In thinking a…