The combined supply and demand shocks of the COVID-19 pandemic have created the largest shift in consumer behavior in recent history, while exposing millions of households to material hardships like food insecurity and housing instability. In this study, we draw on national surveys conducted early in the pandemic to investigate the COVID-19’s effects on self-reported […]
Category: Publications
From intention to action: A systematic literature review of provider behaviour change‐focused interventions in physical health and behavioural health settings
It is clear there are significant delays in the uptake of best practices as part of routine care in the healthcare system, yet there is conflicting evidence on how to specifically align provider behaviour with best practices. Method We conducted a review of interventions utilized to change any aspect of provider behaviour. To extend prior […]
Nudging Parents to Improve Children’s Oral Health: A Field Study
This research brief is part of a series by the Social Impact Nudgeathon initiative. This initiative incorporated insights from behavioral economics into the design and delivery of social welfare programs. Developed through a partnership between the Joint Distribution Committee in Israel (JDC-Israel) and the Social Policy Institute (SPI) at Washington University in St. Louis, this initiative is among the first of its kind to launch in Israel. […]
Increasing Successful Completion of Practical Engineering Diploma Programs
This research brief is part of a series by the Social Impact Nudgeathon initiative. This initiative incorporated insights from behavioral economics into the design and delivery of social welfare programs. Developed through a partnership between the Joint Distribution Committee in Israel (JDC-Israel) and the Social Policy Institute (SPI) at Washington University in St. Louis, this initiative is among the first of its kind to launch in Israel. […]
All over the Map: A Systematic Literature Review and State Policy Scan of Medicaid Buy-In Programs for Working Individuals with Disabilities
While supports for people with disabilities have increased, significant healthcare and financial barriers persist. State-administered Medicaid Buy-In programs for working people with disabilities, distinct from broader buy-in discussions that have emerged as some states consider expanding access to health insurance, are intended to incentivize employment and protect against a loss of Long-Term Services and Supports. […]
Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Housing Instability during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Stable and adequate housing is critical in the midst of a pandemic; without housing, individuals and families cannot shelter in place to prevent the spread of disease. Understanding and combating housing hardships in vulnerable populations is therefore essential to a sound public health response. This study aims to explore the pandemic’s disproportionate impacts on housing-related […]
Who relocates, where do they move, and why?
The lack of socioeconomic mobility among marginalized populations leads to the concentration of poverty, a long-standing issue in American cities. Empirical studies on neighborhood effects have found that poverty concentration adversely affects the socioeconomic mobility of residents—associated with their economic well-being, employment, education, health, and safety—in lower-income neighborhoods. Through a variety of neighborhood revitalization projects, […]
COVID-19 Educational Inequities: Shining a Light on Disparities in a Graduate School of Social Work
Despite its name, the Housing Choice Voucher (or Section 8) program does not always offer families much choice in where to live. Jenna Hampton, SPI practicum student, calls to expand the choices available to families who want the best for themselves and their children in an editorial with Community Builders Network in St. Louis.
Income Loss and Financial Distress during COVID-19: The Protective Role of Liquid Assets
This study examines how demographic, financial, and intrinsic personality characteristics predict household participation in Israel’s Child Development Account (CDA) program, the Savings for Every Child Program (SECP).
It shouldn’t take a pandemic to increase school meal access for low-income students: A two-step floating catchment area analysis of school meal access during COVID-19
COVID-19 created an additional barrier for students who benefit from free school meals. While some schools attempted to provide alternative meal access points, many students lack adequate transportation. This study examines meal access in St. Louis, MO.
Working Parents in COVID-19: The Impact and the Policy Response
Michal Grinstein-Weiss, director of the Social Policy Institute at Washington University in St. Louis (SPI), and Nisha Patel, senior fellow at SPI, spoke on a panel hosted by the American Academy of Political and Social Sciences on Oct. 29, 2020 about the impact of COVID-19 on working families, including original research from the Socioeconomic Impacts […]
Can pre-commitment increase savings deposits? Evidence from a tax-time field experiment
This experiment tested combinations of behavioral strategies to promote savings including (1) asking filers at the start of tax preparation to pre-commit to saving their refund, and (2) choice architecture manipulations that emphasized directly depositing their refund into savings accounts or savings bond purchases.
Household savings decisions in Israel’s child savings program: The role of demographic, financial, and intrinsic factors
This study examines how demographic, financial, and intrinsic personality characteristics predict household participation in Israel’s Child Development Account (CDA) program, the Savings for Every Child Program (SECP).
Using Financial Tips to Guide Debt Repayment: Experimental Evidence from Low- and Moderate-Income Tax Filers
In this paper, we explore the impact that slack resources and technology can have on individuals’ entrepreneurial aspirations.
Cut Me Some Slack! Slack Resources and Technology-Mediated Human Capital Investments in Entrepreneurship
In this paper, we explore the impact that slack resources and technology can have on individuals’ entrepreneurial aspirations.
Employee financial wellness programs: Opportunities to promote financial inclusion?
Findings suggest that these services are reaching a population that experiences financial exclusion, though evidence is mixed concerning how these services help workers with LMI resolve key financial challenges. Community collaboration focused on employee financial wellness presents opportunities to advocate for higher wages and better benefits.
Employee financial wellness programs: Promising new benefit for frontline workers?
Availability of different EFWP benefits ranged from 11 to 15% and over a third of workers were unaware of whether their employer offered an EFWP. Experiencing financial difficulties predicted both EFWP awareness and use suggesting that employers should take time to assess employees’ specific financial challenges to select benefits. Yet, use of EFWPs by LMI workers may suggest the need for better compensation and work conditions.
Coping with COVID-19: Implications of Differences in Resilience across Racial Groups for Mental Health and Well-being
Data obtained from the Socioeconomic Impacts of COVID-19 Survey indicate that, despite extreme income and health disparities before and during the COVID-19 outbreak, Black and Hispanic people remain more resilient and optimistic than their white counterparts.
Strategies for Debt Reduction: Comparing Financial Tips and Financial Counseling
Interest among employers is growing in Employee financial wellness programs (EFWPs), a new type of benefit to address financial stress among employees. EFWPs benefits include financial counseling, small-dollar loans, and savings programs that address employees’ non-retirement financial needs. Little evidence exists concerning the availability and use of and outcomes associated with EFWPs, especially among low- and moderate-income (LMI) workers who may be in greatest need of these benefits. We present findings concerning awareness and use of EFWPs from a national survey of LMI workers (N=16,650). Availability of different EFWP benefits ranged from 11 to 15% and over a third of workers were unaware of whether their employer offered an EFWP. Experiencing financial difficulties predicted both EFWP awareness and use suggesting that employers take time to assess employees’ specific financial challenges to select benefits. Yet use of EFWPs by LMI workers may suggest the need for better compensation and work conditions.
Material hardship among lower-income households: the role of liquid assets and place
The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) provides substantial financial support to low-income workers, yet around a quarter of EITC payments are estimated to be erroneous or fraudulent. Beginning in 2017, the Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes Act of 2015 requires the Internal Revenue Service to spend additional time processing early EITC claims, delaying the issuance of tax refunds. Leveraging unique data, we investigate how delayed tax refunds affected the experience of hardship and unsecured debt among EITC recipients. We find that early filers experienced increased food insecurity relative to later filers after the implementation of the refund delay.
Employee Financial Wellness Programs: tips for providers
There are several types of Employee Financial Wellness Programs (EFWPs), such as workplace financial counseling, workplace credit building, and employer-sponsored small dollar loans. Each program benefits the company and its employees in different ways.
The Social Policy Institute at Washington University in St. Louis, with generous support from the W. K. Kellogg Foundation, studied the implementation of EFWPs at several diverse organizations, including a nonprofit in the Midwest and several supply chain locations of a national retailer, to understand the impact. As a result, we’ve identified five ways in which providers can maximize the benefits of EFWPs and avoid pitfalls along the way.
Employee Financial Wellness Programs: tips for employers
There are several types of Employee Financial Wellness Programs (EFWPs), such as workplace financial counseling, workplace credit building, and employer-sponsored small dollar loans. Each program benefits the company and its employees in different ways.
The Social Policy Institute at Washington University in St. Louis, with generous support from the W. K. Kellogg Foundation, studied the implementation of EFWPs at several diverse organizations, including a nonprofit in the Midwest and several supply chain locations of a national retailer, to understand the impact. As a result, we’ve identified four ways in which organizations can maximize the benefits of EFWPs and avoid pitfalls along the way.
Financial counseling for front-line workers: a pilot study of engagement and outcomes
Although financial counseling has been studied in community-based settings, programs offered in the workplace are understudied and yet may aid low- to moderate income employees in improving their financial situations. This study examines workers’ engagement in and associated credit outcomes from an employer-based financial counseling program in the New York City area. Findings suggest that participants engaged equally in services except for older and non-English speaking workers, who had lower levels of digital engagement. In-person engagement in services was minimal. Credit score improvements were modest, but greater for workers who had
scores in the lowest quartile at baseline. These credit score increases may be due to the reduction of delinquent accounts for workers with the lowest baseline scores.
Employee financial wellness programs: promising new benefit for frontline workers?
Interest among employers is growing in Employee financial wellness programs (EFWPs), a new type of benefit to address financial stress among employees. EFWPs benefits include financial counseling, small-dollar loans, and savings programs that address employees’ non-retirement financial needs. Little evidence exists concerning the availability and use of and outcomes associated with EFWPs, especially among low- and moderate-income (LMI) workers who may be in greatest need of these benefits. We present findings concerning awareness and use of EFWPs from a national survey of LMI workers (N=16,650). Availability of different EFWP benefits ranged from 11 to 15% and over a third of workers were unaware of whether their employer offered an EFWP. Experiencing financial difficulties predicted both EFWP awareness and use suggesting that employers take time to assess employees’ specific financial challenges to select benefits. Yet use of EFWPs by LMI workers may suggest the need for better compensation and work conditions.
Tax-time saving and the earned income tax credit: results from online field and survey experiments
Tax refunds are an opportunity for Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) recipients to build emergency savings. Randomly assigned behavioral interventions in 2015 and 2016 have statistically significant impacts on refund saving take-up and amounts among EITC recipients who filed their taxes online. From a survey experiment, we also find that EITC recipients have a 49 percent and 59 percent increased likelihood of deferring 20 percent of their refunds for six months when hypothetically offered 25 and 50 percent savings matches (p < .001), respectively. These findings can inform policy development related to encouraging emergency saving at tax time.
Promoting public retirement savings accounts during tax filing: evidence from a field experiment
Many U.S. households—especially those with low- to moderate-incomes (LMI)—struggle to save for retirement. To address this issue, the Department of the Treasury launched myRA, a no-fee retirement account designed primarily to help people who lacked access to employer-sponsored plans build retirement savings. In this paper, we report findings from two myRA-focused field experiments, both of which were administered to well over 100,000 LMI online tax filers before and during the 2016 tax season. The first experiment involved sending one of three different myRA-focused email messages to tax filers immediately prior to tax season, and the second experiment involved incorporating myRA-focused messages and choice architecture directly into an online tax filing platform. Messages were chosen to address different barriers to retirement savings LMI households may face. We find that, though the general level of interest in myRA was very low in this population, interest and enrollment in myRA depends heavily on the way in which the benefits of the accounts are framed. Results from both experiments indicate that messages emphasizing the possibility of receiving a larger refund in the future were the most effective at increasing interest in myRA, while messages focused around the simplicity and ease of use of the accounts were less effective. We also conduct several subsample analyses to investigate the extent to which these effects differed by key household characteristics.
The impact of tax refund delays on the experience of hardship and unsecured debt
The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) provides substantial financial support to low-income workers, yet around a quarter of EITC payments are estimated to be erroneous or fraudulent. Beginning in 2017, the Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes Act of 2015 requires the Internal Revenue Service to spend additional time processing early EITC claims, delaying the issuance of tax refunds. Leveraging unique data, we investigate how delayed tax refunds affected the experience of hardship and unsecured debt among EITC recipients. We find that early filers experienced increased food insecurity relative to later filers after the implementation of the refund delay.
Using financial tips to guide debt repayment: experimental evidence from low-and moderate-income tax filers
Much of the literature on household finances tends to focus on discrete or relatively objective measures like savings, debt, economic mobility, and there has been a lack of research on holistic measures of financial well-being. This gap is due in part to the absence of a common understanding of how to define and measure financial well-being; a gap that was recently addressed by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s development of a financial well-being scale. However, the research on this scale is still scarce and little is known about how financial well-being evolves over time. To that end, this paper uses a two-wave survey of low- and moderate-income tax filers to present the first longitudinal analysis of the CFPB’s financial well-being scale. Using a combination of descriptive analysis, OLS regression, and fixed effects panel regression, we assess (1) the stability of financial well-being over a six-month period; (2) the extent to which household characteristics predict volatility in financial well-being; and (3) the relationship between the experience of adverse financial events, including financial shocks and material hardships, and financial well-being. We find that financial well-being scores are extremely stable over the short-term, and that household characteristics are generally not strong predictors of financial well-being changes. We also find that, while adverse financial events like the loss of a job are significantly associated with declines in financial well-being, these changes are not large. These findings have implications for researchers and practitioners interested in using the financial well-being scale in program and policy evaluations.
Improving Educational and Career Opportunities for Youth with Disabilities in the Future Trend Program
This research brief is part of a series by the Social Impact Nudgeathon initiative. This initiative incorporated insights from behavioral economics into the design and delivery of social welfare programs. Developed through a partnership between the Joint Distribution Committee in Israel (JDC-Israel) and the Social Policy Institute (SPI) at Washington University in St. Louis, this initiative is among the first of its kind to launch in Israel. […]
Improving the Take-Up of Homecare Services Among Holocaust Survivors in a Jewish Charitable Organization
This research brief is part of a series by the Social Impact Nudgeathon initiative. This initiative incorporated insights from behavioral economics into the design and delivery of social welfare programs. Developed through a partnership between the Joint Distribution Committee in Israel (JDC-Israel) and the Social Policy Institute (SPI) at Washington University in St. Louis, this initiative is among the first of its kind to launch in Israel. […]
Household Savings Decisions in Israel’s Child Savings Program: The Role of Demographic, Financial, and Intrinsic Factors
Israel’s Child Development Account (CDA) program, the Savings for Every Child Program (SECP), is universal and automatically enrolls all children under the age of 18, depositing approximately $14 into their accounts every month. Parents can transfer an additional monthly $14 into these long-term savings accounts and can choose an investment vehicle for their children’s deposits. […]
Does Savings Affect Participation in the Gig Economy? Evidence from a Tax Refund Field Experiment
This paper investigates how saving the federal tax refund affects gig economy participation for low-income online tax filers in the six months following tax filing. Using longitudinal survey and administrative data, we leverage random assignment in a unique refund savings experiment as an instrument for refund savings. We find significant heterogeneity in estimated effects that are consistent […]
How Do the Lives of Participants in a Housing Mobility Program Change after They Move? A Case Study of the Mobility Connection Program
Jenna Hampton, BSW; Stephen J Roll, PhD; Michal Grinstein-Weiss, PhD investigate: How Do the Lives of Participants in a Housing Mobility Program Change after
They Move? A Case Study of the Mobility Connection Program. Social Policy Institute, Washington University in St. Louis
National Fund for Workforce Solutions Receives New Funding to Promote Good Jobs (Links to an external site)
Financially Stressed Families Save More with Medicaid, Study Shows (Links to an external site)
Bufe, S., Roll, S. P., Kondratjeva, O., Hardy, B., & Grinstein-Weiss, M. (2019). Does Savings Affect Participation in the Gig Economy? Evidence from a Tax Refund Field Experiment (SPI Working Paper 19-1). St. Louis, MO: Washington University, Social Policy Institute.
The Impact of Gig-Economy on Financial Hardship among Low-Income Families” Kaitlin Daniels, Olin Business School at Washington University (Links to an external site)
Bufe, S., Roll, S. P., Kondratjeva, O., Hardy, B., & Grinstein-Weiss, M. (2019). Does Savings Affect Participation in the Gig Economy? Evidence from a Tax Refund Field Experiment (SPI Working Paper 19-1). St. Louis, MO: Washington University, Social Policy Institute.
Credit-building services for employees: An assessment of engagement and outcomes
Zeng, Y. & Despard, M. (2019). Credit-building services for employees: An assessment of engagement and outcomes. (SPI Research Brief No. 19-07). St. Louis, MO: Washington University, Social Policy Institute.
Workplace credit-building counseling at a Midwest employer: An assessment of take-up, engagement, and outcomes
Frank-Miller, E., Fox-Dichter, S., Wolter, S., Hampton, J., & Zeng, Y. (2019). Workplace credit-building counseling at a Midwest employer: An assessment of take-up, engagement, and outcomes. (SPI Research Brief No. 19-06). St. Louis, MO: Washington University, Social Policy Institute.
Financial counseling for low- and moderate-income home health care employees: An assessment of take-up, engagement, and outcomes
Frank-Miller, E., Fox-Dichter, S., Wolter, S., & Hampton, J. (2019). Financial counseling for low- and moderate-income home health care employees: An assessment of take-up, engagement, and outcomes. (SPI Research Brief No. 19-05). St. Louis, MO: Washington University, Social Policy Institute.
Employer-sponsored small-dollar loans: An assessment of take-up, engagement, and outcomes
Frank-Miller, E., Fox-Dichter, S., Wolter, S., Hampton, J., Despard, M., & Germain, G. (2019). Employer-sponsored small-dollar loans: An assessment of take-up, engagement, and outcomes. (SPI Research Brief No. 19-04). St. Louis, MO: Washington University, Social Policy Institute.
Financial counseling for low- and moderate-income employees: An assessment of engagement and outcomes
Despard, M., Zeng, Y., & Fox-Dichter, S. (2019). Financial counseling for low- and moderate-income employees: An assessment of engagement and outcomes. (SPI Research Brief No. 19-03). St. Louis, MO: Washington University, Social Policy Institute.
When a job is not enough: Employee financial wellness and the role of philanthropy
Despard, M., & Frank-Miller, E. (2019). When a job is not enough: Employee financial wellness and the role of philanthropy. (Report). Asset Funders Network.
Dependent care FSAs: Policy proposals to level the playing field for low- to moderate-income parents
Frank-Miller, E., Fox-Dichter, S., & Wolter, S. (2019). Dependent care FSAs: Policy proposals to level the playing field for low- to moderate-income parents (SPI White Paper No. 19-02). St. Louis, MO: Washington University, Social Policy Institute.
Dependent care FSAs: The uneven playing field for employers and workers
Frank-Miller, E., Fox-Dichter, S., & Wolter, S. (2019). Dependent care FSAs: The uneven playing field for employers and workers (SPI White Paper No. 19-01). St. Louis, MO: Washington University, Social Policy Institute.
Financial wellness programs in the workplace: Employer motivations and experiences
Frank-Miller, E., Despard, M., Germain, G., Grinstein-Weiss, M., & Covington, M. (2019). Financial wellness programs in the workplace: Employer motivations and experiences. Journal of Workplace Behavioral Health, 34, 241-264. doi.org/10.1080/15555240.2019.1594851
Making dependent care FSAs work for low- to moderate-income families: 5 action steps for employers
Fox-Dichter, S., Frank-Miller, E., & Wolter, S. (2019). Making dependent care FSAs work for low- to moderate-income families: 5 action steps for employers [Policy Highlight No. 19-02]. St. Louis, MO: Social Policy Institute.
The Saving for Every Child Program in Israel: an overview of a universal asset-building policy
Grinstein-Weiss, M., Kondratjeva, O., Roll, S. P., Pinto, O., & Gottlieb, D. (2019). The Saving for Every Child Program in Israel: an overview of a universal asset-building policy. Asia Pacific Journal of Social Work and Development, 29(1), 20-33.
Enrollment and participation in a universal child savings program: Evidence from the rollout of Israel’s National Program
Grinstein-Weiss, M., Pinto, O., Kondratjeva, O., Roll, S. P., Bufe, S., Barkali, N., & Gottlieb, D. (2019). Enrollment and participation in a universal child savings program: Evidence from the rollout of Israel’s National Program. Children and Youth Services Review, 101, 225-238.
Assessing the short-term stability of financial well-being in low- and moderate-income households
Sun, S., Roll, S. P., Kondratjeva, O., Bufe, S., & Grinstein-Weiss, M. (2019, March). Assessing the Short-Term Stability of Financial Well-Being in Low- and Moderate-Income Households. (SPI Research Brief No. 19-01). St. Louis, MO: Washington University, Social Policy Institute.
How do changing financial circumstances relate to financial well-being? Evidence from a national survey
Bufe, S., Sun, S., Roll, S. P., Kondratjeva, O., & Grinstein-Weiss, M. (2019, March). How do Changing Financial Circumstances Relate to Financial Well-Being? Evidence from a National Survey. (SPI Research Brief No. 19-02). St. Louis, MO: Washington Univer¬sity, Social Policy Institute.