In this study, we examined Onward, an employer-based mobile app that enables workers to save via payroll deduction and receive financial education and coaching as a means to address financial challenges such as difficulty paying bills on time, managing debt, and accruing savings. An important feature of Onward is that employees can save automatically through […]
Tag: 2021
Financing Workers’ Health Care Cash Flow Needs: A Pilot Study
MedPut offers a way for employees to pay their out-of-pocket health care expenses through payroll deducted or Health Savings Account (HSA) payments capped at 5% of gross pay. Employees that use MedPut are much more likely to report having problems paying medical bills and to report putting off health care due to cost concerns. Nearly […]
Don’t Cash Out or Leave Them Behind: A Pilot Study of a 401k Plan Transfer Digital Platform
In this study, we examined Manifest, a digital platform that makes it easier for employees to transfer 401k retirement accounts when they change jobs. Transferring accounts reduces the likelihood employees cash out and helps them consolidate their retirement savings. We examined 401k plan activity among nearly 15,000 employees of a private university over a four-year […]
From Financial Struggle to Short-Term Financial Relief – An Exploratory Study on Small-Dollar Lending for Low-and Moderate-Income Employees
In this study, we examined HoneyBee, a service company that provides access to 0% APR loans and financial coaching through the workplace. HoneyBee aims to offer employees in need a more affordable credit alternative to payday and auto title loans and therefore help addressing significant cash flow emergencies. Data for this exploratory study included 65 […]
Employer-Sponsored Financial Planning: A Study of the Brightside Platform
In this report, we explore employee usage trends of Brightside, an employee financial health platform that is designed to improve the financial health of working families. Using this platform, employees can open “cases” to address a financial need or goal they have. Brightside connects these employees with financial assistants who, in turn, connect the employees […]
Are Foreclosure Spillover Effects Universal? Variation Over Space and Time
Government intervention in the housing market in response to the 2007–2010 mortgage crisis was driven in part by research showing that foreclosures lower neighboring housing values and thus increase neighbors’ risk of foreclosure. Researchers have consistently identified a negative spillover effect of foreclosures on nearby housing values, but the magnitude of the effect varies widely […]
‘Like paying for a luxury car’: Childcare costs in Miami are holding families back (Links to an external site)
Even before the pandemic, South Florida working families struggled to find safe, affordable and convenient childcare. As seen through SPI’s data in the Socioeconomic Impacts of COVID-19 survey, the situation has worsened. While South Florida is vaccinating and emerging from restrictions, childcare remains a significant obstacle to upward mobility.
Grinstein-Weiss addresses U.N. session on status of women (Links to an external site)
Michal Grinstein-Weiss spoke at an event at the civil society forum for the UN session on the Commission on the Status of Women. Learn more from The Record and view the event.
Israel’s COVID-19 Vaccination Rollout Is Slowing at a Critical Moment. That’s a Warning for the Rest of Us (Links to an external site)
What does vaccine hesitancy in Israel mean for the United States? Michal Grinstein-Weiss was interviewed by The Times on SPI’s Socioeconomic Impacts of COVID-19 survey and how vaccine hesitancy in minority populations in Israel reflect many of the same characteristics of minority groups in the United States.
Comparing pandemic spending patterns in U.S. and Israel (Links to an external site)
The Source: A study from SPI finds Israel early on offered better social policies and income support to its struggling households than the United States.
Israelis Flocked to Get the COVID Vaccine, but Will They Vaccinate Their Children Too? (Links to an external site)
Pfizer, Moderna and AstraZeneca are in advanced stages of trials for under-16s, and Israel’s coronavirus vaccination drive is set to expand. But recent SPI data indicates that parents may be less willing to get their children inoculated.
Women can’t be stopped: Applying resiliency of pandemic struggles to acquire new, high-quality job opportunities
International Women’s Day marks one year since the COVID-19 crisis began. Over the past year, the pandemic drastically cut women from the workforce in the United States and beyond. However, despite all of this, there is a chance for a new opportunity. Women around the world have an opportunity now to apply their resiliency to acquire new skills and re-enter the workforce in industries where they have been historically under-represented.
Improving Access and Minimizing Obstacles for Medicaid Buy-In Participation
Medicaid Buy-In (MBI) has received public and policymaker attention in recent years as an option for states to expand access to healthcare. “Eligibility can be so confusing and complicated it presents an obstacle for providers and government alike to communicate clearly, never mind promote Medicaid buy-in for working people with disabilities.” Kimberly Lackey, Director of […]
Fear of safety and mistrust cause vaccine hesitancy in Israel
SPI asked respondents about their inclination to get a COVID-19 vaccine, as well as their perspectives toward the vaccine and pandemic overall. The results indicate certain religious groups are more hesitant to receive the vaccine than others, though the reasoning differs.
Does one size fit all? Exploring provider behavior interventions and best practices alignment to improve healthcare for all
The COVID-19 pandemic has forced the United States to reassess public health as we know it. In a time where providers were forced to wear trash bags as personal protective gear and alarming ICU rates across the nation, it is clear we are witnessing a shift in the future of healthcare services. But to what […]
Food assistance (SNAP) recipients were disproportionately forced out by landlords during the pandemic
Previous analysis of the Social Policy Institute’s Socioeconomic Impacts of COVID-19 Survey found that Temporary Aid for Needy Families (TANF) recipients were evicted at higher rates than households not getting TANF, and new analysis finds similar trends for households receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) funds.
Cash assistance (TANF) recipients suffer the brunt of evictions despite the moratorium
New evidence from the Social Policy Institute’s multi-wave Socioeconomic Impacts of COVID-19 Survey shows that during the pandemic, TANF recipients were evicted at significantly higher rates than non-recipients, even when accounting for differences in demographics, income, assets, recent job loss, and how many months behind they are in rental payments.
COVID-19 School Meal Policies as Long-term Strategies to Fight Child Food Insecurity
In response to COVID-19 and the nationwide school closures that followed, the federal government passed the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) and the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. Through these policies, the USDA was able to grant meal waivers to help schools and community organizations provide meals and snacks during COVID-related […]
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. […]
Channel Kan 11 interviews Michal Grinstein-Weiss about the vaccine in Israel (Links to an external site)
SPI director, Michal Grinstein-Weiss, was interviewed by Kan 11 about findings from the Socioeconomic Impacts of COVID-19 Survey in Israel related to the vaccine.
Fee payments to access COVID-19 relief funds threaten household financial security and economic recovery
The U.S. Senate signaled that it has the votes to pass a new $1.9 trillion stimulus through the budget reconciliation process on February 2, 2020. This means that a new round of COVID-19 relief payments is likely. These relief payments, which propose distributing $1,400 to qualifying adults, will be the third such payment offered since […]
Making inclusive growth a reality in St. Louis (Links to an external site)
As it continues to grow and develop, how can St. Louis ensure benefits are distributed equally throughout the region? Learn about how the Inclusive Growth in St. Louis event series with Center for Inclusive Growth and the advisory committee are addressing this concern.
Creating Inclusive Access to Education, Training & Technology
Watch recording from Feb. 10-11 event, Creating Inclusive Access to Education, Training & Technology, a discussion about the opportunities to create inclusive access to education, training & technology for under-represented populations in St. Louis.
STL 2030 Jobs Plan Panel Discussion
Washington University’s Social Policy Institute and Office of the Executive Vice Chancellor for Civic Affairs and Strategic Planning is pleased to partner with Greater St. Louis Inc. for a panel discussion about the STL2030 Jobs Plan: Driving a Decade of Inclusive Growth. During the discussion, you’ll learn about the draft jobs plan, have the chance to […]
Evidence on School Discipline Impacts and Disparities – For Missouri and Beyond
On January 29th, SPI data analyst Jason Jabbari presented at a SLU PRiME Center webinar on his research “The Collateral Damages of Suspensions” which demonstrates that attending high-suspension schools is negatively linked to math achievement and college attendance. Panelists emphasized the need for rigorous research on alternatives to suspensions, such as restorative justice. The webinar guests included: […]
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. […]
The Challenge of Living Together: Can the Coronavirus Be an Opportunity?
This event has passed. Watch a recording. Michal Granstein-Weiss, director of SPI, and Avital Blonder, founder and CEO of Jindas Association for Urban Urban Renewal, presented at 12:30 p.m. (CT) on January 25, 2021, part of the Shared Israeliness and Social Solidarity lecture series presented by Beit Keinan and the Initiative for Shared Israeliness at the […]
Beyoncé and the NAACP Are Providing Housing Assistance Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic (Links to an external site)
Disparate housing hardship among Latinx and Black households, results from the Socioeconomic Impact of COVID-19 Survey, are featured in this article.
A Message from the Director
As we are opening a near year, we are also experiencing the tragedy of the violence at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. It was a sad day in our nation’s history and highlights the ever-widening divisions within the country. Despite the shocking and unprecedented moment in American history, Congressional leaders were undeterred and […]
Women with young children are disappearing from the Israeli workforce
Women with young children (0-14 years old) are twice as likely to experience unemployment as compared to men in the same situation, according to the longitudinal Socioeconomic Impacts of COVID-19 Survey in Israel, administered by the Social Policy Institute at Washington University in St. Louis.