Explore the paradox of welfare programs, and learn how they inadvertently reinforce generational poverty, and what we can do to fix them.

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Imagine that you’ve been unemployed for months. Government benefit programs have helped you cover your expenses, but you’re barely getting by. Finally, you receive a paycheck— but there’s a catch. Your new job pays enough to disqualify you from benefit programs, but not enough to cover your costs. So how do we design benefit programs that don’t penalize you for working? Ann-Helén Bay investigates.

Lesson by Ann-Helén Bay, directed by Avi Ofer.

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View full lesson: https://ed.ted.com/lessons/why-is-it-so-hard-to-escape-poverty-ann-helen-bay
Dig deeper with additional resources: https://ed.ted.com/lessons/why-is-it-so-hard-to-escape-poverty-ann-helen-bay#digdeeper

Animator's website: https://aviofer.com
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