The Atlantic cites Butler’s study in article on Maine welfare requirements
A study by Sandra Butler, a University of Maine social work professor, was cited in an Atlantic article on the work requirements and time limits Maine added to its anti-poverty programs. Butler’s study looked at families hit by the time limit on receiving Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) benefits. It found that the median income of families that lost assistance was $3,120 a year. Nearly one in three lost their homes after losing their welfare, and more than one in three said they had a work-limiting disability, according to the article. Nearly 70 percent said they had visited a food bank, with one in three having a utility turned off. One in five got evicted or needed to go to a homeless shelter, Butler’s study found.