The safety net should work for working-age adults Introduction Who are ABAWDs?

The “able-bodied” moniker masks nize the state of the low-wage labor market and the health issues, while the “without dependents” desig- precarious position of many of its workers. [...] The safety net does little to Slightly more than a third of the total population support low-income ABAWDs could be characterized as ABAWDs—those between the ages of 18 and 64 who do not have a resident mi- The authors show that approximately 14.4 percent of nor child and who do not receive SS/SSI. [...] Stereotypical assumptions about ABAWDs, an In the American context, the image of the individual outdated understanding of the volatile labor market, pulling themselves up by their bootstraps without a and changing family norms and demographics render helping hand explains another aspect of safety-net policies and laws regarding ABAWDs unresponsive deservingness: the view that those able to work to. [...] Given evidence on the employ- grounds of self-sufficiency through work does not ment effects of the EITC and labor-market-driven recognize the state of the low-wage labor market and income instability among this population, expand- the precarious position of many of its workers. [...] ing access to and the generosity of the EITC for this The authors show that about half of low-income population merits consideration.