Report: Number of working poor on the rise in CT leading up to the pandemic

By Keith Phaneuf September 7, 2020

The ALICE report asserts that the federal poverty level establishes too minimal a standard, and attempts to quantify the income needed in Connecticut to purchase basic goods and services including housing, food, health and child care, transportation and technology.

That last item — technology — has become even more crucial since the pandemic began, as laptops, computer tablets and reliable home internet access are essential for many adults to work and for children to attend school remotely, Porth said.

The report defines the minimum household survival budget in Connecticut as $28,908 annually for a single adult, $31,752 for a single senior, and $90,660 for a family of four that includes two young children. By comparison, the federal poverty level thresholds includes $12,140 for a single adult and $25,100 for a family of four.

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