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This article explores the experiences of Marshallese diasporic migrants in the United States (U.S.) during the COVID-19 pandemic in relation to material hardship and community-led relief efforts. Focus groups with 53 Marshallese migrants in three states revealed that material hardship, including food and housing insecurity, inadequate healthcare, and difficulty paying bills, intensified among their communities during the pandemic. In response, Marshallese community-based groups provided relief to their fellow community members, including food, cash assistance, and personal protective equipment. The findings fit a pattern of intensified hardship and community-led relief among marginalized communities in the U.S. during the COVID-19 pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lower income households are at risk for material hardship, particularly amidst the economic fallout of COVID-19. Where one lives (e.g., suburb, small town) may affect this risk due to variable access to resources, yet the evidence is mixed concerning the influence of place. We used a pooled, national cross-sectional sample of 66,046 lower-income tax filers to examine differences in material hardship in rural, small town, micropolitan, and urban areas. Controlling only for standard demographic variables, hardship risk appears higher in non-urban areas, yet these differences disappear after controlling for financial characteristics such as liquid assets and home ownership. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many studies document links between income poverty, material hardship, and mental health; however, we know less about the mental health consequences of within-person changes in income poverty and material hardship, particularly for low-income workers. The authors examine these relationships with longitudinal data from a sample of frontline service workers interviewed in two cities (one each in the United States and Canada). Mixed-effects regression models show between- and within-person differences in income poverty are associated with changes in material hardship, and between- and within-person differences in material hardship are associated with poorer mental health and depression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Material and health care hardship is common among households with low incomes and is associated with a host of adverse outcomes but can be mitigated with having savings. The authors assessed the effects of online tax-time savings interventions informed by behavioral economics on hardship among a sample of low- and moderate-income tax filers (N = 4,738). The authors find that filers who received an intervention had a statistically significant, lower probability of both types of hardship 6 months after tax filing, compared to the control group. However, this result does not hold when incorporating household financial characteristics and prior hardship to models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) has helped millions of Americans escape poverty. However, there is a dearth of research examining the experience of material hardship among EITC recipients. A lack of mainstream banking, disproportionately experienced by the poor, may also be related to increased hardship experiences. This study, using a sample of families receiving the EITC, investigates the hardship differences experienced depending on banking status. Results show that the overwhelming majority of families receiving the EITC experience some type of material hardship. Those with a bank account are less likely to experience material hardship than those without an account. Strategies to decrease hardship experiences and increase use of mainstream banking are drawn for policy makers, banking community, consumer protection and community organizations, and government human service administration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]