Today the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities released a study showing that the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act passed in February is protecting millions of Americans, including about 86,000 Wisconsin residents, from falling into poverty. The study, “State-Level Data Show Recovery Act Protecting Millions from Poverty,” examined the Recovery Act’s increased food stamp benefits, expansions of the Child Tax Credit and Earned Income Tax Credit, the new Making Work Pay tax credit for workers, additional weeks of jobless benefits for the long-term unemployed, an additional $25 per week of jobless benefits, and a one-time payment to many elderly people, veterans and people with disabilities.

CBPP has been able to estimate the amount of funding that has entered Wisconsin via five of the Recovery Act’s provisions through November 20, 2009. Those five provisions alone–the Making Work Pay Tax Credit, extended unemployment compensation, an additional $25 per week for unemployed workers, economic recovery payment for the elderly and people with disabilities, and increased Food Stamp benefits–have injected over $1.6 billion into the state’s economy, creating jobs and helping lift families out of poverty.

For more information, see our press release about the CBPP study.