Experiences with COVID-19 economic relief measures among low-wage worker families: a qualitative study

Background Economic stability is a core social determinant of health and a necessary condition for maintaining food security, housing stability, and both physical and mental health. Using a qualitative approach, we identified barriers, facilitators, and participant perceptions about utilizing these relief measures. This study aimed to understand experiences with COVID-19 economic relief measures among low-wage worker households with children during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods The study conducted semi-structured qualitative interviews from low-wage workers in households with children in two U.S. cities in 2022 (n = 40). The sample was recruited from a larger study which included survey measures of demographics and receipt or utilization of a range of relief measures with both broad and narrow eligibility criteria (e.g., Economic Impact Payments, expanded Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT), expanded Child Tax Credit, expanded unemployment insurance, and the eviction moratorium). A thematic analysis of 40 interviews was conducted using a constructivist approach to grounded theory, from which barriers, facilitators, and participant perceptions were identified. Results Interviews identified burdensome administrative processes, administrative errors, and a lack of information as barriers to access among those who were eligible; automatic processes for distributing benefits was identified as a facilitator. Participants expressed positive perceptions about benefits, mixed with some ambivalence about the need to receive them and concern over their discontinuation. Conclusions A segment of the population at risk of economic instability identified both barriers and facilitators to receiving an array of economic relief measures during the COVID-19 pandemic. Findings suggest that providing automatic processes for enrollment and reliable information streams for learning about benefits can bolster benefit receipt among those at risk of economic instability. These findings can contribute to the base of knowledge for policymakers involved in responding to the next public health emergency. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12889-024-20816-y.