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Connecticut families need earned wage access

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8 months ago

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Connecticut families need earned wage access


In January 2024, Connecticut made legislative changes that effectively shut down the ability of many workers to obtain instant transfers of their own earned wages between pay periods. However, my new study with colleagues finds that the Connecticut General Assembly should reverse this and pass SB 1396 this session. Doing so would give Connecticut workers faster access to their earned wages and help them make ends meet.

Prior to 2024, Connecticut residents were able to instantly access their earned wages through an electronic transfer via Earned Wage Access (EWA).  EWA is a service that allows workers to access the income they have already earned but not yet received. To be clear, this is not a loan or a salary advance but providing someone the portion of a paycheck they have already earned, prior to payday.

In order to get instant access, workers had to pay a $3.49 instant transfer fee (much like Venmo).  On January 1, 2024, Connecticut eliminated the instant transfer fee option, which, by removing the mechanism that allowed EWA service providers to cover their costs, effectively eliminated EWA in Connecticut.

As a researcher and Associate Professor of Public Policy at the University of Connecticut, much of my work —centered around using economic data to understand society’s problems— is ultimately about understanding how policy changes impact families. Colleagues and I wanted to know how this seemingly small, innocuous even, policy might affect people’s lives (the study was commissioned by DailyPay, an EWA provider, but conducted independently of them). To determine the effect of the instant transfer elimination, we surveyed 508 Connecticut-based EWA users and asked them a series of questions about their lives and finances, and if, and to what extent, they noticed any impact of the January 2024 EWA changes.

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Kerri Raissian PhD

Of our 508 respondents, 65% were female, the majority were non-white, and 77% reported living with children in their homes. Although most of our sample indicated that they had been employed during the last seven days before our survey, 61% also reported an annual household income of less than $75,000. Most of our survey respondents reported not having access to savings, a budgeting plan, or the ability to cover unexpected expenses. In other words, these EWA users are Connecticut workers who live paycheck to paycheck.

Importantly, when EWA users access their earned wages, it was for urgent, time sensitive needs: the main reasons were food and groceries (91%), transportation including gas (66%), rent or mortgage (55%), and utility bills (60%) (see Figure 1 below, modified from the report). 

It seems appropriate that a user would need their wages immediately rather than in a few days’ time.  Given this, the instant transfer is an integral part to allowing EWA to provide financial relief to their family. 

In addition to asking users how they relied on EWA, we asked them about their financial circumstances in the past 12 months. Many of them had fallen behind on bills (65%), overdrew their bank accounts (28%), paid bills late (25%), paid credit cards late (25%), among other negative financial outcomes (see Figure 2 below, replicated from the report).

I see several financial hardships pressing on Connecticut’s families: higher cost of living, higher cost of credit, economic uncertainty, to name a few.  Those in our survey reported accessing their wages to purchase food and groceries, cover transportation costs, and pay for rent, mortgages, or utilities. Soon, the school year will end, making it harder for families to access social services and school meals to keep their children properly cared for and nourished. Without the services provided throughout the school year, reinstating the EWA instant transfer option could be especially welcome to Connecticut’s families this summer.

To be sure, the legislature’s 2024 decision to cut EWA in Connecticut was almost certainly designed to protect workers from predatory practices and tools that could take advantage of their financial limitations and needs. Even if it was well-meaning, however, it has had unintended consequences for employees and their families. Since the EWA change, too many Connecticut users say they have fallen behind on bills, overdrafted accounts, paid bills late, taken out a money order, or taken out a payday loan. Others have even had to go without meeting basic needs.

There are no perfect options for Connecticut’s residents whose salaries are too low and who face a cost of living that is too high. But by removing EWA, the state has seemingly moved them closer to things we’d all like to avoid: going into debt, relying upon the kindness of friends and family, or going without something they need for themselves and their children. Moreover, the $3.49 transfer fee is roughly equivalent to an ATM fee; it is likely less expensive and more transparent than cumulative credit card debt, overdraft fees, or loan interest; and it provides dignity to Connecticut’s families.

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Finally, the users in our study said they thought the EWA tool was useful and fair. Our study shows that eliminating it is no solution for working families.

That is why the Connecticut legislature’s Banking Committee is seeking to revive EWA this year. I commend them for unanimously voting it out of the Banking Committee. I urge the Connecticut General Assembly to pass SB 1396 and allow Earned Wage Access to meet Connecticut workers’ real-world needs.

Kerri M. Raissian an Associate Professor of Public Policy at the University of Connecticut and the Co-Leader of the Connecticut Scholars Strategy Network.

This Scholar Reflection is based on a study that was paid for and commissioned by Daily Pay, an Earned Wage Access provider. The survey and research were conducted independently. All conclusions and errors are those of the author.

 

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Connecticut

Child confirmed as Connecticut’s first measles case in 4 years

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6 hours ago

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December 15, 2025

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Child confirmed as Connecticut’s first measles case in 4 years


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The child, who is under the age of 10 and unvaccinated, recently traveled internationally, health officials said.

FILE – A measles, mumps and rubella vaccine at the Andrews County Health Department, Tuesday, April 8, 2025, in Andrews, Texas. AP Photo/Annie Rice, File

An unvaccinated child in Connecticut has been diagnosed with measles, public health officials confirmed, the state’s first confirmed case of the highly contagious disease since 2021.

The child, who is under the age of 10, lives in Fairfield County, the Connecticut Department of Public Health announced last week. The child had recently travelled internationally before showing symptoms including cough, runny nose, congestion, fever, and eventually a full-body rash.

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“The single best way to protect your children and yourself from measles is to be vaccinated,” Connecticut DPH Commissioner Manisha Juthani, MD, said in a statement. “One dose of measles vaccine is about 93 percent effective, while two doses are about 97 percent effective.”

The United States has seen a record high 1,912 measles cases since the disease was declared eliminated in 2000, the CDC reported. As of July 7, this year has also reported the most cases in more than 30 years, according to the International Vaccine Access Center.

Earlier this year, West Texas saw a measles outbreak of hundreds of cases, mostly among unvaccinated children who had to be hospitalized. About one in five unvaccinated people diagnosed with measles are hospitalized, Connecticut DPH said, and the disease can be especially dangerous for children.

“We must ensure we continue to protect those who matter most – children and other vulnerable people – from vaccine preventable illnesses through on-time vaccination,” Juthani said.

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., known for his overhaul on the childhood vaccine schedule and doubts on COVID vaccine safety, endorsed the measles vaccine after two children died from measles amid the outbreak in Texas.

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“The most effective way to prevent the spread of measles is the MMR vaccine,” Kennedy said in April. 

Earlier this year, a Vermont child who had recently traveled internationally was confirmed to have been infected with measles. In March, a man tested positive for measles after traveling on an Amtrak train originating from Boston’s South Station to Washington D.C.

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Molly Farrar is a general assignment reporter for Boston.com, focusing on education, politics, crime, and more.





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Final Connecticut High School Football Top 25 Rankings – Dec. 14

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18 hours ago

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December 14, 2025

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Final Connecticut High School Football Top 25 Rankings – Dec. 14


The Connecticut high school football’s CIAC postseason wrapped up with the state championships this past weekend on Saturday.

Finishing in the No. 1 spot in this week’s final Top 25 rankings out of the Constitution State is Avon Old Farms after they defeated The Williston Northampton School, 35-21, in the Drew Gamere Bowl to end their season a few weeks ago. New Canaan sits right behind as they repeated as Class L champs. Which other teams from around Connecticut high school football deserves to be in the final set of Top 25 rankings for the 2025 campaign?

The Massey Ratings, officially used during the BCS era, is a model that ranks sports teams by analyzing game outcomes, strength of schedule, and margin of victory.

Here are the last Connecticut high school football rankings for 2025, according to Massey as of Dec. 14.

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1. Avon Old Farms Beavers

Avon Old Farms (10-0) opened up the Connecticut high school football season by avenging a loss to Brunswick School from last season and have set the tone for the rest of the campaign. The Beavers have a talented offense that’s averaging 40.7 points per game, led by quarterback Matthew Baer, running back Kharon Craig, and offensive tackle Charlie Thom (Notre Dame commitment).

The Beavers have concluded their season play out of the New England Preparatory School Athletic Counci (NEPSAC) when they defeated The Williston Northampton School last week in the Drew Gamere Bowl, 35-21. Avon Old Farms finishes as the No. 1 team in the Connecticut high school football rankings.

2. New Canaan Rams

The defending Class L state champion New Canaan Rams (13-0) have done it once again as they defeated Cheshire, 34-13.

The Rams have won back to back playoff games versus Darien and Weaver with ease, winning by a combined 85-13. New Canaan won its 16th state championship in head coach Lou Marinelli’s legendary career. With the win, New Canaan clinched their fourth undefeated season in program history for the Rams (1968, 1969, 2008, 2025).

New Canaan has used a high-powered offense to cruise past opponents this fall, with quarterback Maddox Hoffman throwing for 1,936 yards and 21 touchdowns. Running back Henry Stein leads the ground game as he’s rushed for 916 yards and seven touchdowns.

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3. Choate Rosemary Hall Wild Boars

Choate Rosemary Hall (8-2) saw its 18-game winning streak snapped back in Week 1 when they lost against New Hampshire’s Phillips Exeter Academy in a battle of top-ranked teams in their respective states.

The Wild Boars will finish likely within the Top 5 of the rankings after they ended their 2025 season in exciting fashion as they avenged that defeat by beating Phillips Exeter Academy in the Leon Modeste Bowl in a 44-42 thriller.

In 2024, the Wild Boars had completed their second consecutive perfect season after defeating Brunswick School. They have lost only four games over the last four Connecticut high school football seasons and only allowed only four opponent to score double digits.

The Wild Boars are another prep school that features multiple future Division I players, including Tanner Raymond (Rutgers) and interior offense lineman Will Tellers.

4. St. Thomas More Chancellors

St. Thomas More (1-3) remain steady as the No. 3 team in our latest set of Connecticut high school football rankings after a 50-21 loss to New Jersey’s No. 3 team, Hun School to end their season.

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The Chancellors only losses from the 2024 season came against Maryland’s St. Frances Academy, Hun School, and Florida’s IMG Academy, respectively. St. Thomas More doesn’t have anymore scheduled games left on their 2025 slate.

Among the players the Chancellors feature on their roster are four-star edge rusher Alhassan Iddrissu (UCF), cornerback Terron Johnson, running back Malichi Greaves, and linebacker Christian King.

5. Daniel Hand Tigers

The Daniel Hand Tigers (13-1) has dominated in the Class SS playoffs, dominating all three opponents by a combined score of 122-32, after defeating the Killingly Trailblazers, 37-13, on Saturday.

Fueling the Daniel Hand offensive attack is the strong play of senior signal caller Bobby Reh, who has thrown for 2,194 yards and 29 touchdowns to only three mere picks. Junior running back Lucca Boyce leads the ground game with 1,272 yards and 14 touchdowns.

6. St Joseph (8-2)
7. Cheshire Academy (7-3)
8. Windsor (12-1)
9. Brunswick School (6-4)
10. Greenwich (8-2)

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11. Newtown (8-2)
12. Killingly (11-1)
13. Fairfield College Preparatory (8-2)
14. Wilton (10-2)
15. The Taft School (5-4)

16. Bunnell (10-3)
17. Kingswood-Oxford School (8-2)
18. Berlin (12-0)
19. The Loomis Chaffee School (3-6)
20. Darien (6-5)

21. Brookfield (8-3)
22. Staples (5-5)
23. Cheshire (8-3)
24. Southington (7-3)
25. Mark T. Sheehan (10-3)

For Connecticut high school football fans looking to keep up with scores around the nation, staying updated on the action is now easier than ever with the Rivals High School Scoreboard. This comprehensive resource provides real-time updates and final scores from across the Constitution State, ensuring you never miss a moment of the Friday night frenzy. From nail-biting finishes to dominant performances, the Rivals High School Scoreboard is your one-stop destination for tracking all the Connecticut high school scores and football rankings.



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Central Connecticut State hands Bearcats second straight loss

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1 day ago

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December 14, 2025

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Central Connecticut State hands Bearcats second straight loss


VESTAL, NY (WBNG) — In a second straight doubleheader Saturday following up a Bearcats women’s win, the Bearcats men’s team dropped their second consecutive home game, 84-67 to Central Connecticut State.

In a closely contested matchup early on, the Bearcats stayed in it heading into the break only trailing by seven points.

In the second half, Binghamton brought it to within four points before the Blue Devils pulled away once again and went on an 11-0 run and went up by as much as 20 points.

Darin Smith Jr. finished with a game high, 23 points for the Blue Devils.

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The Bearcats were without center, Demetrius Lilley which led to junior forward, Zyier Beverly, having an increased role.

Beverly led Binghamton with 21 points and five rebounds.

After back-to-back losses at home, the Bearcats now go on the road for a three game road stretch starting on Wednesday, Dec. 17 against Pittsburgh at 7p.m.

Copyright 2025 WBNG. All rights reserved.



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