evidence: 1. Social Assistance 140. The federal Government in the US responded with various cash-based and in-kind assistance, including direct payments, tax credits, and food, housing, and medical assistance. The US did not, however, create non-contributory social pensions, cash-for-work schemes, or waivers or subsidies of social security contributions. As with other aspects of US social policy, tax rebates and income tax credits played a major role in the federal Government’s policy response, as outlined in Part V.A.3 below. Notably, traditional cash assistance through the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) block grant did not play a significant role in Covid-19-related changes to US social assistance. [...] They did so by providing federal funding for states to pay benefits to workers who lost hours (even if they retained their jobs), as well as to various non-employee workers including those loosely defined as working in the ‘gig economy’ who are traditionally excluded from UI programs.328 The American Rescue Plan extended the UI scheme further through 6 September 2021.329 As a result of these expansions, the US saw over 100 million initial claims for either state or federal unemployment benefits from 21 March 2020 to 21 March 2021, and researchers estimate that one in four Americans accessed these benefits at some point during the pandemic.330 151. [...] 300 The Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act 2020; The Families First Coronavirus Response Act 2020; The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act 2020; Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act 2020; Consolidated Appropriations Act 2021; The American Rescue Plan Act 2021.