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HHS Poverty Guidelines, Research, and Measurement Web Site
(Website)
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Organization(s): Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, HHS |
This web site contains the current and past poverty guidelines, which are used to determine eligibility for a number of government programs, as well as research papers, references, and poverty-related information links. |
Published: January, 2009 |
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Full HTML Version
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) Related to Poverty Guidelines and Poverty
(Report)
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Organization(s): Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, HHS |
Answers common questions about the poverty guidelines. |
Published: February, 2007 |
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Full HTML Version
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Income Data for Policy Analysis: A Comparative Assessment of Eight surveys
(Report)
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Author(s): John L Czajka and Gabrielle Denmead |
Organization(s): Mathematica Policy Research, Inc.
600 Maryland Ave. S.W., Suite 550
Washington D.C. 20024-2512 |
Income is a critical variable in policy analysis, and because of this, most federal household surveys collect at least some data on income. Yet income is exceedingly difficult to measure well in a household survey. Income questions produce some of the highest item nonresponse rates recorded in surveys, and comparisons of survey estimates with benchmarks developed from administrative records provide evidence of significant under-reporting for many sources. Mathematica Policy Research, Inc. (MPR) and its subcontractor, Denmead Services & Consulting, have conducted a comprehensive and systematic assessment of the income data and its utility for policy-related analyses in eight major surveys: the Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP); the Annual Social and Economic Supplement to the Current Population Survey (CPS); the American Community Survey (ACS); the Household Component of the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS); the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS); the Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey Cost and Use files (MCBS); the Health and Retirement Study (HRS); and the Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID).
The assessment included both descriptive and empirical components. The descriptive component compiled extensive information on survey design and methodology in addition to the measurement of income and poverty and presented these data in a side-by-side format. The empirical component generated comparative tabulations of the distribution of income and poverty status for a range of personal characteristics for a common universe, income concept, and family definition, to the extent that this was feasible. Additional analysis focused on the implications of specific design choices. |
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Measuring Income and Poverty in Four Surveys: an Overview
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Author(s): Gabrielle Denmead, Joan Turek, Brian James, Sameer Desale |
Organization(s): ASPE |
Policy makers use national surveys to paint a picture of the U.S. population along a variety of dimensions. If major surveys are equally successful in capturing income, then, for the same time period, populations and income types, consistently defined income estimates and poverty rates across surveys will be highly similar — varying somewhat due to sampling error. This paper constructs comparable measures of income and poverty and examines whether the same picture of the U.S. population is presented by four major Federal Surveys: the Annual Social and Demographic Supplement to the Current Population Survey (CPS), the Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP), the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey Houselhold Component (MEPS), and the National Heallth Interview Survey (NHIS). |
Published: August, 2008 |
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National Poverty Research Center
(Website)
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Organization(s): ASPE |
ASPE has awarded cooperative agreements to area poverty centers to support continued research and evaluation of important and emerging social policy issues associated with the nature, causes, correlates, and effects of income dynamics, poverty, individual and family functioning, and child well-being. Area centers play a significant role is mentoring the next generation of poverty researchers. In addition, ASPE continues its support of the National Poverty Center. |
Published: October, 2007 |
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National Poverty Research Center
(Announcement)
Announcement of 2007 Award |
ASPE awarded a cooperative agreement in Fiscal Year 2007 for continued support of a national poverty center to support continued research and evaluation of important and emerging social policy issues associated with the nature, causes, correlates, and effects of income dynamics, poverty, individual and family functioning and child well-being. The awardee for the national center is the University of Michigan. |
Published: September, 2007 |
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Announcement
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National and Area Poverty Research Centers
(Announcement)
Announcement, 2005 |
Organization(s): HHS |
The Department announced on September 30th 2005, $1.4 million in cooperative agreements to support continued research and evaluation of important and emerging social policy issues associated with the nature, causes, correlates, and effects of income dynamics, poverty, individual and family functioning, and child well-being. The three grantees for the area centers are the University of Wisconsin at Madison, University of Kentucky, and University of Washington. In addition, ASPE continues its support of the National Poverty Center at the University of Michigan. |
Published: September, 2005 |
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Announcement
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Further Resources on Poverty Guidelines/Thresholds/Lines and Their History
(Report)
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Organization(s): Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, HHS |
An annotated list of references on the Poverty Guidelines/Thresholds/Lines as well as their history. |
Published: March, 2005 |
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Prior HHS Poverty Guidelines and Federal Register References
(Report)
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Organization(s): Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, HHS |
Poverty guidelines since 1982 for the 48 contiguous states and the District of Columbia can be calculated using the figures shown on this page, with links to complete figures for years since 1996. Also listed are the references to the poverty guidelines Federal Register notice for each year. |
Published: March, 2005 |
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Poverty Estimates in the ACS and Other Income Surveys: What is the Impact of Methodology
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Author(s): Joan Turek, Gabrielle Denmead and Brian Sinclair-James |
In 1996, the Census Bureau began field tests of the American Community Survey (ACS). This new survey is designed to produce timely estimates of population, demographics, income, and poverty rates for local areas down to the census tract level. After full implementation of the ACS, it would replace the current source of such data, the Decennial Census Long Form (Posey et al., 2003, Bureau of the Census, 2002). The ACS offers many positive benefits. To take full advantage of the opportunities it presents, users need to be aware of methodological differences between the ACS and other surveys before using this survey. This paper examines three features of the ACS which differ from the CPS and Long Form: a rolling sample, a rolling reference period, and Consumer Price Index (CPI) adjustments to the (rolling) income data B the ACS uses these adjustments to approximate fixed sampling and reference periods. The paper addresses the relative effect of these major methodological differences. Using the 1996 SIPP panel, pseudo ACS, CPS and Long Form estimates are constructed for 1998; replicating the sampling, reference period, weighting and CPI-adjustments of each survey as faithfully as possible. A stepwise approach in which one of the three features is changed at a time pinpoints the contribution to differences in estimates from each factor. The estimates all use SIPP income data, and cannot include differences in income and poverty estimates attributable to differences in the number of income questions, the recall periods or family relationship measures among the surveys. In order to approximate what is actually seen when these surveys are compared, additional adjustments reflecting the impact of differences in income questions, recall period and family relationship measures are made to the CPS, ACS and Long Form estimates obtained using SIPP. |
Published: February, 2005 |
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