POPULATION CHARACTERISTICS

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Federal Program Participation

Public assistance programs support low-income and disabled persons, especially women. In 1999, 71 percent of adult Food Stamp program participants were woman, 62 percent of adults receiving federally administered Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments in 2000 were women, and 58 percent of adult Medicaid users in 1998 were females. The Supplemental Food Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) also plays an important role in serving women by providing nutritional support during pregnancy, the postpartum period, and while breastfeeding. In 1998, WIC served 1.8 million women, 147 percent more than in 1988.(1)

Females using public programs are largely dominated by young and middle-aged women. Seventy percent of females who received Food Stamps in 1999 were between the ages of 18 and 59. The majority of adult females receiving SSI payments in 2000 were also under age 65, although a significant proportion (41 percent) were elderly.

1 - U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service, Office of Analysis Nutritition and Evaluation, National Survey of WIC Participants, 2001 Final Report.

As of 1999, 70.8% of food stamp participants were women and 29.0% were men, while 61.8% of recipients of Federally administered SSI payments in 2000 were women and 38.2% were men.

 

Image of two graphs. In 1999, the age distribution of adult female food stamp participants was: 46.5% 18-35 years old, 33.9% 36-59 years old, and 19.6% 60+ years old. Of of adult females receiving SSI Payments in December 2000, 59.5% were 18-64 years old and 40.5% were 65+ years old.

 

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