Characteristics of food stamp households fiscal year 1995

165 Pages·1997·5.6 MB·English

by  Smolkin, Suzanne.

Historic, archived document

Do not assume content reflects current
scientific knowledge, policies, or practices.
ContractNo.: 53-3198-3-038 DoNotReproduce Without
MPRReferenceNo.: 8156-051 Permissionfromthe Project
Officer and the Authors
CHARACTERISTICS OF
FOOD STAMP HOUSEHOLDS
FISCAL YEAR 1995
April 11, 1997
Authors:
Suzanne Smolkin
Robert Howard
Submittetdo: Submittebd)':
U.S. Department of Agriculture MathemaTica Policy Research, !nc.
Foodand ConsumerSer¥ice 600Maryland Avenue, S.W.
3101 Park Center Drive Suite 550
2nd Floor Washington, DC 20024
Alexandria, VA 22302
ProjectOfficer: ProjectDirector:
AlanaLandey CaroleTrippe
This work was prepared as one task of a competitively awarded contract; the total amount of the
contract is $4.275.805.
1
CHARACTERISTICS OF
FOOD STAMP HOUSEHOLDS
FISCAL YEAR 1995
Office of Analysis and Evaluation
Food and Consumer Service
United States Department of Agriculture
This report was prepared by Suzanne Smolkin and Robert Howard of Mathematica Policy Research.
Inc. for the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food and Consumer Service, Office of Analysis and
Evaluation. Many individuals made important contributions to the report. The authors thank Carole
Trippeand Mike Stavfianos for providing guidance and reviewing the report,Mark Brinkley and Dan
O'Connor for providing programming support, and Micki Morris for preparing the manuscript. The
authors also thank Jenny Genser ofthe U.S. Department ofAgriculrare's Food and Consumer Service
for providing guidance and program information.
This work was prepared as one task of a competitively awarded contract; the total amount of the
contract is $4,275,805.
Authors: Suzanne Smolkinand Robert Howard
MPR Project Director: Carole Trippe
MPR Project Number: 8156-051
FCSProject Officer: Alana Landey
FCS Contract Number: 53-3198-3-038
March 1997
iii
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CONTENTS
Chapter Page
PREFACE .............................................................. xix
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ................................................ xxi
1 INTRODUCTION ..................................................... I
2 AN OVERVIEW OF THE FOOD STAMP PROGRAM ........................ 3
PROGILA.M ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS ............................... 3
The Household ................................................... 3
Income Eligibili_' Standards ......................................... 4
Assets .......................................................... 5
Nonfinancial Eligibili_ Standards .................................... 6
APPLICATION PROCEDURES .......................................... 6
BENEFIT COMPUTATION ............................................. ?
FOOD STAMP ISSUANCE ............................................. 8
PROGRAM CHANGES SINCE THE PREVIOUS FISCAL YEAR ............... 8
FSP PARTICIPATION AND COSTS ....................................... 9
3 CHARACTERISTICS OF FOOD STAMP HOUSEHOLDS AND
PARTICIPANTS ..................................................... 13
THE POVERTY STATUS OF FOOD STAMP HOUSEHOLDS ................ 13
HOUSEHOLDS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS ................................. 15
Households With Children .......................... .............. : 15
Households With Elderly Persons .................................... 19
Households With Disabled Persons .................................. 19
Other Households Served bythe FSP ................................. 19
CHARACTERISTICS OF FSP PARTICIPANTS ............................ 20
CHANGES IN THE CHARACTERISTICS OF FOOD STAMP HOUSEHOLDS . . 21
V
7
CONTENTS (continued)
Page
4 CHARACTERISTICS OF CHILDREN IN THE FOOD STAMP PROGRAM ....... 23
DEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS ................................... 23
.Ageand Gender .................................................. 23
Race ........................................................... 23
Citizenship Status ................................................. 2'7,
Household ComposiTion and Size ..................................... 27'
ECONOMIC CHAKACTERISTICS OF HOUSEHOLDS WITH CHILDREN ..... 27
Povertx and Income .............................................. 27
FSPDeductions ................................................. 30
FSPBenefits ................................................... 34
CHILDREN AND HOUSEHOLDS WITH CHILDREN BY STATE ........... 34
._.CRONYMS AND DEFINITIONS FOR USE WITH APPENDICES .............. 3'7
APPENDIX A: CROSSWALK AND DETAILED TABLES OF FOOD STAMP
HOUSEHOLD CHARACTERISTICS IN FISCAL YEAR 1995 ...... 43
Crossxvalk ............................................... 4__
Detailed Tables of Food Stamp Household Characteristics ......... 51
.APPENDIX B' DETAILED TABLES OF FOOD STAMP HOUSEHOLDS
CONTAINING CHILDREN ................................. 87'
APPENDIX C' DETAILED TABLES OF FOOD STAMP HOUSEHOLDS
BYSTATE ............................................. 101
APPENDIX D' DETAILED TABLES OF FOOD STAMP HOUSEHOLD
CHARACTERISTICS IN SUMMER 1995 ..................... 113
.APPENDIX E: POVERTY INCOME GUIDELINES FOR FISCAL YEAR 1995 ..... 121
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CONIENTS (continued)
Page
APPENDIX F: FSP MAXIMUM ALLOWABLE GROSS AND NET MONTHLY
INCOME ELIGIBILITY STANDARDS IN FISCAL YEAR 1995 .... 125
APPENDIX G: VALUE OF STANDARD, MAXIMUM DEPENDENT-CAKE,
AND EXCESS SHELTER EXPENSE DEDUCTIONS IN THE
CONTINENTAL UNITED STATES AND OUTLYING AREAS
IN FISCAL YEAR 1995 .................................... 129
APPENDIX H: VALUE OF MAXIMUM FOOD STAMP BENEFIT IN THE
CONTINENTAL LrNITED SLATES AND OUTLYING AREAS
1NFISCAL YEAR 1995 .................................... 133
APPENDIX I: SOURCE AND RELIABILITY OF ESTIMATES ................ 137
APPENDIX J: SAMPLING ERROR OF ESTIMATES ........................ 143
APPENDIX K: DATA COLLECTION INSTRUMENT ........................ 153
APPENDIX L: PREVIOUS REPORTS IN THIS SERIES ....................... 159
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TABLES
Text Tables Page
2.1 Major Economic Indicators, Calendar Years 1985-1995 ....................... 11
3.1 Distribution of Households and Benefits byIncome as a Percentage
of Poverl5' Guideline, Fiscal Year 1995 .................................... 14
3.2 Effect of Food Stamp Benefits on the Poverty Status of Food Stamp
Households, Fiscal Year 1995 ........................................... 16
3.3 Household Composition andSelected Characteristics of Participating
Households, Fiscal Year 1995 ........................................... 1?
3.4 Average Values of Selected Characteristics byHousehold Composition,
Fiscal Year 1995 ...................................................... 18
3.5 Average Nominal and Real Values of Selected Characteristics, Fiscal Year
1994andFiscalYear1995 .............................................. 22
4.1 DistributionofParticipantsbyAge ........................................ 25
4.2 Distribution of Participants byAge, Race, Gender, and Citizenship Status .......... 26
4.3 Distribution &Participants by Age and Household Composition .................. 28
4.4 Distribution of Participating Households byAge &Children and
Household Size ........................................................ 29
4.5 Average Gross and Net Income, Gross and Net Income as a Percentage of
Poverty Guideline, Countable Resources, and Household Size of
Participating Household by Age of Children ................................. 31
4.6 Distribution of Participating Households by Age of Children andType of Income .... 32
4.7 Distribution &Participating Households by Age of Children and Type of Deduction.. 33
4.8 Average Food Stamp Benefit, Food Stamp Benefit as aPercentage of the
Maximum, Per Person Food Stamp Benefit, and Household Size by Age
ofChildren........................................................... 35
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ll
TABLES (continued)
Page
Appendix A Tables
Summa_' Characteristics
A-l Distribution of Participating Households, Persons, and Benefits by
Household Composition, Income Source, and Food Stamp Benefit Amount ........ 53
A-2 Average Gross and Net Income, Total Deduction, Countable Resources,
Food Stamp Benefit, Household Size. and Certification Period of
Participating Households by Household Composition, Income Source.
and Food StampBenefit Amount ......................................... 54
Income. Povert? Status, and Resources
A-3 Distribution of Participating Households With Children. Elderl 3 Persons.
and Elderly or Disabled Persons by Amount of Gross and Net Income.
Countable Resources. and Gross and Net Income as a Percentage of Poverty.
Guideline ......................................................... 55
A-4 Distribution of Participating Households by Household Size and Amount
of Gross and NeTIncome. Countable Resources, and Gross and Net lncome
as aPercentage of PoverD' Guideline ...................................... 56
A-5 Average Gross and Net Income, Average Gross and Net Income as a
Percentage of Poverty Guideline. and Average Countable Resources of
Participating Households b_ Household Composition and Size .................. 57
A-6 Distribution of Participating Households With Children, Elderly Persons,
and Elder])or Disabled Persons byType oflncome .......................... 58
A-7 Average Income, Total Deduction, Food Stamp Benefit, and Household Size
of Participating Households by Type of Income .............................. 59
A-8 Distribution of Participating Households With Children, Elderly Persons,
and Elderly or Disabled Persons by Earned and Unearned Income Amounts ........ 60
FSP Deductions
A-9 Distribution of Participating Households by Type of Deduction and Household
Composition, Income Source, and Food Stamp Benefit Amount ................. 62
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TABLES (continued)
Page
A-10 Average Values of Deductions of Participating Households by Household
Composition, Income Source, and Food Stamp Benefit Amount ................. 63
A-11 Distribution of Participating Households by Selected Household Characteristics
andAmountofDeduction .............................................. 64
A-12 Average Total Deduction for Participating Households by Amount of
Gross IncomeandHouseholdSize ........................................ 65
Food Stamp Benefit
A-13 Distribution of Participating Households by Selected Household
Characteristics and Food Stamp Benefit Amount, Food Stamp Benefit
as a Percentage ofthe Maximum Benefit, and Certification Period ............... 66
A-14 Distribution of Participating Households by Income as a Percentage
of Povert)/Guideline and Food Stamp Benefit asa Percentage of the Maximum ..... 67
A-15 Average Food Stamp Benefit of Participating Households by Amount of
GrossIncomeandHouseholdSize ........................................ 68
A-16 Distribution of Participating Households by Type of Most Recent Action and
ExpeditedSer¥ice..................................................... 69
Household Composition
A-17 Distribution of Participating Households, Persons, and Benefits by
HouseholdComposition................................................ 70
A-18 Average Gross and Net Income, Total Deduction, Countable Resources,
Food Stamp Benefit, Household Size, and Certification Period of
Participating Households by Household Composition ......................... 71
A-19 Distribution of Participating Households byIncome Type and Household
Composition ......................................................... 72
A-20 Distribution of Participating Households With Children, Elderly Persons,
and Disabled Persons by Selected Characteristics ............................ 73
A-21 Average Values of Selected Characteristics for Participating Households
WithChildren, Elderly Persons, and Disabled Persons ........................ 74
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