Click the links below to jump directly to a specific section of the page you're now reading:

* The White House (+general govt info sites)
* State of the Union Address
* The U.S. Health Care Reform Initiative
* Annual Update of the HHS Poverty Guidelines (2009)
* Welfare in America - Reports to Congress
- incl. TANF Annual Report to Congress (06/09) and Indicators of Welfare Dependence: Annual Report to Congress (12/08)
* Food Security in the U.S in 2008 (11/09) + Canada comparison
* U.S. Fiscal Year 2011 Budget (February 1, 2010)
* The poverty issue in the U.S. 2008 presidential election
* 2004 Green Book
* Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance
* Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage in the US : 2008
* CIA: The World Factbook

[ HHS = Health and Human Services ]
[ TANF = Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Program]

-----------------------------

Related Canadian Social Research Links pages:

American Non-Government Social Research Links (A-J)
American Non-Government Social Research Links (M-Z)
U.S. Social Security Reform
Children and Families - International
Social Research Statistics
U.S. and other international poverty measures

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Welfare reform - From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:
Movements in many countries around the world push for welfare reform. Sizeable and powerful reform movements exist in the United States of America, Canada, Great Britain, and France among many others.
- incl. the following : * United States * The Welfare System and reform in Great Britain * The Welfare System and reform in France * References * External links

Poverty Dispatch - U.S.
- links to news items from the American press about poverty, welfare reform, child welfare, education, health, hunger, Medicare and Medicaid, etc.

Latest issues of Poverty Dispatch:

March 12:
Children’s Health Insurance Coverage - Ohio
The Census and Federal Spending on the States
Editorials: Child Support Guidelines - Maryland
State Minimum Wage - Texas
Haiti Earthquake and the Poor Elderly

March 11:
Iowa Community Empowerment Program
National Academic Standards
Food Aid Distribution - Somalia

March 10:
Long-Term Unemployment, Temporary Work, and Recalculation of Jobless Benefits
Welfare-to-Work Program - Mississippi
Welfare Reform - Australia

March 9:
Extension of Jobless Benefits
Millennium Villages - Africa
Dental Coverage for Low-income Children - Iowa
General Assistance Medical Care - Minnesota

March 8:
Suburban Poverty - Twin Cities, MN
Enrollment of Children in Medicaid - Alaska
Medicaid Coverage and Childless Adults

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Past Poverty Dispatches
- links to dispatches back to June 2006

Search Poverty Dispatches

---

Search Poverty Dispatches

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Past Poverty Dispatches
- links to two dispatches a week back to June 2006

Source:
Institute for Research on Poverty (IRP)
[ University of Wisconsin-Madison ]

The U.S. Health Care Reform Initiative

NOTE: For the latest update on the American health care reform initiative, see:
Health-Care Reform 2009: Tracking the National Health-Care Debate
Source : Washington Post

Health Care Costs Around the World (Info-graphic)
http://www.visualeconomics.com/healthcare-costs-around-the-world_2010-03-01/
(Reuters) - "The United States spends more on health care than any other country in the world but has higher rates of infant mortality, diabetes and other ills than many other developed countries."
(...not to mention the 46 million + Americans who had NO health insurance coverage whatsoever in 2008, according to the latest available figures. Gilles)

Comparison of Canadian and American health care systems
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Government and private health and public policy analysts have compared the health care systems of Canada and the United States. The U.S. spends much more on health care than Canada, both on a per-capita basis and as a percentage of GDP. In 2006, per-capita spending for health care in the U.S. was US$6,714; in Canada, US$3,678. The U.S. spent 15.3% of GDP on health care in that year; Canada spent 10.0%. In 2006, 70% of health care spending in Canada was financed by government, versus 46% in the United States. Total government spending per capita in the U.S. on health care was 23% higher than Canadian government spending, and U.S. government expenditure on health care was just under 83% of total Canadian spending (public and private).
NOTE:
1. Click "External Links" on the Wikipedia page for comparisons of several aspects of health insurance in Canada and the U.S. (e.g. insurance coverage, wait times)
2. Click "References"on the Wikipedia page for a collection of links to dozens and dozens of free online resources.

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Health care reform in the United States
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Contents:
* Costs * Uninsured * Comparisons with other health care systems * History of reform efforts * Health reform and the 2008 presidential election * Barriers to reform * Public policy debate (Common arguments for and against a national health care system - Other arguments for publicly funded health care - Other arguments against publicly funded health care) * Current reform proposals (Obama administration proposals - Congressional proposals) * States * Public opinion * Prescription drug prices * See also * References * Further reading * External link

From The White House:

Health Care:
The President's Plan
In an address to a joint session of Congress in September 2009, President Obama explained how health insurance reform will provide more security and stability to those who have health insurance, coverage for those who don’t, and will lower the cost of health care for our families, our businesses, and our government.
* Read the full transcript of the President's remarks.
* Watch the full video of the President's remarks.
* Read the full plan for health insurance reform.
* Download a concise, printable version.

Health Insurance Reform
Reality Check
"Whether or not you have health insurance right now, the reforms we seek will bring stability and security that you don't have today. This isn't about politics. This is about people's lives . This is about people's businesses. This is about our future." [President Barack Obama]
- incl. links to short (3 min.) videos to debunk the disinformation
that's being heard in some town hall meetings on the following topics:
* Reform will eliminate insurance discrimination against the disabled
* The return of the viral email
* Reform will stop "rationing" - not increase it
* The "euthanasia" distortion on help for families
* Vets' health care is safe and sound
* Reform will benefit small business - not burden it
* Your Medicare is safe, and stronger with reform
* You can keep your own insurance

President Obama on
Historic House Health Reform Vote (four-minute video)
November 7, 2009

See also:
The White House Blog: Health Care

Source:
The White House
http://www.whitehouse.gov

HealthReform.GOV
[This is an official U.S. Government Web site managed by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services.]
"President Obama is committed to working with Congress to pass comprehensive health reform this year in order to control rising health care costs, guarantee choice of doctor, and assure high-quality, affordable health care for all Americans."
- incl. links to : * About * Reports (Online Series on Health Reform - White House Reports on Health Reform - Health and Human Services Reports) * Forums * Newsroom * Contact Us

Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2008
Note - this link takes you further down on the page you're now reading.
There, you'll find links to the report and related resources, along with analysis and critique of the report.
Click your browser's Back button to return here.
September 10, 2009
This annual report of the U.S. Census Bureau is the one that updates the public about the number of people without health insurance coverage --- according to this year's issue, that number rose from 45.7 million in 2007 to 46.3 million in 2008, while the percentage remained unchanged at 15.4 percent.

Health care media links:

NOTE: For the latest update on the American health care reform initiative, see:
Health-Care Reform 2009: Tracking the National Health-Care Debate
Source : Washington Post

From the
Washington Post:

Deal on health bill is reached
By Shailagh Murray and Lori Montgomery
December 20, 2009
Senate Democrats said Saturday that they had closed ranks in support of legislation to overhaul the nation's health-care system, ending months of internal division and clearing a path for quick Senate passage of President Obama's top domestic policy priority.

House Democrats pass health-care bill
One Republican votes for plan; Senate will act next on legislation
By Lori Montgomery and Shailagh Murray
November 8, 2009
Hours after President Obama exhorted Democratic lawmakers to "answer the call of history," the House hit an unprecedented milestone on the path to health-care reform, approving a trillion-dollar package late Saturday that seeks to overhaul private insurance practices and guarantee comprehensive and affordable coverage to almost every American. After months of acrimonious partisanship, Democrats closed ranks on a 220-215 vote that included 39 defections, mostly from the party's conservative ranks. But the bill attracted a surprise Republican convert: Rep. Anh "Joseph" Cao of Louisiana, who represents the Democratic-leaning district of New Orleans and had been the target of a last-minute White House lobbying campaign. GOP House leaders had predicted their members would unanimously oppose the bill.

Related Washington Post links:
* Transcript: Obama delivers remarks prior to the House health-care vote
* Graphic : What happens next?
* What's in the House bill

Source:
Health-Care Reform 2009: Tracking
the National Health-Care Debate <===Click this link for dozens of related articles.
[ Washington Post ]

---

From the
New York Times:

Sweeping Health Care Plan Passes House
By Carl Hulse and Robert PEar
November 7, 2009
WASHINGTON — Handing President Obama a hard-fought victory, the House narrowly approved a sweeping overhaul of the nation’s health care system on Saturday night, advancing legislation that Democrats said could stand as their defining social policy achievement. After a daylong clash with Republicans over what has been a Democratic goal for decades, lawmakers voted 220 to 215 to approve a plan that would cost $1.1 trillion over 10 years. Democrats said the legislation would provide overdue relief to Americans struggling to buy or hold on to health insurance.
- incl. links to several related articles
Source:
New York Times

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Thousands From Canada And Europe Praise Their National Health Care On Global Message Board
By Matthew Palevksy
August 21, 2009
Yesterday, global online advocacy network Avaaz.org attempted to inject a dose of reality into the heated debate over health care reform by launching an interactive database of user-submitted health care stories from Canada, the UK, and other countries with national health care systems. (...) Of the nearly five thousand comments made on the site in a recent 24-hour period, the vast majority express one of two things: gratitude towards their government for relieving the fear that comes with not having medical coverage, and dismay at the dishonest debate in the US. Criticism of national health care is all but missing.
Source:
Huffington Post

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Does Canada's Health Care System Need Fixing?
by Sarah Varney
August 10, 2009
Amid the debate about reforming heath care in the United States, it's tough to turn on your television these days without hearing a political ad condemning the Canadian health care system. (...) In many ways, Canada is confronting some of the same problems as the U.S. — anxiety over how to pay for its aging baby boomers, a shortage of primary care doctors, and too many people who overuse hospital emergency departments. But what Canadians don't worry about is losing their health insurance or going bankrupt because of an injury or illness.
Source:
National Public Radio (NPR)

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Is US Going Insane over Health Care?
Town halls 'gone wild' part of right's well-oiled fake freakout against reform.
August 10, 2009
Canadians might understandably despair over the state of U.S. political culture, seeing the wild claims and public tantrums there against Obama-supported reforms that would move the United States toward the kind of universal health care enjoyed in this country. But this report unveils how the far right is faking the freak-out. With U.S. federal lawmakers returning home last week to begin their month-long recess, the far right is welcoming them with large, angry throngs at "town halls gone wild."
Source:
The Tyee

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Why Canadians should care about healthcare reform in the U.S. - podcast* (19-minute audio file)
By Lorraine Chisholm
August 8, 2009
Health policy researcher Colleen Fuller says the debate about reform has huge significance for Canadians in our efforts to strengthen Medicare. She outlines the various options being considered in the States and talks about the pressures that led Obama to abandon a single-payer healthcare system.
---
* NOTE: Click the Play button next to the speaker icon on the page to listen online, or click the "Download MP3" button
in the left-hand margin to save the file to your hard drive so you can transfer it to your iPod or other MP3 player for listening at your leisure.]
---
Source:
rabble podcast network
The rpn is a growing collection of Canadian podcasts (radio and video you can subscribe to) which offer an alternative take on politics, entertainment, society, stories, community and life in general.
[ rabble.ca ]

8 FACTS AND 8 MYTHS ABOUT HEALTH CARE REFORM
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x6296060
Source:
Democratic Underground

From the Council for Employment, Income and Social Cohesion (Paris):

U.S. Health Care Reform
NOTE : Click this link to CERC Bulletin N° 186 and then
scroll to the bottom portion of the bulletin for links to the following articles and studies.
. Better coverage for children, Families USA, Washington, Talking about health care reform, August, 4 p.
. The case for real health care reform, American Enterprise Institute, Washington, June, 17 p.
. Expanded subsidies are essential to health reform, Economic Policy Institute, Washington,August, 5 p.
. Health care and the middle class : More costs and less coverage, The Henry Kaiser Family Foundation, Washington, July, 21 p.
. How we can pay for health care reform, The Urban Institute, Washington, July, 33 p.
. Out-of-pocket expenses : Americans shoulder the burden of growing health care costs, Health reform.gov, Washington, 3 p.
. Realities of health policy in North America : Government is the problem, not the solution, The Fraser Institute, Ottawa, 24 p.
. Rite of passage ? Why young adults become uninsured and how new policies can help, 2009 update, The Commonwealth Fund, New York, August, 22 p.
. Suburban poverty and the health care safety net, L. E. Felland, J. R. Lauer and P. J. Cunningham, Center for Studying Health System Change, Washington, Research brief, n° 13, July, 12 p.
. Who are the uninsured ? An analysis of America's uninsured population, their characteristics and their health, J. E. O'Neill and S. M. O'Neill, Employment Policies Institute, Washington, 48 p.
. Why paying for health care reform is difficult and essential : Numbers and rules, H. J. Aaron, The Brookings Institution, Washington, The New England Journal of Medicine, 3 p.

How To Fight Healthcare Fearmongers and Demagogues
August 12, 2009
My friend, Keith, from New Orleans, just emailed to say he attended a local "town meeting" on health care and tried to get a word in favor but was almost hounded out of the room. Why are these meetings brimming with so much anger? Because Republican Astroturfers have joined the same old right-wing broadcast demagogues that have been spewing hate and fear for years, to create a tempest. But why are they getting away with it? Why aren't progressives -- indeed, why aren't ordinary citizens -- taking the meetings back?
Mainly because there's still no healthcare plan.
Source:
Robert Reich's Blog
Robert Reich was the nation's 22nd Secretary of Labor and is a professor at the University of California at Berkeley.

Canada, stop scaring the Americans!
Posted August 11, 2009
I have spent time in Canada and think the world of Canadians. However my experience has been a bit different than some who praise the health care system. (...) You see I never went to a Canadian hospital but I have a friend who suffered for over a year due to infected tonsils. A relatively simple thing here in the states yet it was dragged out for over a year in the Canadian system...
Source:
RantRave - "A place to rant and rave about everything that matters"

US Health Care Reform: An Update before the Speech
July 21, 2009
By Matt Kanter
Canadians continue to watch with interest and concern as policy-makers in the United States debate how to best reform the US health care system. Canadians and the Canadian health care system have even been targeted in negative advertisements surrounding the potential reforms south of the border. The following is an update to my analysis (posted on July 16th) of the bill introduced by the Democrats in the US House of Representatives last Tuesday. Since then, three key events have taken place...

An Ambitious Plan to Reform US Health Care
July 16, 2009
By Matt Kanter
[ Full text of the bill (PDF - 1.7MB, 1018 pages) ]
[ Summary of the bill's provisions (PDF - 464K, 35 pages) ]

Source:
Wellesley Institute Blog
[ Wellesley Institute ]

Related link:

Canada again cast as villain in U.S. health care fight
Ad stars Canadian who says system failed her
July 7, 2009
A recent television ad against health care reform in the U.S. shows Canadian Shona Holmes staring straight into the camera and telling the audience a brain tumor would have killed her had she relied on her government-run health plan, which would have provided treatment far too late. "Now, Washington wants to bring Canadian-style health care to the U.S.," a narrator says darkly. The TV spot from a conservative group is dramatic but deceptive. In fact, U.S. President Barack Obama and the Democrats pushing to overhaul health care want to create an optional, government-run plan to compete with private insurers, not replace them.
Source:
CBC

A Canadian experience with Canadian health-care
July 16, 2009
Watching the debate in the US over health-care from a Canadian point of view, is probably another diary all together, but I would like to share a typical Canadian experience with our good but not-perfect health-care system. [First-hand account of the birth of the author's child in Ontario, including hospital procedures, tests, supports, costs, etc.]
- incl. links to related sites
Source:
Watching the Watchers

Health Care Facts: Health Insurance Coverage (PDF - 48K, 3 pages)
July 2009
Several studies estimate the number of uninsured Americans. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, nearly 46 million Americans, or 18 percent of the population under the age of 65, were without health insurance in 2007, their latest data available. (...) A recent study shows that based on the effects of the recession alone (not job loss), it is projected that nearly seven (7) million Americans will lose their health insurance coverage between 2008 and 2010. Urban Institute researchers estimate that if unemployment reaches 10 percent (unemployment was at 9.7% in July 2009), another six (6) million Americans will lose their health insurance coverage. Taking these numbers together, it is conceivable that by next year, 57 to 60 million Americans will be uninsured. (...) Nearly 90 million people – about one-third of the population below the age of 65 spent a portion of either 2007 or 2008 without health coverage.
Source:
National Coalition for Health Care
The National Coalition on Health Care is the nation's largest and most broadly representative alliance working to improve America's health care. The Coalition, which was founded in 1990 and is non-profit and rigorously non-partisan, is comprised of more than 70 organizations, employing or representing about 150 million Americans. Members are united in the belief that we need - and can achieve - better, more affordable health care for all Americans.

State of the Union Address

- incl. text of the Address and links to all related material
Source:
The White House

Related Link:

Google.ca Web Search Results: "State of the Union Address"
Google.ca News Search Results: "State of the Union Address"
Google.ca Blog search Results: "State of the Union Address"
Source:
Google.ca

State of the Union Archive
- earlier years, right back to Truman (1945)
Source:
C-Span

From the
U.S. Department of Agriculture:

The Food Assistance Landscape, March 2005
Food Assistance and Nutrition Research Report
"Expenditures for USDA's 15 food assistance programs totaled $46 billion from October 1, 2003, to September 30, 2004, marking the second consecutive year in which spending exceeded the previous record high. The fiscal 2004 spending level represented a 10-percent increase from the previous fiscal year, the fourth consecutive year in which total food assistance expenditures increased. Five programs—the Food Stamp Program, the National School Lunch Program, the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), the School Breakfast Program, and the Child and Adult Care Food Program—accounted for 94 percent of USDA's total expenditures for food assistance."

Complete report:

The Food Assistance Landscape, March 2005 (PDF file - 247K, 6 pages)

Related Links:

Food & Nutrition Assistance Programs
Food Security in the United States (ERS Briefing Room)

Source:
Economic Research Service (ERS)
[ U.S. Department of Agriculture ]

------------------

Modernization of Food Stamp Program Almost Complete
June 2004
Food Stamp Program Goes Electronic
Food-Bank Comment Causes Furor
NPR: Commentary: Food Stamps and Medicare
USDA: Food Stamp Program
The WIC Program: Background, Trends, and Issues
A Guide to Food Stamp Program Outreach

"Started in 1939, the food stamp program administered by the United States Department of Agriculture is one of the entitlement programs designated to provide a safety net for Americans. The program enjoys some of the greatest bipartisan support and continues to be immensely successful. Earlier this week, the Department of Agriculture announced that the paper stamps which have been issued under the program for over six decades will be completely phased out later this month and replaced by a plastic card that operates in the same fashion as a bank debit card. As part of this transformation of the program, the Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman has commented that the Agriculture Department will be asking for suggestions for a new name for the food stamp program, a move that may also reduce some of the stigma that has been associated with this extremely valuable initiative in the past. Currently only six counties in California and the U.S. territory of Guam still use the paper food stamps. The usually staid Department of Agriculture has also been in the news as of late due to a comment made by a senior official in that government office who noted in an interview that people who eat at food banks are "taking the easy way out." Several elected officials from the state of Ohio took great exception to his comment, remarking in a letter sent to his office that "You have displayed a disparaging attitude toward the victims of hunger and an astonishing lack of awareness of what is happening beyond the Beltway." [KMG]

The first link leads to a news piece from the Washington Post that discusses the modernization of the delivery system for food stamps in detail. The second link will take visitors to a news brief from MSNBC that provides a summary of the debate surrounding the recent comment made by a senior official at the Department of Agriculture regarding the use of food banks. The third link leads to a 3-minute audio feature from NPR on the continuing popularity of food stamp programs across the United States, reported by the venerable Daniel Schorr. The fourth link leads to the official United States Department of Agriculture website about the food stamp program, complete with eligibility details and research reports on the effectiveness of the program. The fifth link leads to an October 2002 report on the continued success of the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (known colloquially as WIC), which "safeguards the health of low-income women, infants, and children up to age 5 who are at nutrition risk." The last and final link leads to a site that provides some fine information on the various food stamp benefit program outreach activities that are intended to provide information on eligibility and benefits, with the primary goal of increasing the participation rate amongst those eligible parties."
Review by The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2003.

The poverty issue in the U.S. 2008 presidential election:

Obama puts poor back on agenda
Social policy expert John Stapleton believes new federal tax programs for working-age adults may one day be as important as today's pensions and child tax benefits.
New U.S. leader has vowed to cut poverty. Now it's time to see what Canada can do.
November 8, 2008
Laurie Monsebraaten
As part of his compelling "Yes We Can" campaign to make meaningful change in the lives of average Americans, President-elect Barack Obama promised to cut poverty in half within a decade.
Source:
The Toronto Star

Obama victory sparks celebration, praise around globe
November 5, 2008
World leaders offered praise and citizens celebrated around the globe over the election of Barack Obama as U.S. president. From politicians to casual observers, many noted the historical significance of the American electorate voting Tuesday for the first black president.
Source:
CBC News : America Votes 2008
Results and analysis, includes an interactive map of the states that allows you to move your mouse over any state for detailed results

Related links:

Barack Obama's Innovative War On Poverty
October 13, 2008
Source:
Huffington Post

From OBAMA '08:

BLUEPRINT FOR CHANGE:
Obama and Biden’s Plan for America (PDF - 483K, 43 pages)
(The section on poverty reduction starts on page 55.)

Barack Obama on Poverty
(from his Election 2008 website)
* Barack Obama will expand access to jobs:
Obama and Biden will invest $1 billion over five years in transitional jobs and career pathway programs that implement proven methods of helping low-income Americans succeed in the workforce.
* Make work pay for all Americans:
Obama and Biden will increase benefits for working parents, raise the minimum wage to $9.50 an hour by 2011, and provide tax relief to low- and middle-income workers.
* Support rural and urban areas:
Obama and Biden will invest in rural small businesses, improve rural schools, and attract more doctors to rural areas. And they will work with urban leaders to increase the supply of affordable housing and address the unique challenges of every metropolitan area.
Source:
Election 2008 Issues ===> also includes Disabilities - Women's Issues - Seniors & Social Security - Health Care - more...
[ Barack Obama 2008 website ]

Barack Obama and Joe Biden:
Fighting Poverty and Creating a Bridge to the Middle Class (PDF - 58K, 8 pages)
[PDF file dated 9/11/08]
JOBS
* Expand Transitional Jobs and Career Pathways Programs * Ensure Freedom to Unionize * Help Youth Connect with Growing Job Sectors * Improve Transportation Access to Jobs * Increase Access to Capital in Underserved Communities * Create a National Network of Public-Private Business Incubators * Promote Digital Inclusion * Reduce Crime Recidivism by Providing Ex-Offender Supports
INCOME
* Expand the Earned Income Tax Credit * Raise the Minimum Wage * Provide a Tax Cut for Working Families * Eliminate Income Taxes for Seniors Making Less Than $50,000
FAMILIES
* Promote Responsible Fatherhood * Support Parents with Young Children * Expand Paid Sick Days
EDUCATION
* Expand Early Childhood Education * Place High-Quality Teachers in Low-Income Classrooms * Extend Summer School Opportunities to Low-Income Students * Reduce the High School Dropout Rate * Make College More Affordable
HOUSING
* Increase the Supply of Affordable Housing * Create a New Mortgage Interest Tax Credit for Those Who Don’t Itemize * Combat Mortgage Fraud and Predatory Subprime Loans * Close the Bankruptcy Loophole for Mortgage Companies * Fully Fund the Community Development Block Grant
HEALTH CARE
* Lower Health Costs and Increase Access * Fight Health Disparities * Foster Healthy Communities
TACKLE CONCENTRATED URBAN POVERTY
* Create a White House Office on Urban Policy * Ensure Community-Based Investment Resources in Every Urban Community * Establish ‘Promise Neighborhoods’ for Areas of Concentrated Poverty ADDRESS RURAL POVERTY
* Build Roads, Airports, and Infrastructure * Reinvest in Rural Technology Resources * Encourage Investment in Rural America

Barack Obama's Plan to Fight Poverty in America (PDF - 64K, 8 pages)
File dated April 20, 2008

---------------------------------------------------

The 2008 Presidential Election
and the Half in Ten Anti-poverty Strategy

Edwards Poverty Campaign Met With Media Blackout
Posted May 15, 2008
On Tuesday, the day before he announced his support for Barack Obama, former Senator John Edwards launched a campaign to cut the nation's poverty rate in half in the next ten years. You can be excused if you hadn't heard about it. Only one major daily newspaper -- the Philadelphia Inquirer -- covered the event, which took place at a Baptist church in North Philadelphia.
(...)
The Half in Ten campaign will focus on policy solutions identified in the Center for American Progress' poverty task force report issued last year. These include expanding the Earned Income Tax Credit and the Child Tax Credit; raising both state and federal minimum wages; increasing the number of low-income families receiving child care assistance; increasing eligibility for unemployment insurance; and preventing predatory lending practices and preserving home ownership. The last time the U.S. committed itself to dramatically tackling poverty was during the early 1960s.
Source:
Huffington Post
[NOTE : recommended reading --- includes a good snapshot of the poverty situation in the U.S., along with an historical overview of poverty and poverty reduction from President Johnson's War on Poverty (mid-60s) to date, and links to related information]

Related links:

Edwards backs Obama
By Chuck Babbington, Associated Press
May 14, 2008
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Democrat John Edwards endorsed former rival Barack Obama on Wednesday, a move designed to help solidify support for the party's likely presidential nominee even as Hillary Rodham Clinton refuses to give up her long-shot candidacy. (...)He said Mr. Obama “stands with me” in a fight to cut poverty in half within 10 years. (bolding added)
Source:
The Globe and Mail

NOTE: for more on antipoverty strategies in Canda, the U.S. and elsewhere in the world,
go to the Anti-poverty Strategies and Campaigns page:
http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/antipoverty.htm

---------------------------------------------------

America Votes '08 - U.S. election campaign coverage
- from the Toronto Star

---------------------------------------------------

U.S. Votes 2008 - In Depth from the CBC

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance
"The online Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance gives you access to a database of all Federal programs available to State and local governments (including the District of Columbia); federally -recognized Indian tribal governments; Territories (and possessions) of the United States; domestic public, quasi-public, and private profit and nonprofit organizations and institutions; specialized groups; and individuals. After you find the program you want, contact the office that administers the program and find out how to apply."

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THOMAS Legislative Information on the Internet
THE site for US legislative information, congressional records and House and Senate Committee information. 
Includes links to the following : Bill Summary & Status - Bill Text - Major Legislation: - Public Laws - Roll Call Votes: House, Senate - Congressional Record Text - Congressional Record Index - Résumés of Congressional Activity - Days In Session Calendars - Committee Reports - Committee Home Pages: House or Senate - House Committees: Schedules and  Oversight Plans - Hearing Transcripts - Committee Jurisdictions - Senate Committees: Hearings Schedule

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U.S. Government Manual
"As the official handbook of the Federal Government, the United States Government Manual provides comprehensive information on the agencies of the legislative, judicial, and executive branches. It also includes information on quasi-official agencies, international organizations in which the United States participates, and boards, commissions, and committees."
- includes links to previous editions back to 1995-96

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CIA: The World Factbook
The World Factbook provides information on the history, people, government, economy, geography, communications, transportation, military, and transnational issues for 266 world entities. Our Reference tab includes: maps of the major world regions, as well as Flags of the World, a Physical Map of the World, a Political Map of the World, and a Standard Time Zones of the World map.

The World Factbook : Canada
- incl. entries under the following headings:
* Geography * People * Government * Economy * Communications * Transportation - Military * Transnational Issues
---
NOTE: the World Factbook contains similar
information for 266 world entities (select countries on the home page)

Source:
Central Intelligence Agency

Related link:

The World Factbook - from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

2004 Green Book
"The Green Book provides updated data on major programs within the Committee’s jurisdiction, as well as related programs and issues. Compiled by the Ways and Means staff with the assistance of the Congressional Research Service and various Federal agencies, since its first publication in 1981 the Green Book has become an important reference guide for legislators, program administrators, scholars, and interested citizens. The 2004 edition contains over 500 detailed tables and charts and spans more than 1,500 pages, providing detailed data on Medicare, Social Security, tax expenditures, trade, welfare, poverty, the elderly, and children and families, among other issues and programs." [bolding added]
Source:
Release of the 2004 Green Book
Advisory - April 30, 2004

This is the definitive authority on US social security programs, in the opinion of many...

Here's the list of the programs you'll find described in the Green Book:
NOTE: Only selected sections of the Green Book are hyperlinked below, and all files are in PDF format.
Click on the Green Book link above for the entire table of contents with links to all sections and appendices.

Social Security: The Old Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance Programs - Medicare - Supplemental Security Income (SSI) - Unemployment Compensation - Earned Entitlements for Railroad Employees - Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) - Child Support Enforcement Program - Child Care - Title XX (Social Services Block Grant Program) - Child Protection, Foster Care, and Adoption Assistance - Social Welfare Programs in the Territories - Tax Provisions Related to Retirement, Health, Poverty, Employment, Disability, and Other Social Issues - The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation - Food Stamp Program - Medicaid - State Children's Health Insurance Program - Federal Housing Assistance - School Lunch and Breakfast Programs - Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) - Child and Adult Food Care Program - Workforce Investment Act - Head Start - Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program - Veterans Benefits and Services - Workers' Compensation
Appendices : Data on the Elderly - Health Status and Expenditures of the Elderly, and Background Data on Long-Term Care - National and International Health Care Expenditures and Health Insurance Coverage - Medicare Payment Policies - Medicare + Choice - Data on Employment, Earnings, and Unemployment - Data on Families - Data on Poverty - Budget Tables - Welfare Benefits for Noncitizens - Spending for Income-Tested Benefits, Fiscal Years 1968-2002 - Assessing the Effects of Welfare Reform Initiatives - Data on Nonmarital Births to Adults and Teenagers and Federal Strategies to Reduce Nonmarital Pregnancies

Sample content from the section on TANF, the American welfare program for needy families with children:

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) (PDF file - 375K, 98 pages)
- includes Brief Summary and History - Outline of Program - State TANF Programs - Funding of TANF - TANF for Indians - AFDC/TANF Data - Characteristics of AFDC/TANF Families

Source:
Committee on Ways & Means
[ U.S. House of Representatives ]

---

Earlier editions of the Green Book:

The 2000 Green Book of Entitlement Programs
October 2000 
By the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE)
The Green Book consists of background material and data on programs within the jurisdiction of the Committee on Ways and Means of the U.S. House of Representatives. It is compiled by the staff of the Committee from many sources and it provides program descriptions and historical data on a wide variety of social and economic topics, including Social Security, employment, earnings, welfare, child support, health insurance, disability, the elderly, families with children, national and international health care expenditures and health insurance coverage, poverty and taxation. It has become a standard reference work for those interested in the direction of social policy in the United States.
NOTE: this report includes links to
editions of the Green Book for 1994, 1996 and 1998
Source:
Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE) (principal advisor to the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services)

Welfare in America - Reports to Congress

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Program (TANF) : Eighth Annual Report to Congress - June 2009
(Department of Health and Human Services)

In Canada, the federal government contributes towards the cost of provincial/territorial welfare programs under the Canada Social Transfer.
In the U.S., the federal government contributes towards the cost of state programs providing time-limited financial assistance to families with children* under the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Program.
Each year, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (responsible for the administering of the federal contributions) submits an extensive report (728 pages for the June 2009 report) to Congress.
The latest HHS report on TANF was presented to Congress in June 2009 (see the links below).
Keep scrolling down this page for the latest Canadian government report tabled in Parliament about welfare in Canada.
---
*NOTE: I used the expression "time-limited financial assistance to families with children"
in the above blurb because state programs under TANF are NOT comparable to Canadian social assistance programs on a number of levels, explained below.

---

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Program (TANF) :
Eighth Annual Report to Congress
June 2009
[incl. links to all chapters and appendices in the report in HTML and PDF formats]
This report describes the characteristics and financial circumstances of TANF recipients and presents information regarding TANF caseloads and expenditures, work participation and earnings, High Performance Bonus awards, child support collections, two-parent family formation and maintenance activities, out-of-wedlock births, child poverty, characteristics and financial circumstances of TANF recipients, Tribal TANF, specific Provisions of State Programs, TANF Research and Evaluation and state profiles.

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Program (TANF) :
Eighth Annual Report to Congress
June 2009
Complete report (incl. Appendix) (PDF file - 6.2MB, 728 pages)
Executive Summary (HTML)
Table of contents (HTML) - links to each chapter

Current and Earlier
Annual Reports to Congress (back to 1998)

NOTE:
This report provides detailed information and tables on the following aspects of welfare for able-bodied families with children* in America :
Caseload - Expenditures and Balances - Work Participation Rates - Work and Earnings - High Performance Bonus - Child Support Collections - Formation and Maintenance of Married Two-Parent Families - Out-of-Wedlock Births - Child Poverty and TANF - Characteristics and Financial Circumstances of TANF Recipients - Tribal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families and Native Employment Works - Specific Provisions of State Programs - TANF Research and Evaluation - State Profiles
Source:
Administration for Children and Families
[ Department of Health and Human Services ]

-----------------------------------------------

* NOTE: CANADIAN AND AMERICAN
WELFARE SYSTEMS SHOULD NOT BE COMPARED:
The expression "welfare for able-bodied families with children" in the above description is a caveat for social researchers who might be tempted to compare U.S. state welfare programs under TANF and the Canadian welfare system as if they were equal.

They are not.

In the U.S., people with disabilities needing financial assistance must apply for assistance from the federal Social Security Disability program. In Canada, we have the contribution-based Canada Pension Plan Disability Benefit, but provincial-territorial welfare programs also provide needs-tested assistance to people with disabilities - who currently make up about 35-40% of the national welfare caseload. The "with children" part of the expression above refers to the fact that in the U.S., there is not one able-bodied single childless adult in receipt of state assistance under TANF. In Canada, childless single people account for around 50% of the total welfare caseload across the country --- but many of those singles are people with disabilities.

In 2006, child-only cases represented 47.2% percent of the total TANF caseload. Of these child-only cases, over half were children living with a caretaker relative with sufficient income not to receive assistance, one-fifth were families with a disabled parent receiving Supplemental Security Income, and a similar number were families in which the parent was ineligible for TANF because of his or her citizenship status. In the Canadian welfare system, "child-only" cases make up a very small proportion of the total welfare caseload --- a child-only case exists where a child at risk is taken into custody by the government and placed with an informal caregiver, usually a relative and usually on a temporary basis.

There are other aspects of the two countries' programs of last resort that differ from one another. If you want more information on the two systems, this TANF report and the links below to related info will give you more detailed info on the American welfare system; for Canadian welfare info, try the Canadian Social Research Links Welfare and Welfare Reforms in Canada page as a starting point - or Social Assistance in Canada, 1994 (an oldie moldie look at welfare in Canada in 1994 that offers some insights into how welfare works today in Canada).

U.S. and Canadian welfare systems should NOT be compared without situating each within its social policy context.

Related links:

Complementary report from Human Services Policy
(also part of the Dept. of Health and Human Services):

Welfare Dependence in the U.S.
(Posted March 9, 2009)

Indicators of Welfare Dependence: Annual Report to Congress, 2008
December 2008
The Welfare Indicators Act of 1994 requires the Department of Health and Human Services to prepare annual reports to Congress on indicators and predictors of welfare dependence. The 2008 Indicators of Welfare Dependence, the eleventh annual report, provides welfare dependence indicators through 2005, reflecting changes that have taken place since enactment of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA) in August 1996. As directed by the Welfare Indicators Act, the report focuses on benefits under the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program, formerly the Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) program; the Food Stamp Program; and the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program. (...) Finally, the report has four appendices that provide additional data on major welfare programs, alternative measures of dependence and nonmarital births, as well as background information on several data and technical issues.
[Source: Executive Summary]

Complete report:
* HTML Version
* PDF Version (674K, 157 pages)

- Indicators of Dependence include : Degree of Dependence - Receipt of Means-Tested Assistance and Labor Force Attachment - Rates of Receipt of Means-Tested Assistance - Rates of Participation in Means-Tested Assistance Programs - Multiple Program Receipt - Dependence Transitions - Program Spell Duration - Welfare Spell Duration with No Labor Force Attachment - Long-Term Receipt - Events Associated with the Beginning and Ending of Program Spells

- includes longitudinal and current caseload and expenditure data for Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), the Food Stamp Program and Supplemental Security Income (SSI). In addition, you'll find dozens of tables and charts showing predictors and risk factors associated with welfare receipt, such as : Poverty Rates - Deep Poverty Rates - Experimental Poverty Measures - Poverty Spells - Child Support - Food Insecurity - Lack of Health Insurance - Labor Force Attachment - Employment among the Low-Skilled - Earnings of Low-Skilled Workers - Educational Attainment - High School Dropout Rates - Adult Alcohol and Substance Abuse - Adult and Child Disability - Births to Unmarried Women/Teens - much more...

Program Data
**Excellent resource for qualitative AND quantitative information!
Detailed program description and information (historical and current), recent changes, and statistics for:
* Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC)
* Food Stamp Program
* Supplemental Security Income (SSI)

Earlier annual reports - back to 1997

Source:
Human Services Policy (HSP)
Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation ASPE)
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)

CANADIAN FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
REPORTS ABOUT WELFARE TABLED IN PARLIAMENT:

NONE.
ZILCH.
NADA.
NYET.

Under the Canada Assistance Plan ("CAP", 1966-1996), the federal Department of Health and Welfare was required by law to table, in the House of Commons, an annual report on the operation of welfare programs and social services in Canada, in the same manner as the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services presents annual reports on welfare dependence to Congress. In April 1996, a block fund called the Canada Health and Social Transfer (CHST) replaced CAP's 50-50 cost-sharing as the statutory mechanism for determining federal contributions to provincial/territorial welfare programs. [ See A History of the Health and Social Transfers] Neither the CHST nor its successor, the Canada Social Transfer (since April 2004), contains rules regarding the production of reports about welfare for tabling and discussion in the Parliament of Canada. In fact, the last national public report about welfare in Canada that was tabled and discussed in the House of Commons was the final CAP Annual Report for 1995-96. In my view, that's not much accountability for a program of this magnitude. The CST will cost the Canadian taxpayer almost $11 billion in 2009-10 in cash transfers alone, all without any debate or even discussion in the House of Commons.

Because the CST is a block fund, and because it covers post-secondary education, early learning and childcare as well as welfare and social services, it's no longer possible to calculate how much each province and territory receives annually from Ottawa specifically earmarked for welfare. That's why you won't see any Canadian equivalent to Indicators of Welfare Dependence: Annual Report to Congress in the near future. That, and the fact that there doesn't appear to be any political will by the ruling federal party to support provincial-territorial programs of last resort at this time.

NOTE: For links to more info about the Canada Assistance Plan, the CHST and the CST, see:
Canada Assistance Plan / Canada Health and Social Transfer / Canada Social Transfer Resources page:
http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/cap.htm

Related reading from Finance Canada:

Federal Transfers to Provinces and Territories
- updated to January 2009
...everything you ever wanted to know about federal transfers.
(or what the Department of Finance wants you to know about federal transfers)

Welfare Caseloads

Welfare Rolls Fall Under Two Million
1st Quarter Data for 2004 Shows Another Decline In Caseloads
News Release
October 7, 2004
"HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson today announced welfare caseloads dropped in the first quarter of 2004 to fewer than two million families for the first time since February 1970. Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) caseloads dropped 1.3 percent for individuals and 0.8 percent for families between December 2003 and March 2004. As of March 2004, there were 4,798,986 individuals and 1,992,143 families receiving TANF cash benefits."

Total Number of TANF Families and Recipients
Fiscal Year 2004 as of 7/31/04

Source:
U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Secretary Thompson Announces TANF Caseloads Declined in 2003
Eight Years After Reform, More Americans Achieving Self-Sufficiency
News Release
August 23, 2004
"Eight years after the signing of the historic welfare reform law, HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson announced today that caseloads in the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program dropped 3 percent for individuals and 1.8 percent for families during 2003. Nearly 149,000 fewer people were relying on TANF benefits at the end of 2003 than at the end of 2002. As of December 2003, 4,864,905 individuals and 2,008,233 families were receiving TANF cash benefits. In December 2002, 5,013,728 individuals and 2,044,734 families were receiving TANF cash benefits."

Change in Numbers of TANF Families and Recipients
from December 2002 to December 2003 - by state

Source:
U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services

College as a Job Advancement Strategy: An Interim Report on the New Visions Self-Sufficiency and Lifelong Learning Project
The New Visions Evaluation (PDF file - 599K, 21 pages)
May 2003

Report Shows Effects of Education on Employment of Welfare Recipients
Press Release
November 5, 2003
"The Administration for Children and Families in the Department of Health and Human Services today announced the results of an interim report on the first two years of a demonstration to improve the job prospects of welfare recipients who are already working 20 hours per week by offering them specially-designed education courses in a community college setting. (...) The demonstration project, called New Visions, is a joint effort between Riverside Community College (RCC) in Riverside, California and the California Department of Public Social Services. (...) 'The interim findings of this study show that it is possible to get working TANF recipients involved in community college, with the eventual goal of full-time work,'said Wade F. Horn, Ph.D., assistant secretary for children and families. (...) Abt Associates is conducting the evaluation. The final report, to be published in 2004, will focus on the long term effects of this program on increasing the earnings of recipients already in the work force.
Complete report:

Source:
Administration for Children and Families
[Department of Health and Human Services]

Special : 10 years after welfare reform in the U.S.

. A decade of welfare reform : Facts and figures, (PDF file - 47K, 6 pages) from The Urban Institute, Washington, June (2006).

. Getting on, staying on and getting off welfare : The complexity of state-by-state policy choices (PDF file - 203K, 8 pages) G. Rowe and L. Giannarelli, The Urban Institute, Washington, July (2006).

. The outcomes of 1996 welfare reform (PDF file - 117K, 12pages), R Haskings, The Brookings Institution, Washington, Testimony, House Ways and Means Committee, July (2006).

. TANF at 10 : Program results are more mixed than often understood (PDF file - 244K, 16pages), S. Parrott and A. Sherman, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, Washington, August (2006).

. Ten years after welfare reform. It's time to make work work for families (PDF file - K, 2 pages), E. Ganzglass, Center for Law and Social Policy, Washington, August (2006).

. Getting punched : The job and family clock : It's time for flexible work for workers of all wages, (PDF file - 159K, 32 pages) J. Levin-Epstein, Center for Law and Social Policy, Washington, July (2006).

Source:
Council for Employment, Income and Social Cohesion - Paris
Conseil de l'emploi, des revenus et de la cohésion sociale - CERC[version française]

---------------------------------------

Bush Administration Releases Interim
Final Regulation Implementing The Next Phase Of Welfare Reform
June 28, 2006
News Release
Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt today announced interim final regulations for the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program to implement statutory changes to the TANF program in the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005. The regulations ensure consistent measurement of work participation rates in state welfare programs. "These regulations complete what President Bush has called 'the unfinished business of welfare reform,'" Secretary Leavitt said. "We are rebooting the system to help more individuals transition from welfare dependency to work and self-sufficiency."
Source:
Administration for Children and Families (ACF)
[ Department of Health and Human Services ]

Annual Update of the Health and Human Services Poverty Guidelines - 2009
On January 23, 2009, the Department of Health and Human Services, published its annual update of the Poverty Guidelines, taking into account increases in prices as measured by the Consumer Price Index.

"There are two slightly different versions of the federal poverty measure: the poverty thresholds and the poverty guidelines.

The poverty thresholds are the original version of the federal poverty measure. They are updated each year by the Census Bureau (although they were originally developed by Mollie Orshansky* of the Social Security Administration). The thresholds are used mainly for statistical purposes — for instance, preparing estimates of the number of Americans in poverty each year. (In other words, all official poverty population figures are calculated using the poverty thresholds, not the guidelines.) Poverty thresholds since 1980 and weighted average poverty thresholds since 1959 are available on the Census Bureau’s Web site. For an example of how the Census Bureau applies the thresholds to a family’s income to determine its poverty status, see “How the Census Bureau Measures Poverty” on the Census Bureau’s web site.

The poverty guidelines are the other version of the federal poverty measure. They are issued each year in the Federal Register by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The guidelines are a simplification of the poverty thresholds for use for administrative purposes — for instance, determining financial eligibility for certain federal programs. (The full text of the Federal Register notice with the 2009 poverty guidelines is available.)

The poverty guidelines are sometimes loosely referred to as the “federal poverty level” (FPL), but that phrase is ambiguous and should be avoided, especially in situations (e.g., legislative or administrative) where precision is important.

Key differences between poverty thresholds and poverty guidelines are outlined in a table under Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs).
See also the discussion of this topic on the Institute for Research on Poverty’s web site.."

Source:
Office of Human Services Policy
[Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning & Evaluation ]
[ Department of Health and Human Services ]

-------------------------------------------

*NOTE: for more on Mollie Orshansky and her poverty measure, see:
http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/poverty2.htm#orshansky

-------------------------------------------

COMMENT:
This is a distinction between the Canadian and American government poverty measurement --- in the U.S., a person's or household's eligibility for certain programs is actually tied to an official federal government poverty measure. (However, eligibility for state welfare programs that fall under the federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families umbrella is means-tested and not related to any poverty measure.) In Canada, eligibility for all provincial and territorial welfare programs for individuals and families is "needs-tested". Needs-testing and means-testing mean the same thing in this context --- they both involve a test that takes into account a household's financial resources and its needs. The needs test and income test are discussed in more detail on the Welfare Reforms in Canada page of this site - http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/welref.htm (near the top of the page).

-------------------------------------------
Related Reading:
- highly recommended!
-------------------------------------------

Further Resources on Poverty Measurement, Poverty Lines,
and Their History
Table of Contents:
- Introduction
- Background Paper on the Poverty Guidelines
- Programs That Do — and Don’t — Use the Poverty Guidelines
- The Official Federal Statistical Definition of Poverty
- Mollie Orshansky’s Development of the Poverty Thresholds
- Research on Alternative Approaches to Poverty Measurement
- Papers by ASPE Staff Relating to the History of Poverty Lines
- For Further Questions

The Development and History of the Poverty Thresholds
By Gordon M. Fisher
Social Security Bulletin
Volume 55, Number 4
1992

Previous HHS Poverty Guidelines
and Federal Register References - back to 1996

Related link:

Poverty Thresholds (1973-2007 and selected earlier years back to 1959)
(from the U.S. Census Bureau)

Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2008
Press Release
September 10, 2009
The U.S. Census Bureau announced today that real median household income in the United States fell 3.6 percent between 2007 and 2008, from $52,163 to $50,303. This breaks a string of three years of annual income increases and coincides with the recession that started in December 2007. The nation’s official poverty rate in 2008 was 13.2 percent, up from 12.5 percent in 2007. There were 39.8 million people in poverty in 2008, up from 37.3 million in 2007. Meanwhile, the number of people without health insurance coverage rose from 45.7 million in 2007 to 46.3 million in 2008, while the percentage remained unchanged at 15.4 percent. These findings are contained in the report Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2008.
NOTE: this press release includes extensive highlights from the report.

Complete report:

Income, Poverty and Health
Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2008 (PDF - 1.4MB, 74 pages)
This report contains the official national findings from the Current Population Survey (CPS).

* Income and Poverty Fact Sheet (PDF - 55K, 2 pages)
* Health Insurance Fact Sheet (PDF - 61K, 3 pages)

Source:
U.S. Census Bureau

Related links from the Census Bureau:

Income Statistics, 2008
- includes tables showing income by state
[ main Income page - more links]

Poverty Statistics, 2008 - incl. highlights, graphs and tables
[ main Poverty page ]

Health insurance coverage data, 2008 - incl. highlights, graphs and tables
[ main Health Insurance page ]

Related links - Web/News/Blogs:

Google Search Results Links - always current results!
Using the following search terms (without the quote marks):
"Census Bureau, Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage"
Web search results page
News search results page
Blog Search Results page
Source:
Google.ca

Related links - Analysis:

Last Year’s Poverty Rate Was Highest in 12 Years
By Erik Eckholm
September 10, 2009
In the recession, the nation’s poverty rate climbed to 13.2 percent last year, up from 12.5 percent in 2007, according to an annual report released Thursday by the Census Bureau. The report also documented a decline in employer-provided health insurance and in coverage for adults. The rise in the poverty rate, to the highest level since 1997, portends even larger increases this year, which has registered far higher unemployment than in 2008, economists said.
Source:
New York Times

---

Children's Defense Fund Statement on
New Data Showing 8.1 Million Uninsured Children, 14.1 Million Children in Poverty in 2008
Number of Children Living in Poverty Increased by Nearly 750,000
September 10, 2009
WASHINGTON, DC—Today, Children's Defense Fund (CDF) President Marian Wright Edelman issued the following statement in response to the Census Bureau's release of data showing that, in 2008, 8.1 million children were uninsured and 14.1 million children lived in poverty.
"Today’s Census data show that there are 8.1 million uninsured children in America. This new information only underscores why health reform must guarantee that every child in America can easily access comprehensive, affordable health coverage. We know that investing in preventive services for children and addressing their health needs now is far more cost-effective than ignoring them. Communities incur increased costs when their children are not insured, often because of increased use of emergency rooms and longer hospital stays. For example, an uninsured child can cost the community as much as $2,100 more than a child covered by Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP)."
Source:
Children's Defense Fund
The Children's Defense Fund (CDF) is a non-profit child advocacy organization that has worked relentlessly for 35 years to ensure a level playing field for all children. We champion policies and programs that lift children out of poverty; protect them from abuse and neglect; and ensure their access to health care, quality education and a moral and spiritual foundation.

---

Statement: Greenstein on Census’ 2008 Health Insurance and Poverty Data
September 10, 2009
By Robert Greenstein
Today’s grim Census Bureau report shows the nation lost substantial ground in 2008 on poverty, median income, and the number of people who are uninsured. Several aspects of the Census report stand out. The number of people living in poverty jumped by 2.6 million to 39.8 million — the highest since 1960. The poverty rate — the percentage of people living in poverty — also rose, to 13.2 percent, which is its highest level since 1997. Similarly, real median household income fell by $1,860 to $50,303, its lowest level since 1997. These figures are particularly grim because they come after the disappointing record of the 2001-2007 expansion.
Source:
Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities is one of the nation’s premier policy organizations working at the federal and state levels on fiscal policy and public programs that affect low- and moderate-income families and individuals. The Center conducts research and analysis to help shape public debates over proposed budget and tax policies and to help ensure that policymakers consider the needs of low-income families and individuals in these debates. We also develop policy options to alleviate poverty.

---

New 2008 poverty, income data reveal only tip of the recession iceberg
By Heidi Shierholz
September 10, 2009
(...) While the 3.6% decline in median income in 2008 was the largest one-year decline on record (since 1967) and the increase in poverty was the largest one-year increase in poverty since 1991, an important thing to keep in mind about today's data release is that it captures only a small portion of the deterioration in the economy up to this point in the recession.
Source:
Economic Policy Institute
The Economic Policy Institute, a nonprofit Washington D.C. think tank, was created in 1986 to broaden the discussion about economic policy to include the interests of low- and middle-income workers. Today, with global competition expanding, wage inequality rising, and the methods and nature of work changing in fundamental ways, it is as crucial as ever that people who work for a living have a voice in the economic discourse.

---

Declining health care coverage: the worst is yet to come
By Elise Gould
September 8, 2009
On Thursday, September 10, the U.S. Census Bureau will release its annual report on health insurance coverage in 2008. The report includes the latest numbers on the uninsured and various forms of health coverage. EPI’s same-day analysis of this report will highlight trends in employer-sponsored health insurance, including valuable state-by-state coverage rates
Source:
Economic Policy Institute
The Economic Policy Institute, a nonprofit Washington D.C. think tank, was created in 1986 to broaden the discussion about economic policy to include the interests of low- and middle-income workers. Today, with global competition expanding, wage inequality rising, and the methods and nature of work changing in fundamental ways, it is as crucial as ever that people who work for a living have a voice in the economic discourse.

---

Stimulus Keeping 6 Million Americans Out Of Poverty In 2009, Estimates Show
by Arloc Sherman
September 9, 2009
“This analysis, which comes one day before the Census Bureau will release updated poverty figures (for 2008), examines seven of the recovery act’s provisions — two improvements in unemployment insurance, three tax credits for working families, an increase in food stamps, and a one-time payment for retirees, veterans, and people with disabilities — and finds that they alone are preventing more than 6 million Americans from falling below the poverty line and are reducing the severity of poverty for 33 million more. The analysis includes state-specific estimates for California, Texas, Florida, New York, and Illinois.”

View the full statement:
HTML
http://www.cbpp.org/cms/index.cfm?fa=view&id=2910
PDF ( 16pp.)
http://www.cbpp.org/files/9-9-09pov2.pdf

 

Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance
Coverage in the United States: 2007

Household Income Rises, Poverty Rate Unchanged,
Number of Uninsured Down
News Release
August 26, 2008
Real median household income in the United States climbed 1.3 percent between 2006 and 2007, reaching $50,233, according to a report released today by the U.S. Census Bureau. This is the third annual increase in real median household income.

Meanwhile, the nation’s official poverty rate in 2007 was 12.5 percent, not statistically different from 2006. There were 37.3 million people in poverty in 2007, up from 36.5 million in 2006. The number of people without health insurance coverage declined from 47 million (15.8 percent) in 2006 to 45.7 million (15.3 percent) in 2007.

These findings are contained in the report Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2007 (PDF - 2.9MB, 84 pages). The data were compiled from information collected in the 2008 Current Population Survey (CPS) Annual Social and Economic Supplement (ASEC).

Also released today were income, poverty and earnings data from the 2007 American Community Survey (ACS) for all states and congressional districts, as well as for metropolitan areas, counties, cities and American Indian/Alaska Native areas of 65,000 population or more.

Complete report:

-----------------------

Related reports from the Census Bureau:

Income Statistics - includes links to all stats sources mentioned in the above news release and more
[NOTE: also includes sections on Income Inequality and Alternative Measures of Income and Poverty]
[ main Income page - more links]

Poverty Statistics - incl. highlights, graphs and tables
[ main Poverty page ]

Health insurance coverage data - incl. highlights, graphs and tables
[ main Health Insurance page ]

-----------------------

Related links:

Examining new Census data on poverty, income and health coverage
August 26, 2008
By Arloc Sherman, Robert Greenstein, and Sharon Parrott
This marks the first time on record that poverty and the incomes of typical working-age households have worsened despite six consecutive years of economic growth. The new data show that in terms of poverty and median income, the economic expansion that started at the end of 2001 was the worst on record. The data provide fresh evidence that the gains from the expansion were quite uneven and flowed primarily to high-income households.
Source:
Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
[ other CBPP poverty and income reports ]

Median income rose as did poverty in 2007
2000s have been extremely weak for living standards of most households
August 26, 2008
by Jared Bernstein
"(...) While last year’s overall income gains are good news, the longer-range view is quite different. The Census figures show that the economic cycle that began in 2000 and ended late last year was one of the weakest on record for working families, despite strong overall economic growth during the same period."
Source:
Economic Policy Institute (EPI)
[ more EPI reports on poverty and family budgets ]

Also from EPI:

Overall health insurance coverage rises, but masks decline in private coverage
August 26, 2008

Our Inequality of Outcomes
By Steven Pearlstein
August 27, 2008
Hey, good news on the income front: The Census Bureau reported yesterday that median earnings for full-time male workers rose by $1,653 last year, to $45,113, after adjusting for inflation. Another year like that, and maybe the typical male worker will finally catch up to where he was in 1973.
Source:
Washington Post

-----------------------

Related Web/News/Blog links:

Google Search Results Links - always current results!
Using the following search terms (without the quote marks):
"Census Bureau, Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage"
Web search results page
News search results page
Blog Search Results page
Source:
Google.ca

Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
- incl. links to:
- HUD news - Newsroom - Priorities - About HUD
- Homes (Buying - Owning - Selling - Renting - Homeless - Home improvements - HUD homes - Fair housing - FHA refunds - Foreclosure - Consumer info)
- Communities ( About communities - Volunteering - Organizing - Economic development
- Working with HUD (Grants - Programs - Contracts - Work online - HUD jobs - Complaints)
- Resources (Library - Handbooks/ forms - Common questions)
- Tools (Let's talk - Webcasts - Mailing lists)

Homelessness
Great collection of resources for homeless people and for those who want to help the homeless...
- incl. Housing - Food - Jobs/job training - Health care - Social Security benefits - Homeless veterans
- federal programs to help the homeless - incl. Housing - Food - Education - Health Care - Social Security - Jobs - Homeless Children
Homelessness Resources - from the HUD Library

HUD REPORTS DROP IN THE NUMBER OF CHRONICALLY HOMELESS PERSONS
More resources and better reporting contribute to annual declines
News Release
July 29, 2008
WASHINGTON – Last year, nearly 32,000 fewer persons lived on the nation's streets and in emergency shelters. That's according to a new report released today by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development that points to a 15 percent average yearly reduction in chronic homelessness since 2005.

The Third Annual Homeless Assessment
Report to Congress (PDF - 2.1MB, 144 pages)
July 2008
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
Office of Community Planning and Development

Earlier related reports - includes the first two homelessness reports and over a dozen related reports

Overview of HUD Homeless and Housing Programs

Source:
Homelessness Resource Exchange
[ U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development ]

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Related links from the July 31 Poverty Dispatch:
(Institute for Research on Poverty (IRP)
[ University of Wisconsin-Madison ]

*Drop in homeless count seen as 'success story'
By Wendy Koch, USA Today
July 28, 2008

* U.S. reports drop in homeless population
By Rachel L. Swarns, New York Times
July 30, 2008

HHS Releases Data Showing Continuing Decline in Number of People Receiving Temporary Assistance
News Release
September 3, 2003
"Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy G. Thompson announced today that both the number of individuals and the number of families receiving assistance under the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program declined between March 2002 and March 2003."
Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
Related Link:
HHS State Caseload Statistics (March 2002 - March 2003)

Related Link:

Falling TANF Caseloads Amidst Rising Poverty Should Be A Cause Of Concern,
Revised September 5, 2003,
"On September 3rd, HHS released a press release calling continued declines in the TANF cash assistance caseload "encouraging" while failing to mention that federal statistics issued the same day by the Census Bureau showed a marked increase in child poverty. This analysis describes recent research and data that strongly suggest that falling caseloads during a time of rising poverty should be a cause for concern. (...) at a time when poverty and unemployment have increased significantly, the continued decline in the number of families receiving assistance through TANF is more appropriately viewed with concern than celebration. "
Source: Center on Budget and Policy Priorities