Figure IND 3a. Percentage of the Total Population Receiving AFDC/TANF, by Age: 1970-2003
Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Office of Family Assistance, and U.S. Bureau of the Census (available online at http://www.census.gov).
- Although the survey data needed to examine overall welfare receipt and dependency are not yet available past 2002, administrative data for recipiency measures of AFDC/TANF, food stamps, and SSI are available through 2003, as shown in Figures IND 3a, IND 3b, and IND 3c. Additional administrative data are shown in Appendix A.
- Just under 2 percent of the total population received TANF in 2003. The rate of AFDC/TANF receipt has dropped significantly since 1993, when it was at a 25-year high of over 5 percet, as shown in Table IND 3a. The 2003 rate of receipt was the lowest since the early 1960s.
- AFDC/TANF recipiency rates have been much higher over time for children than for adults, with the child recipiency rates also showing more pronounced changes over time. Between 1993 and 2003, AFDC/TANF receipt among children decreased by more than half (from 14 to well under 6 percent), the most rapid decline in a generation.
Table IND 3a. Number and Percentage of the Total Population Receiving AFDC/TANF, by Age 1970-2003
| Fiscal Year | Total Recipients | Adult Recipients | Child Recipients | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number (thousands) | Percent | Number (thousands) | Percent | Number (thousands) | Percent | |
| 1970 | 7,188 | 3.5 | 1,863 | 1.4 | 5,325 | 5,325 |
| 1971 | 9,281 | 4.5 | 2,516 | 1.8 | 6,765 | 9.7 |
| 1972 | 10,345 | 4.9 | 2,848 | 2.0 | 7,497 | 10.8 |
| 1973 | 10,760 | 5.1 | 2,984 | 2.1 | 7,776 | 11.3 |
| 1974 | 10,591 | 5.0 | 2,935 | 2.0 | 7,656 | 11.3 |
| 1975 | 10,854 | 5.0 | 3,078 | 2.1 | 7,776 | 11.6 |
| 1976 | 11,171 | 5.1 | 3,271 | 2.2 | 7,900 | 11.9 |
| 1977 | 10,933 | 5.0 | 3,230 | 2.1 | 7,703 | 11.8 |
| 1978 | 10,485 | 4.7 | 3,128 | 2.0 | 7,357 | 11.4 |
| 1979 | 10,146 | 4.5 | 3,071 | 1.9 | 7,075 | 11.0 |
| 1980 | 10,422 | 4.6 | 3,226 | 2.0 | 7,196 | 11.3 |
| 1981 | 10,979 | 4.8 | 3,491 | 2.1 | 7,488 | 11.8 |
| 1982 | 10,233 | 4.4 | 3,395 | 2.0 | 6,838 | 10.9 |
| 1983 | 10,467 | 4.5 | 3,548 | 2.1 | 6,919 | 11.1 |
| 1984 | 10,677 | 4.5 | 3,652 | 2.1 | 7,025 | 11.2 |
| 1985 | 10,630 | 4.5 | 3,589 | 2.0 | 7,041 | 11.2 |
| 1986 | 10,810 | 4.5 | 3,637 | 2.1 | 7,173 | 11.4 |
| 1987 | 10,878 | 4.5 | 3,624 | 2.0 | 7,254 | 11.5 |
| 1988 | 10,734 | 4.4 | 3,536 | 2.0 | 7,198 | 11.4 |
| 1989 | 10,741 | 4.4 | 3,503 | 1.9 | 7,238 | 11.4 |
| 1990 | 11,263 | 4.5 | 3,643 | 2.0 | 7,620 | 11.9 |
| 1991 | 12,391 | 4.9 | 4,016 | 2.1 | 8,375 | 12.8 |
| 1992 | 13,423 | 5.2 | 4,336 | 2.3 | 9,087 | 13.7 |
| 1993 | 13,943 | 5.4 | 4,519 | 2.3 | 9,424 | 13.9 |
| 1994 | 14,033 | 5.3 | 4,554 | 2.3 | 9,479 | 13.8 |
| 1995 | 13,479 | 5.1 | 4,322 | 2.2 | 9,157 | 13.2 |
| 1996 | 12,477 | 4.6 | 3,921 | 2.0 | 8,556 | 12.2 |
| 1997 | 10,779 | 4.0 | 3,106 | 1.5 | 7,673 | 10.8 |
| 1998 | 8,653 | 3.1 | 2,469 | 1.2 | 6,184 | 8.7 |
| 1999 | 7,068 | 2.5 | 1,838 | 0.9 | 5,231 | 7.3 |
| 2000 | 6,218 | 2.2 | 1,687 | 0.8 | 4,531 | 6.3 |
| 2001 | 5,674 | 2.0 | 1,504 | 0.7 | 4,171 | 5.7 |
| 2002 | 5,572 | 1.9 | 1,472 | 0.7 | 4,099 | 5.6 |
| 2003 | 5,451 | 1.9 | 1,416 | 0.7 | 4,035 | 5.5 |
Notes: See Appendix A, Tables TANF 2, TANF 12, and TANF 14, for more detailed data on recipiency rates, including recipiency rates by calendar year. Recipients are expressed as the fiscal year average of monthly caseloads from administrative data, excluding recipients in the territories. Tribal TANF recipients are also excluded. Child recipients include a small number of dependents ages 18 and older who are students. The average number of adult and child recipients in 1998 and 1999 are estimated using data from the National Emergency TANF Data Files and thereafter using the National TANF Data Files.
Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Office of Family Assistance, and U.S. Bureau of the Census (available online at http://www.census.gov).
Figure IND 3b. Percentage of the Total Population Receiving Food Stamps, by Age: 1975-2003
Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service, Office of Analysis, Nutrition, and Evaluation, Characteristics of Food Stamp Households, Fiscal Year 2003, and earlier reports, and U.S. Bureau of the Census (available online at http://www.census.gov).
- The food stamp recipiency rate increased to 7.3 percent in 2003, up from a low of 6.1 percent in 2000 and 2001 – the lowest rate since the Food Stamp program became available nationwide. The 2003 recipiency rate is still significantly below the peak of 10.4 percent experienced in 1993 and 1994.
- As with AFDC/TANF, food stamp recipiency rates have been much higher over time for children than for adults. Between 1980 and 2003, the percentage of all children who received food stamps was between two and one-half to three times that for all adults ages 18 to 59.
- Similar trends in food stamp recipiency – largely reflecting changes in the rate of unemployment and programmatic changes – existed across all age groups over time, as shown in Table IND 3b. The percentages of individuals receiving food stamps declined from 1984 through 1988, rose in the early 1990s until reaching a peak in 1994, declined sharply through 2000 and since then have risen somewhat in 2002 and 2003.
Table IND 3b. Number and Percentage of the Total Population Receiving Food Stamps, by Age 1975-2003
| Fiscal Year | Total Recipients | Adult Recipients Ages 60 and over | Adult Recipients Ages 18-59 | Child Recipients Ages 0-18 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number (thousands) | Percent | Number (thousands) | Percent | Number (thousands) | Percent | Number (thousands) | Percent | |
| 1975 | 16,320 | 7.6 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 1976 | 17,033 | 7.8 | – | – | – | – | 9,126 | 13.8 |
| 1977 | 15,604 | 7.1 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 1978 | 14,405 | 6.5 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 1979 | 15,942 | 7.1 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 1980 | 19,253 | 8.5 | 1,741 | 4.9 | 7,186 | 5.6 | 9,876 | 15.5 |
| 1981 | 20,654 | 9.0 | 1,845 | 5.0 | 7,811 | 6.0 | 9,803 | 15.5 |
| 1982 | 21,754 | 9.4 | 1,641 | 4.4 | 7,838 | 6.0 | 9,591 | 15.3 |
| 1983 | 21,668 | 9.3 | 1,654 | 4.4 | 8,960 | 6.7 | 10,910 | 17.4 |
| 1984 | 20,796 | 8.8 | 1,758 | 4.5 | 8,521 | 6.3 | 10,492 | 16.8 |
| 1985 | 19,847 | 8.3 | 1,783 | 4.5 | 8,258 | 6.1 | 9,906 | 15.8 |
| 1986 | 19,381 | 8.1 | 1,631 | 4.1 | 7,895 | 5.7 | 9,844 | 15.7 |
| 1987 | 19,072 | 7.9 | 1,589 | 3.9 | 7,684 | 5.5 | 9,771 | 15.5 |
| 1988 | 18,613 | 7.6 | 1,500 | 3.7 | 7,506 | 5.3 | 9,351 | 14.8 |
| 1989 | 18,778 | 7.6 | 1,582 | 3.8 | 7,560 | 5.3 | 9,429 | 14.9 |
| 1990 | 20,020 | 8.0 | 1,511 | 3.6 | 8,084 | 5.6 | 10,127 | 15.8 |
| 1991 | 22,599 | 8.9 | 1,593 | 3.8 | 9,190 | 6.3 | 11,952 | 18.3 |
| 1992 | 25,369 | 9.9 | 1,687 | 3.9 | 10,550 | 7.2 | 13,349 | 20.1 |
| 1993 | 26,952 | 10.4 | 1,876 | 4.3 | 11,214 | 7.5 | 14,196 | 21.0 |
| 1994 | 27,433 | 10.4 | 1,955 | 4.5 | 11,615 | 7.7 | 14,391 | 21.0 |
| 1995 | 26,579 | 10.0 | 1,920 | 4.4 | 11,105 | 7.3 | 13,860 | 20.0 |
| 1996 | 25,494 | 9.5 | 1,891 | 4.3 | 10,769 | 7.0 | 13,189 | 18.8 |
| 1997 | 22,820 | 8.4 | 1,831 | 4.1 | 9,373 | 6.0 | 11,847 | 16.7 |
| 1998 | 19,745 | 7.2 | 1,635 | 3.6 | 7,760 | 4.9 | 10,524 | 14.7 |
| 1999 | 18,146 | 6.5 | 1,696 | 3.7 | 7,079 | 4.4 | 9,332 | 13.0 |
| 2000 | 17,156 | 6.1 | 1,700 | 3.7 | 6,612 | 4.0 | 8,743 | 12.1 |
| 2001 | 17,280 | 6.1 | 1,658 | 3.6 | 6,778 | 4.1 | 8,819 | 12.1 |
| 2002 | 19,058 | 6.6 | 1,684 | 3.6 | 7,625 | 4.5 | 9,688 | 13.3 |
| 2003 | 21,223 | 7.3 | 1,786 | 3.7 | 8,503 | 5.0 | 10,605 | 14.5 |
Note: See Appendix A, Tables FSP 1 and FSP 6 for more detailed data on recipiency rates. Recipients are expressed as the fiscal year average of monthly caseloads from administrative data, excluding recipients in the territories. From 1975 to 1983 the number of participants includes the Family Food Assistance Program (FFAP) that was largely replaced by the Food Stamp program in 1975. From 1975 to 1983 the number of FFAP participants averaged only 88 thousand.
Source: Total recipient program data are available at http://www.fns.usda.gov/pd/fspmain.htm. Individual age groups do not sum exactly to total participants; they are drawn from USDA, Food and Nutrition Service, Office of Analysis, Nutrition, and Evaluation, Characteristics of Food Stamp Households, Fiscal Year 2003, and earlier reports. The population denominators for the percents in each category are from U.S. Bureau of the Census (available online at http://www.census.gov).
Table IND 3c. Number and Percentage of the Total Population Receiving SSI, by Age: 1975-2003
| Total Recipients | Adult Recipients Ages 65 and over | Adult Recipients Ages 18-64 | Child Recipients Ages 0-18 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Number (thousands) | Percent | Number (thousands) | Percent | Number (thousands) | Percent | Number (thousands) | Percent | |
| Dec 1975 | 4,314 | 2.0 | 2,508 | 2,508 | 1,699 | 1.3 | 107 | 0.2 | |
| Dec 1976 | 4,236 | 1.9 | 2,397 | 10.2 | 1,714 | 1.3 | 125 | 0.2 | |
| Dec 1977 | 4,238 | 1.9 | 2,353 | 9.7 | 1,738 | 1.3 | 147 | 0.2 | |
| Dec 1978 | 4,217 | 1.9 | 2,304 | 9.3 | 1,747 | 1.3 | 166 | 0.3 | |
| Dec 1979 | 4,150 | 1.8 | 2,246 | 8.8 | 1,727 | 1.3 | 177 | 0.3 | |
| Dec 1980 | 4,142 | 1.8 | 2,221 | 8.6 | 1,731 | 1.2 | 190 | 0.3 | |
| Dec 1981 | 4,019 | 1.7 | 2,121 | 8.0 | 1,703 | 1.2 | 195 | 0.3 | |
| Dec 1982 | 3,858 | 1.7 | 2,011 | 7.4 | 1,655 | 1.2 | 192 | 0.3 | |
| Dec 1983 | 3,901 | 1.7 | 2,003 | 7.3 | 1,700 | 1.2 | 198 | 0.3 | |
| Dec 1984 | 4,029 | 1.7 | 2,037 | 7.2 | 1,780 | 1.2 | 212 | 0.3 | |
| Dec 1985 | 4,138 | 1.7 | 2,031 | 7.1 | 1,879 | 1.3 | 227 | 0.4 | |
| Dec 1986 | 4,269 | 1.8 | 2,018 | 6.9 | 2,010 | 1.3 | 241 | 0.4 | |
| Dec 1987 | 4,385 | 1.8 | 2,015 | 6.7 | 2,119 | 1.4 | 251 | 0.4 | |
| Dec 1988 | 4,464 | 1.8 | 2,006 | 6.6 | 2,203 | 1.5 | 255 | 0.4 | |
| Dec 1989 | 4,593 | 1.9 | 2,026 | 6.5 | 2,302 | 1.5 | 265 | 0.4 | |
| Dec 1990 | 4,817 | 1.9 | 2,059 | 6.5 | 2,450 | 1.6 | 309 | 0.5 | |
| Dec 1991 | 5,118 | 2.0 | 2,080 | 6.5 | 2,642 | 1.7 | 397 | 0.6 | |
| Dec 1992 | 5,566 | 2.2 | 2,100 | 6.5 | 2,910 | 1.9 | 556 | 0.8 | |
| Dec 1993 | 5,984 | 2.3 | 2,113 | 6.4 | 3,148 | 2.0 | 723 | 1.1 | |
| Dec 1994 | 6,296 | 2.4 | 2,119 | 6.3 | 3,335 | 2.1 | 841 | 1.2 | |
| Dec 1995 | 6,514 | 2.5 | 2,115 | 6.3 | 3,482 | 2.2 | 917 | 1.3 | |
| Dec 1996 | 6,630 | 2.5 | 2,110 | 6.2 | 3,568 | 2.2 | 955 | 1.4 | |
| Dec 1997 | 6,495 | 2.4 | 2,054 | 6.0 | 3,562 | 2.2 | 880 | 1.3 | |
| Dec 1998 | 6,566 | 2.4 | 2,033 | 5.9 | 3,646 | 2.2 | 887 | 1.3 | |
| Dec 1999 | 6,557 | 2.4 | 2,019 | 5.8 | 3,691 | 2.2 | 847 | 1.2 | |
| Dec 2000 | 6,602 | 2.3 | 2,011 | 5.7 | 3,744 | 2.1 | 847 | 1.2 | |
| Dec 2001 | 6,688 | 2.3 | 1,995 | 5.6 | 3,811 | 2.1 | 882 | 1.2 | |
| Dec 2002 | 6,788 | 2.3 | 1,995 | 5.6 | 3,878 | 2.1 | 915 | 1.3 | |
| Dec 2003 | 6,902 | 2.4 | 1,990 | 5.5 | 3,953 | 2.2 | 959 | 1.3 | |
Note: December population figures used as the denominators are obtained by averaging the Census Bureau's July 1 population estimates for the current and the following year. See Appendix A, Tables SSI 2, SSI 8, and SSI 9 for more detailed data on SSI recipiency rates.
Source: Social Security Administration, Office of Research, Evaluation, and Statistics, Social Security Bulletin, Annual Statistical Supplement, 2004 (available online at http://www.ssa.gov/statistics) and U.S. Bureau of the Census (available online at http://www.census.gov).
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