Economic Security Risk Factors (ECON)

The first group includes eight measures associated with economic security. This group encompasses five measures of poverty, as well as measures of child support receipt, food insecurity, and lack of health insurance. The tables and figures illustrating measures of economic security are labeled with the prefix ECON throughout this chapter.

Poverty measures are important predictors of dependence, because families with fewer economic resources are more likely to be dependent on means-tested assistance. In addition, poverty and other measures of deprivation, such as food insecurity, are important to assess in conjunction with the measures of dependence outlined in Chapter II.

Reductions in caseloads and dependence can reduce poverty, to the extent that such reductions are associated with greater work activity and higher economic resources for former welfare families. However, if former welfare families are left with fewer economic resources, reductions in welfare caseloads may not lead to decreases in poverty.

Several aspects of poverty are examined in this chapter. Those that can be updated annually using the Current Population Survey include: overall poverty rates (ECON 1); the percentage of individuals in deep poverty (ECON 2), and poverty rates using alternative definitions of income (ECON 3 and 4). The chapter also includes data on the length of poverty episodes or spells (ECON 5).

This chapter also includes data on child support collections (ECON 6), which can play an important role in reducing dependence on government assistance and thus serve as a predictor of dependence. Household food insecurity (ECON 7) is an important measure of deprivation that, although correlated with general income poverty, provides an alternative measure of tracking the incidence of material hardship and need, and how it may change over time. Finally, health insurance (ECON 8) is tied to the income level of the family, and may be a precursor to future health problems among adults and children.

Economic Security Risk Factor 1. Poverty Rates

Figure ECON 1. Percentage of Persons in Poverty, by Age: 1959-2005

_{Source: U.S. Census Bureau, “Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2005,” Current Population
Reports, Series P60-231, and data published online at http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/poverty.html.}

The official poverty rate was 12.6 percent in 2005. The percentage of persons living in poverty in 2005 was below the poverty rates experienced during all of the 1980s and most of the 1990s.
Children under 18 had a poverty rate of 17.6 percent in 2005, down slightly from 17.8 percent in 2004. As in past years, the child poverty rate is considerably higher than the overall poverty rate.
The poverty rate for the elderly (persons ages 65 and over) was 10.1 percent in 2005, up slightly from 9.8 in 2004. This was a percentage point below the 11.1 percent rate for adults ages 18-64 and far lower than poverty rate of children, as shown in table ECON 1.

Table ECON 1. Percentage of Persons in Poverty, by Age and Marital Status: Selected Years

Calendar Year	Related Children		All Persons
Calendar Year	Ages 0-5	Ages 6-17	Total	Under 18¹	18 to 64	65 & over	Married Families	Female Householder³
¹ All persons under 18 include related children (own children, including stepchildren and adopted children, plus all other children in the household who are related to the householder by birth, marriage, or adoption), unrelated individuals under 18 (persons who are not living with any relatives), and householders or spouses under age 18. ² In 1959-1987, persons in “Married Families” include a small number of persons in male-headed families with no spouse present. In 1988, the first year for which we have separate data for these families, poor persons in male-headed families with no spouse present comprised just over 8 percent of the combined total in both groups of persons below the poverty level. ^₃ No spouse present. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, “Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2005,” Current Population Reports, Series P60-231, and data published online at http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/poverty.html.
1959	NA	NA	22.4	27.3	17.0	35.2	18.2 ²	49.4
1963	NA	NA	19.5	23.1	NA	NA	14.9 ²	47.7
1966	NA	NA	14.7	17.6	10.5	28.5	10.3 ²	39.8
1969	15.3	13.1	12.1	14.0	8.7	25.3	7.4 ²	38.2
1973	15.7	13.6	11.1	14.4	8.3	16.3	6.0 ²	37.5
1976	17.7	15.1	11.8	16.0	9.0	15.0	6.4 ²	37.3
1979	17.9	15.1	11.7	16.4	8.9	15.2	6.3 ²	34.9
1980	20.3	16.8	13.0	18.3	10.1	15.7	7.4 ²	36.7
1981	22.0	18.4	14.0	20.0	11.1	15.3	8.1 ²	38.7
1982	23.3	20.4	15.0	21.9	12.0	14.6	9.1 ²	40.6
1983	24.6	20.4	15.2	22.3	12.4	13.8	9.3 ²	40.2
1984	23.4	19.7	14.4	21.5	11.7	12.4	8.5 ²	38.4
1985	22.6	18.8	14.0	20.7	11.3	12.6	8.2 ²	37.6
1986	21.6	18.8	13.6	20.5	10.8	12.4	7.3 ²	38.3
1987	22.3	18.3	13.4	20.3	10.6	12.5	7.2 ²	38.1
1988	21.8	17.5	13.0	19.5	10.5	12.0	6.6	37.2
1989	21.9	17.4	12.8	19.6	10.2	11.4	6.7	35.9
1990	23.0	18.2	13.5	20.6	10.7	12.2	6.9	37.2
1991	24.0	19.5	14.2	21.8	11.4	12.4	7.2	39.7
1992	25.7	19.4	14.8	22.3	11.9	12.9	7.7	38.5
1993	25.6	20.0	15.1	22.7	12.4	12.2	8.0	38.7
1994	24.5	19.5	14.5	21.8	11.9	11.7	7.4	38.6
1995	23.7	18.3	13.8	20.8	11.4	10.5	6.8	36.5
1996	22.7	18.3	13.7	20.5	11.4	10.8	6.9	35.8
1997	21.6	18.0	13.3	19.9	10.9	10.5	6.4	35.1
1998	20.6	17.1	12.7	18.9	10.5	10.5	6.2	33.1
1999	18.4	15.7	11.9	17.1	10.1	9.7	5.9	30.5
2000	17.8	14.7	11.3	16.2	9.6	9.9	5.5	27.9
2001	18.2	14.6	11.7	16.3	10.1	10.1	5.7	28.6
2002	18.5	15.3	12.1	16.7	10.6	10.4	6.1	28.8
2003	19.8	15.9	12.5	17.6	10.8	10.2	6.2	30.0
2004	20.0	16.0	12.7	17.8	11.3	9.8	6.4	30.5
2005	20.0	15.7	12.6	17.6	11.1	10.1	5.9	31.1

Economic Security Risk Factor 2. Deep Poverty Rates

Figure ECON 2. Percentage of Total Population below 50, 100 and 125 Percent of Poverty Level 1975-2005

Figure ECON 2. Percentage of Total Population below 50, 100 and 125 Percent of Poverty Level 1975-2005

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, “Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2005,” Current Population Reports, Series P60-231, and data published online at http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/poverty.html.

The percentage of the population in “deep poverty” (with incomes below 50 percent of the federal poverty level) was 5.4 percent in 2005, compared to an overall poverty rate of 12.6 percent. Only about 4 percent of the population was “near-poor” (had incomes at or above 100 percent but below 125 percent of the federal poverty level).
In general, the percentage of the population with incomes below 50 percent of the poverty threshold has followed a pattern that reflects the trend in the overall poverty rate, as shown in Figure ECON 2. The percentage of people below 50 percent of poverty rose in the late 1970s and early 1980s, but then, after falling slightly, rose to a second peak in 1993. The rates for 100 percent of poverty and 125 percent of poverty followed a somewhat similar pattern with more pronounced peaks and valleys.
Over the past two decades, the proportion of the poverty population in “deep poverty” has increased. From a low of 28 percent of the poverty population in 1976, this population rose to just over 43 percent in 2005 up slightly from 2004.
The total number of poor people in 2005 was 37 million, as shown in Table ECON 2. While similar to the previous year, this number was 2.3 million lower than the peak of 39.3 million in 1993.

Table ECON 2. Number and Percentage of Total Population below 50, 75, 100 and 125 Percent of Poverty Level: Selected Years

Year	Total Population (thousands)	Below 50 Percent		Below 75 Percent		Below 100 Percent		Below 125 Percent
Year	Total Population (thousands)	Number (thousands)	Percent	Number (thousands)	Percent	Number (thousands)	Percent	Number (thousands)	Percent
Note: The number of persons below 50 percent and 75 percent of poverty for 1969 are estimated based on the distribution of persons below 50 percent and 75 percent for 1969 taken from the 1970 decennial census. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, “Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2005,” Current Population Reports, Series P60-231, and data published online at http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/poverty.html; also 1970 Census of Population, Volume 1, Social and Economic Characteristics, Table 259.
1959	176,600	NA	NA	NA	NA	39,500	22.4	54,900	31.1
1961	181,300	NA	NA	NA	NA	39,600	21.9	54,300	30.0
1963	187,300	NA	NA	NA	NA	36,400	19.5	50,800	27.1
1965	191,400	NA	NA	NA	NA	33,200	17.3	46,200	24.1
1967	195,700	NA	NA	NA	NA	27,800	14.2	39,200	20.0
1969	199,500	9,600	4.8	16,400	8.2	24,100	12.1	34,700	17.4
1971	204,600	NA	NA	NA	NA	25,600	12.5	36,500	17.8
1973	208,500	NA	NA	NA	NA	23,000	11.1	32,800	15.8
1975	210,900	7,700	3.7	15,400	7.3	25,900	12.3	37,100	17.6
1976	212,300	7,000	3.3	14,900	7.0	25,000	11.8	35,500	16.7
1977	213,900	7,500	3.5	15,000	7.0	24,700	11.6	35,700	16.7
1978	215,700	7,700	3.6	14,900	6.9	24,500	11.4	34,100	15.8
1979	222,900	8,600	3.8	16,300	7.3	26,100	11.7	36,600	16.4
1980	225,000	9,800	4.4	18,700	8.3	29,300	13.0	40,700	18.1
1981	227,200	11,200	4.9	20,700	9.1	31,800	14.0	43,800	19.3
1982	229,400	12,800	5.6	23,200	10.1	34,400	15.0	46,600	20.3
1983	231,700	13,600	5.9	23,600	10.2	35,300	15.2	47,000	20.3
1984	233,800	12,800	5.5	22,700	9.7	33,700	14.4	45,400	19.4
1985	236,600	12,400	5.2	22,200	9.4	33,100	13.6	44,200	18.7
1986	238,600	12,700	5.3	22,400	9.4	32,400	14.0	44,600	18.7
1987	241,000	12,500	5.2	21,700	9.0	32,200	13.4	43,100	17.9
1988	243,500	12,700	5.2	21,400	8.8	31,700	13.0	42,600	17.5
1989	246,000	12,000	4.9	20,700	8.4	31,500	12.8	42,600	17.3
1990	248,600	12,900	5.2	22,600	9.1	33,600	13.5	44,800	18.0
1991	251,200	14,100	5.6	24,400	9.7	35,700	14.2	47,500	18.9
1992	256,500	15,500	6.1	26,200	10.2	38,000	14.8	50,500	19.7
1993	259,300	16,000	6.2	27,200	10.5	39,300	15.1	51,900	20.0
1994	261,600	15,400	5.9	26,400	10.1	38,100	14.5	50,500	19.3
1995	263,700	13,900	5.3	24,500	9.3	36,400	13.8	48,800	18.5
1996	266,200	14,400	5.4	24,800	9.3	36,500	13.7	49,300	18.5
1997	268,500	14,600	5.4	24,200	9.0	35,600	13.3	47,800	17.8
1998	271,100	13,900	5.1	23,000	8.5	34,500	12.7	46,000	17.0
1999	276,200	12,900	4.7	21,800	7.9	32,800	11.9	45,000	16.3
2000	278,900	12,600	4.5	20,500	7.4	31,100	11.3	43,600	15.6
2001	281,500	13,400	4.8	22,000	7.8	32,900	11.7	45,300	16.1
2002	285,300	14,100	4.9	23,100	8.1	34,600	12.1	47,100	16.5
2003	287,700	15,300	5.3	24,500	8.5	35,900	12.5	48,700	16.9
2004	290,600	15,700	5.4	25,000	8.6	37,000	12.7	49,700	17.1
2005	293,100	15,900	5.4	25,200	8.6	37,000	12.6	49,300	16.8

Economic Security Risk Factor 3. Experimental Poverty Measures

Figure ECON 3. Percentage of Persons in Poverty Using Various Experimental Poverty Measures by Age: 2004

Figure ECON 3. Percentage of Persons in Poverty Using Various Experimental Poverty Measures by Age: 2004

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, “The Effects of Government Taxes and Transfers on Income and Poverty: 2004,”, available online at http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/income_wealth/..., and unpublished CPS data from the U.S. Census Bureau.

Three experimental measures of poverty (developed by the Census Bureau in response to the recommendation of a 1995 panel of the National Academy of Sciences) yield poverty rates that are similar to the official poverty measure overall, but differ by age and other characteristics. For more information on the definition of these measures see note for Table ECON 3a.
Experimental measures generally show lower poverty rates among children than the official measure, partly because they take into account non-cash benefits that many children receive. Conversely, experimental measures show higher rates of poverty among the elderly than the official measure, in part due to the inclusion of certain out-of-pocket health costs in these measures.
All three alternative measures shown in Figure Econ 3 do not take into account geographic adjustments (NGA) in housing costs; the measures can be calculated with geographic adjustment (GA), as shown in Tables ECON 3a and 3b. See note to Table ECON 3a.

Table ECON 3a. Percentage of Persons in Poverty Using Various Experimental Poverty Measures, by Race/Ethnicity and Age: 2004

		No Geographic Adjustment			Geographic Adjustment
	Official	Alternative 1 (MSI-NGA)	Alternative 2 (MIT-NGA)	Alternative 3 (CMB-NGA)	Alternative 1 (MSI-GA)	Alternative 2 (MIT-GA)	Alternative 3 (CMB-GA)
Note: These experimental poverty measures implement changes recommended by a 1995 NAS panel, including: counting noncash income as benefits; subtracting from income certain work-related, health and child care expenses; and adjusting poverty thresholds for family size and geographic differences in housing costs. The three alternative measures are similar, except that each account for medical out-of-pocket expenses (MOOP) differently. The first alternative (“MOOP subtracted from income” or MSI) subtracts out-of-pocket medical expenses from income. The second alternative, (“MOOP in the threshold” or MIT) increases the poverty thresholds to take MOOP expenses into account. The third measure, CMB for combined methods, combines attributes of the previous two measures. Each of the three measures is calculated with and without accounting for geographic adjustments (GA and NGA). Persons of Hispanic ethnicity may be of any race. Beginning in 2002, estimates for Whites and Blacks are for persons reporting a single race only. Persons who reported more than one race are included in the total for all persons but are not shown under any race category. Due to small sample size, American Indians/Alaska Natives, Asians and Native Hawaiians/Other Pacific Islanders are included in the total for all persons but are not shown separately. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, “Alternative Poverty Estimates in the United States: 2004,” Current Population Reports, Series P60-227, available at http://www.census.gov/prod/2005pubs/p60-227.pdf , and unpublished CPS data from the U.S. Census Bureau.
All Persons	12.7	12.7	13.1	13.3	12.5	13.0	13.3
Racial/Ethnic Categories
Non-Hispanic White	8.7	9.4	9.5	9.8	8.7	8.8	9.1
Non-Hispanic Black	24.7	22.1	22.9	23.1	21.3	22.0	22.4
Hispanic	21.9	20.2	21.7	21.2	22.8	25.3	24.7
Age Categories
Children Ages 0-17	17.8	14.1	15.2	14.8	13.9	15.3	14.9
Adults Ages 18-64	11.3	11.5	12.1	12.0	11.4	12.1	12.0
Adults Ages 65 and over	9.8	15.9	13.7	16.9	15.4	13.1	16.3

Table ECON 3b. Percentage of Persons in Poverty Using Various Experimental Poverty Measures 1999-2004

	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004
^{See above for note and source.}
Official Measure	11.9	11.3	11.7	12.1	12.5	12.7
No Geographic Adjustment of Thresholds
Medical Costs Alternative 1 (MSI-NGA)	12.2	12.1	12.4	12.4	12.4	12.7
Medical Costs Alternative 2 (MIT-NGA)	12.8	12.7	12.8	13.0	12.8	13.1
Medical Costs Alternative 3 (CMB-NGA)	12.9	12.8	13.0	13.0	13.0	13.3
Geographic Adjustment of Thresholds
Medical Costs Alternative 1 (MSI-GA)	12.1	12.0	12.3	12.3	12.3	12.5
Medical Costs Alternative 2 (MIT-GA)	12.7	12.5	12.7	12.8	12.7	13.0
Medical Costs Alternative 3 (CMB-GA)	12.8	12.6	12.9	12.9	12.9	13.3

Economic Security Risk Factor 4. Poverty Rates with Various Means-tested Benefits Included

Figure ECON 4. Percentage of Total Population in Poverty with Various Means-Tested Benefits Added to Total Cash Income: 1979-2005

Figure ECON 4. Percentage of Total Population in Poverty with Various Means-Tested Benefits Added to Total Cash Income: 1979-2005

Source: Unpublished tabulations from the Current Population Survey, Annual Social and Economic Supplement, 1980-2006,
analyzed by the Congressional Budget Office.

The official poverty rate – the definition of which includes means-tested cash assistance (primarily TANF and SSI) in addition to pre-tax cash income and social insurance – was 12.6 percent in 2005, as shown in the bold line with empty boxes in Figure ECON 4. Without cash welfare, the 2005 poverty rate would be 13.3 percent, as shown by the top line in the figure above.
Adding other non-cash, public assistance benefits to this definition has the effect of lowering the percentage of people who have incomes below the official poverty line. Including the value of food and housing benefits in total income reduces the poverty rate to 11.2 percent in 2005.
When income is defined as including the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and federal taxes, the percentage of the total population in poverty decreases to 10.3 percent in 2005. Federal taxes and tax credits have had a net effect of reducing poverty rates following the EITC expansions in 1993 and 1995.
The combined effect of means-tested cash assistance, food and housing benefits, EITC and taxes was to reduce the poverty rate in 2005 by 3.0 percentage points, as shown in Table ECON 4. Net reductions in poverty rates were somewhat lower during the recession of the early 1980s, and somewhat higher in the mid-1990s, largely due to expansions in the EITC.

Table ECON 4. Percentage of Total Population in Poverty with Various Means-Tested Benefits Added to Total Cash Income: Selected Years (DATA EMBARGOED)

	1983	1986	1989	1992	1995	1998	2000	2002	2004	2005
Note: The four measures of income are as follows: (1) “Cash Income Plus All Social Insurance” is earnings and other private cash income, plus social security, workers compensation and other social insurance programs. It does not include means-tested cash transfers; (2) “Plus Means-Tested Cash Assistance” shows the official poverty rate, which takes into account means-tested assistance, primarily AFDC/TANF and SSI; (3) “Plus Food and Housing Benefits” shows how poverty would be lower if the cash value of food and housing benefits were counted as income; and (4) “Plus EITC and Federal Taxes” is the most comprehensive poverty rate shown. EITC refers to the refundable Earned Income Tax Credit, which is always a positive adjustment to income whereas federal payroll and income taxes are a negative adjustment. The fungible value of Medicare and Medicaid is not included. Source: Unpublished tabulations from the Current Population Survey, Annual Social and Economic Supplement, 1984-2006, analyzed by the Congressional Budget Office.
Cash Income Plus All Social Insurance	16.0	14.5	13.8	15.6	14.9	13.5	12.0	12.8	13.5	13.3
Plus Means-Tested Cash Assistance	15.2	13.6	12.8	14.5	13.8	12.7	11.3	12.1	12.7	12.6
Plus Food and Housing Benefits	13.7	12.2	11.2	12.9	12.0	11.3	10.1	10.9	11.5	11.2
Plus EITC and Federal Taxes	14.7	13.1	11.8	13.0	11.5	10.4	9.5	10.0	10.5	10.3
Reduction in Poverty Rate	1.3	1.4	2.0	2.6	3.4	3.1	2.5	2.8	3.0	3.0

Economic Security Risk Factor 5. Poverty Spells

Figure ECON 5. Percentage of Poverty Spells for Individuals Entering Poverty during the 1993-1995 and 2001-2003 Periods, by Length of Spell

Figure ECON 5. Percentage of Poverty Spells for Individuals Entering Poverty during the 1993-1995 and 2001-2003 Periods, by Length of Spell

Source: Unpublished tabulations from the Survey of Income and Program Participation, 1993 and 2001 panels.

About half of all poverty spells that began between 2001 and 2003 ended within four months, and 77 percent ended within one year. Only 15 percent of all such spells were longer than 20 months, as shown in Table ECON 5a.
Spells of poverty that began between 1993 and 1995 were similar to those between 2001 and 2003; 47 percent ended within four months and 16 percent were longer than 20 months.
Poverty spells among adults ages 65 and older were more likely to last longer than 20 months (21 percent) than spells among other age groups, as shown in Table ECON 5a.

Table ECON 5a. Percentage of Poverty Spells for Individuals Entering Poverty during the 2001-2003 Period, by Length of Spell, Race/Ethnicity and Age

	Spells <=4 Months	Spells 5-12 Months	Spells 13-20 Months	Spells >20 Months
Note: Spell length categories are mutually exclusive. Spells separated by only 1 month are not considered separate spells. Due to the length of the observation period, actual spell lengths for spells that lasted more than 20 months cannot be observed. Persons of Hispanic ethnicity may be of any race. Due to small sample size, American Indians/Alaska Natives, Asians and Native Hawaiians/Other Pacific Islanders are included in the total for all persons but are not shown separately. Source: Unpublished tabulations from the Survey of Income and Program Participation, 2001 panel.
All Persons	49.2	27.7	7.7	15.5
Racial/Ethnic Categories
Non-Hispanic White	52.3	27.1	7.1	13.5
Non-Hispanic Black	42.1	27.4	9.4	21.1
Hispanic	45.7	29.7	7.8	16.8
Age Categories
Ages 0-5 Years	48.0	29.6	8.3	14.2
Ages 6-10 Years	48.0	28.5	7.7	15.8
Ages 11-15 Years	50.3	27.8	8.5	13.4
Women Ages 16-24	49.4	28.6	7.6	14.4
Men Ages 16-64 Years	52.0	28.3	7.6	12.1
Adults Ages 65 Years and over	47.7	23.7	7.4	21.2

Table ECON 5b. Percentage of Poverty Spells for Individuals Entering Poverty during the Selected Time Periods, by Length of Spell and Panel

	Spells <=4 Months	Spells 5-12 Months	Spells 13-20 Months	Spells >20 Months
Source: Unpublished tabulations from the Survey of Income and Program Participation, 1993, 1996 and 2001 panels.
1993 – 1995	47.3	28.1	8.9	15.7
1996 – 1999	51.3	29.0	8.3	11.4
2001 – 2003	49.2	27.7	7.7	15.5

Economic Security Risk Factor 6. Child SUPPORT

Figure ECON 6. Child Support Collections Received by Families, by Receipt of IV-D Services and Other Assistance (Billions of 2003 Dollars): 1993-2003

ECONOMIC SECURITY RISK FACTOR 6. CHILD SUPPORT

Source: Unpublished tabulations from the Current Population Survey, Child Support Supplement, 1994-2004.

In 2003 families reported receiving $25.6 billion in child support payments from nonresident parents. This amount represents current year support received for a twelvemonth period and does not include amounts paid for prior periods (arrearages) or amounts retained by the federal and state government to recoup welfare costs. Total child support collections have increased by 24 percent since 1993, after adjusting for inflation.
The amount of payments received by families who also received AFDC/TANF cash assistance at some point in the year has declined, from $3.1 billion in 1993 (in inflationadjusted dollars) to $2.6 billion in 2003. This partly reflects the decline in the AFDC/TANF caseloads. In addition, some states no longer “pass-through” any payments to families receiving TANF. Prior to the enactment of PRWORA in 1996, states were required to pass-through the first $50 of any child support collected.
Child support payments to families who did not receive TANF, but received another form of public assistance (SSI, food stamps, Medicaid or housing assistance) increased significantly between 1993 and 2003, from $2.1 to $5.3 billion (in 2003 dollars). This group of families includes former TANF recipients, as well as families at risk of turning to cash assistance. The increased collections for this group more than offset the decline in payments to TANF families.
The total amount reported received by families through the child support enforcement system (Title IV-D of the Social Security Act) was $16.2 billion, or 63 percent of all child support payments received by families, as shown in Table ECON 6.

		Collections (billions)		Total (percent)
		Current $	Constant 03$	Total (percent)
Note: AFDC/TANF families are families who have reported receiving cash assistance for any month during the 12-month period. Therefore, not all the child support reported received was necessarily received while the family received cash assistance. Data limitations do not allow a monthby- month breakdown. Families receiving SSI, food stamps, Medicaid or housing assistance are limited to families not receiving AFDC/TANF. Families receiving services through the IV-D system are estimated according to the methodology described in technical appendices to the ASPE-published report Characteristics of Families Using Title IV-D Services in 1999 and 2001, available at: http://aspe.hhs.gov/hsp/CSEChar04/index.htm and previous reports. Due to a slight change in methodology, estimates for 1993 through 2001 differ slightly from estimates in previously published reports. Source: Unpublished tabulations from the Current Population Survey, Child Support Supplement, 1994-2004.
2001	Receiving Title IV-D Child Support Services and:
	TANF	2.6	2.6	10
	Food Stamps, SSI, Medicaid or Housing	5.3	5.3	21
	Child Support Services Only	8.3	8.3	32
	Subtotal Families Receiving IV-D Services	16.2	16.2	63
	Not Receiving IV-D Child Support Services	9.4	9.4	37
	Total Families	25.6	25.6	100
2001	Receiving Title IV-D Child Support Services and:
	TANF	1.5	1.6	7
	Food Stamps, SSI, Medicaid or Housing	3.7	3.8	16
	Child Support Services Only	8.3	8.6	36
	Subtotal Families Receiving IV-D Services	13.5	14.0	59
	Not Receiving IV-D Child Support Services	9.4	9.8	41
	Total Families	22.9	23.8	100
1999	Families Receiving Title IV-D Child Support Services and:
	TANF	1.7	1.9	8
	Food Stamps, SSI, Medicaid or Housing	2.9	3.2	14
	Child Support Services Only	6.7	7.5	34
	Subtotal IV-D Families	11.3	12.5	56
	Families Not Receiving IV-D Child Support Services	8.8	9.7	44
	Total Families	20.1	22.2	100
1997	Families Receiving Title IV-D Child Support Services and:
	AFDC/TANF	2.5	2.9	12
	Food Stamps, SSI, Medicaid or Housing	2.8	3.2	14
	Child Support Services Only	5.9	6.8	29
	Subtotal IV-D Families	11.2	12.8	55
	Families Not Receiving IV-D Child Support Services	9.3	10.7	45
	Total Families	20.6	23.5	100
1995	Families Receiving Title IV-D Child Support Services and:
	AFDC	2.4	2.9	12
	Food Stamps, SSI, Medicaid or Housing	2.0	2.4	10
	Child Support Services Only	6.7	8.1	34
	Subtotal IV-D Families	11.1	13.3	56
	Families Not Receiving IV-D Child Support Services	8.8	10.5	44
	Total Families	19.9	23.8	100
1993	Families Receiving Title IV-D Child Support Services and:
	AFDC	2.5	3.1	15
	Food Stamps, SSI, Medicaid or Housing	1.7	2.1	10
	Child Support Services Only	4.7	5.9	28
	Subtotal IV-D Families	8.8	11.0	53
	Families Not Receiving IV-D Child Support Services	7.7	9.7	47
	Total Families	16.5	20.7	100

Economic Security Risk Factor 7. Food Insecurity

Figure ECON 7. Percentage of Households Classified by Food Security Status: 2005

Figure ECON 7. Percentage of Households Classified by Food Security Status: 2005

Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service, Household Food Security in the United States, 2005.

Many American households (89 percent) were food secure in 2005 – that is, showed little or no evidence of concern about food supply or reduction in food intake.
The prevalence of very low food security in 2005 was estimated to be 3.9 percent. During the twelve months ending in December 2005, one or more members of these households experienced reduced food intake and normal eating patterns disrupted as a result of financial constraints. An additional 7 percent of households experienced food insecurity, during the twelve months ending in December 2004. Food insecurity would be lower if measured over a monthly basis.
Poor households and female-headed households have higher rates of very low food security (13.5 and 8.7 percent, respectively) than the 3.9 percent rate among the general population, as shown in Table ECON 7a.
The percentage of households with food insecurity has decreased between 2004 and 2005 (11.9 and 11.0 percent, respectively). This reverses a five year trend, as shown in Table ECON 7b.

Table ECON 7a. Percentage of Households Classified by Food Security Status and Selected Characteristics: 2005

		Food Insecurity
	Food Secure	All	Low	Very Low
Note: Food secure households had consistent access to enough food for active, healthy lives for all household members at all times during the year. Households with very low food security reported reduced food intake of some household members and their normal eating patterns were disrupted because of the lack of money and other resources. Households with low food security obtained enough food to avoid substantial disruptions in eating patterns and food intake, using a variety of coping strategies, such as eating less varied diets, participating in Federal food assistance programs, or getting emergency food from community food pantries or emergency kitchens. Spouses are not present in the Female-Headed and Male-Headed household categories. Race and ethnicity categories for households are determined by the race and ethnicity of the reference person for the household. Persons of Hispanic ethnicity may be of any race. Beginning in 2002, estimates for Whites and Blacks are for persons reporting a single race only. Persons who reported more than one race are included in the total for all persons but are not shown under any race category. Due to small sample size, American Indians/Alaska Natives, Asians and Native Hawaiians/Other Pacific Islanders are included in the total for all persons but are not shown separately. Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service, Household Food Security in the United States, 2005. Data are from the Current Population Survey, Food Security Supplement.
All Households	89.0	11.0	7.0	3.9
Racial/Ethnic Categories
Non-Hispanic White	91.8	8.2	5.2	2.9
Non-Hispanic Black	77.6	22.4	13.8	8.6
Hispanic	82.1	17.9	12.6	5.3
Households, by Age
Households with Children under 6	83.3	16.7	12.9	3.9
Households with Children under 18	84.4	15.6	11.6	4.1
Households with Elderly	94.0	6.0	4.2	1.8
Household Categories
Married-Couple Households	90.1	9.9	7.6	2.3
Female-Headed Households	69.2	30.8	22.2	8.7
Male-Headed Households	82.1	17.9	12.4	5.5
Household Income-to-Poverty Ratio
Under 1.00	64.0	36.0	22.4	13.5
Under 1.30	66.8	33.2	20.6	12.6
Under 1.85	71.7	28.3	17.7	10.6
1.85 and over	94.8	5.2	3.6	1.7

Table ECON 7b. Percentage of Households Classified by Food Security Status: 1998-2005

		Food Insecurity
	Food Secure	All	Low	Very Low
Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service, Household Food Security in the United States, 2005.
1998	88.2	11.8	8.1	3.7
1999	89.9	10.1	7.1	3.0
2000	89.5	10.5	7.3	3.1
2001	89.3	10.7	7.4	3.3
2002	88.9	11.1	7.6	3.5
2003	88.8	11.2	7.7	3.5
2004	88.1	11.9	8.0	3.9
2005	89.0	11.0	7.0	3.9

Economic Security Risk Factor 8. Lack of Health Insurance

Figure ECON 8. Percentage of Persons without Health Insurance, by Income: 2005

Figure ECON 8. Percentage of Persons without Health Insurance, by Income: 2005

Source: Unpublished tabulations from the Current Population Survey, Annual Social and Economic Supplement, 2006.

Poor persons were almost twice as likely as all persons to be without health insurance in 2005 (31 percent compared to 16 percent). While the ratio varied across categories, persons with family income at or below the poverty line were more likely to be without health insurance regardless of race/ethnicity, gender, educational attainment, age or family status.
Hispanics were the ethnic group least likely to have health insurance in 2005, among both the general population and those with incomes below the poverty line. Hispanic individuals were three times more likely to be uninsured than non-Hispanic white individuals.
Among all persons, education levels were inversely related to health insurance coverage. However, among poor persons, there was less variation in insurance coverage rates across education levels than there was among all persons, as shown in Figure ECON 8.
As shown in Table ECON 8, more than half of poor people ages 25 to 34 were without health insurance. Among the general population, individuals ages 18 to 24 were the most likely to be without health insurance.
Among all persons, individuals in married families were more likely to have health insurance than those in female or male-headed households. People in poor married families, however, were less likely to have insurance than those in poor female or male-headed families, as shown in Table ECON 8.

Table ECON 8. Percentage of Persons without Health Insurance, by Income and Selected Characteristics: 2005

	All Persons	Poor Persons
Note: "Poor persons" are defined as those with total family incomes at or below the federal poverty threshold. Health insurance rates for the education categories include only adults age 18 and over. Persons of Hispanic ethnicity may be of any race. Beginning in 2002, estimates for Whites and Blacks are for persons reporting a single race only. Persons who reported more than one race are included in the total for all persons but are not shown under any race category. Due to small sample size, American Indians/Alaska Natives, Asians and Native Hawaiians/Other Pacific Islanders are included in the total for all persons but are not shown separately. Some of the race categories presented for ECON 8 have been changed slightly from prior year reports to provide more internal consistency throughout this report; in reports prior to 2006, the race categories for “Black” and “White” included people of Hispanic origin. Source: Unpublished tabulations from the Current Population Survey, Annual Social and Economic Supplement, 2006.
All Persons	15.9	31.0

Men	17.2	33.3
Women	14.5	29.3

Non-Hispanic White	11.3	26.6
Non-Hispanic Black	19.3	26.3
Hispanic	32.7	42.5

Not a High School Graduate	30.1	38.4
High School Graduate, No College	20.3	39.0
College Graduate	8.3	32.4

Ages 17 and under	11.2	19.0
Ages 5 and under	10.8	16.8
Ages 6-11	10.2	17.9
Ages 12-17	12.6	22.9

Ages 18-24	30.6	45.9
Ages 25-34	26.4	50.9
Ages 35-44	18.8	45.8
Ages 45-54	15.3	37.5
Ages 55-64	13.6	29.1

Under 65 years	17.9	34.0
Ages 65 and over	1.3	3.9

Persons in Married-Couple Families	12.3	33.8
Persons in Female-Headed Families	22.2	25.5
Persons in Male-Headed Families	25.6	29.1
Unrelated Individuals	19.7	33.6

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Indicators of Welfare Dependence: Annual Report to Congress, 2007. Economic Security Risk Factors (ECON)

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