Poverty defined.
pov·er·ty/ˈpävərtē/Noun:
- The state of being extremely poor.
- The state of being inferior in quality or insufficient in amount.
Poverty defined in the United States of America
Poverty Threshold
Originally developed by the Social Security Administration, this is a statistical measure of poverty calculated and used by the Census Bureau. It is updated yearly and is used as a general measurement-it is not the dollar for dollar amount of how much a family needs to survive.
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Poverty Guideline
Issued yearly by the Department of Health and Human Services, these guidelines are used for administrative purposes-such as eligibility for a federal program.
*MISCONCEPTION: The Poverty Guideline is commonly referred to as the 'federal poverty level' (FPL) but that phrase is ambiguous thus is should be avoided. |
How is it measured?
Poverty Threshold
Poverty Threshold is measured by the Census Bureau.
It is composed of data about individual income, family income, unemployment, Social Security, and other information that effects family income. This data is organized into 48 possible poverty levels on an excel chart. The chart divides up families by size, age of members, and average dollar amount each family needs to cover basic costs of living. If family income is less than the threshold listed then the family and all of it's members are considered to be living in poverty. They are issued the year after the data was composed, for example in January 2012, the Poverty Threshold for 2011 was issued. The current Poverty Threshold chart can be found below.
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Poverty Guideline
Poverty Guidelines are a simplified version of the Poverty Threshold. They are used for administrative purposes only. They are composed of information found in the Poverty Threshold data multiplied by the expected inflation of that year and are designated the year they are issued, for example, 2012 Poverty Guidelines were released in January 2012.
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Does Poverty Threshold vary from state to state or urban area to rural area?
No. The Poverty Threshold is measured nation wide and it applies to all areas, rural or urban.
What programs use the poverty guidelines?
Many service programs and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services use the poverty guidelines to determine eligibility.
Here is a comprehensive list as found on the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services website.
Here is a comprehensive list as found on the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services website.