Note: The data visualization this story is based on was updated September 1, 2022 with more recent data. Three numbers in the story have been updated to reflect the change since it was first published.
The U.S. social safety net is a complex combination of programs administered by local, tribal, state and federal agencies that together assist tens of millions of Americans annually.
A new U.S. Census Bureau interactive data tool sheds light on the demographic and socioeconomic characteristics of the individuals and households that received a range of social safety net benefits from 2013 to 2019.
Users can also select from hundreds of different program combinations to view demographic or household information about those receiving benefits from multiple programs.
Using data from the Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP), the tool provides information on 11 social safety net programs in five different assistance areas:
The tool allows users to explore information about individuals and households receiving social safety net benefits in a selected year.
Examples of statistics the tool provides:
Users can also select from hundreds of different program combinations to view demographic or household information about those receiving benefits from multiple programs.
Among them:
In addition to providing statistics about specific programs or program combinations, the tool also allows users to view program participation rates for individuals and households with certain characteristics.
For example:
This new tool highlights SIPP’s strength in providing information on a wide range of social safety net programs and the ways they overlap and interact with one another. It adds to the existing library of detailed statistics available in various SIPP table packages.
SIPP is a nationally representative longitudinal survey administered by the Census Bureau that provides comprehensive information on the dynamics of income, employment, household composition and government program participation.
Michael D. King is a survey statistician in the Census Bureau’s Social, Economic, and Housing Statistics Division.
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