Answering policy questions about the elderly and their role in American society has been hampered by the specialized nature of existing data sets which often are not designed to simultaneously measure a variety of social, economic, and health characteristics and changes in these characteristics over time. The Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP) is a source of very detailed data on the social, economic, and health characteristics of the population, including information on eligibility and participation in government transfer programs, and thus is a rich source for research on the older population.

SIPP, first administered in October 1983, is a nationally- representative household survey that provides detailed, longitudinal information on income, living arrangements, disability, assets and liabilities, government transfer program eligibility and participation, pension coverage, taxes, and many other characteristics of individuals. The longitudinal design of the survey allows for the study of changes in characteristics such as marital status or living arrangements and the relationship of such changes to other characteristics, for example, income or program participation. Survey data can be used to assess future program coverage and costs and to determine the effects of proposed changes in program eligibility rules and benefit levels.

This paper describes the survey, demonstrates potential uses of SIPP data in gerontological research, and provides some insight into the strengths and weaknesses of these data for social research and policy analysis for the older population.