An Updated Measure of Poverty: (Re)Drawing the Line (2023)
Chapter: Appendix 6B: SPM/PPM Resource Components - Availability in the CPS-ASEC and ACS
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Appendix 6A: SPM/PPM Threshold Components - Availability in the CE Interview Survey/Taken from Other Sources
Appendix 6B
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Suggested Citation:
"Appendix 6B: SPM/PPM Resource Components - Availability in the CPS-ASEC and ACS." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2023. An Updated Measure of Poverty: (Re)Drawing the Line. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
doi: 10.17226/26825.
Appendix 6B
SPM/PPM Resource Components—Availability in the CPS-ASEC and ACS
| Component | CPS-ASEC | ACS |
|---|---|---|
| REQUIRED FOR CURRENT SPM AND RECOMMENDED PPM | ||
| HOUSEHOLD/FAMILY COMPOSITION | Required to determine poverty unit for resource estimation/applicable poverty threshold | Required to determine poverty unit for resource estimation/applicable poverty threshold |
| Family type, number of adults and children, etc. | YES (detailed information on family relationships) | YES (but limited information, which makes it more difficult to establish SPM units; see Fox et al. (2020) |
| HOUSING TENURE | Current SPM: Required to determine applicable poverty threshold and subsidies (renters); PPM: Required to impute implicit rent (owners) | Current SPM: required to determine applicable poverty threshold and subsidies (renters); PPM: Required to impute implicit rent (owners) |
| Tenure | YES (owned without mortgage; owned with mortgage [including home equity loan]; rented; no cash rent) | YES (owned without mortgage; owned with mortgage [including home equity loan]; rented; no cash rent) |
| MONEY INCOME | Reference period—prior calendar year (except where noted) | Reference period—prior 12 months (except where noted) |
| Earnings (gross) | YES | YES |
| Self-employment (net) | YES | YES |
| Unemployment compensation | YES (federal/state; supplemental; union) | Included in All Other income category |
| Worker’s compensation | YES | All Other |
| Social Security | YES | YES |
| SSI | YES | YES |
| Disability | YES | All Other |
| Veterans’ payments | YES | All Other |
| Survivor benefits | YES | All Other |
| Public assistance (cash) | YES | YES |
Suggested Citation:
"Appendix 6B: SPM/PPM Resource Components - Availability in the CPS-ASEC and ACS." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2023. An Updated Measure of Poverty: (Re)Drawing the Line. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
doi: 10.17226/26825.
| Component | CPS-ASEC | ACS |
|---|---|---|
| Pensions | YES | All Other |
| Annuities | YES | All Other |
| Retirement withdrawals | YES | All Other |
| Other income earning assets | YES (interest, dividends) | Property Income |
| Property income | YES (net rent + royalties) | Property Income |
| Educational assistance | YES (Pell grants; other assistance) | All Other |
| Child support | YES | All Other |
| Financial assistance from friends/relatives | YES | All Other |
| Other income | YES (Alaska dividend; all other) | All Other |
| IN-KIND BENEFITS | Generally requires amount imputation; could also add questions | Generally requires receipt and amounts imputation; could also add questionsa |
| SNAP | YES (receipt and amounts) | Receipt only; requires amount imputation |
| School lunch | Receipt only; requires amount imputation (Census Bureau uses program information from USDA to estimate amounts) | NO; requires imputation (receipt and amount) |
| Public and subsidized housing | Receipt only; requires amount imputation (Census Bureau sets value of housing subsidy by subtracting estimated amount paid by the tenant from the HUD market rent value for the housing unit) | NO; requires imputation (receipt and amount) |
| WIC | Receipt only; requires amount imputation (Census Bureau uses program information from USDA to estimate amounts) | NO; requires imputation (receipt and amount) |
| Energy assistance (LIHEAP) | YES (receipt and amounts) | NO; requires imputation (receipt and amount) |
| TAXES/TAX CREDITS | Calculated by Census Bureau tax model | Calculated by National Bureau of Economic Research’s TAXSIM model |
| Stimulus payments | Receipt only; requires amount imputation (relevant for 2020–2021 only) | NO; requires imputation (receipt and amount; relevant for 2020–2021 only) |
| Federal/state taxes | NO; simulated | NO; simulated |
| FICA taxes | NO; simulated | NO; simulated |
| EITC; other tax credits | NO; simulated | NO; simulated |
| NONDISCRETIONARY EXPENSES | Subtracted from resources | Subtracted from resources |
| Childcare expenses (work-related) | Whether paid for childcare while working; which children needed care; childcare payment; total paid prior year | NO; requires imputation |
| Other work-related expenses (transportation, uniforms, etc.) | NO (currently imputed from SIPP) | NO (currently imputed from SIPP) |
| Child support paid | YES | NO; requires imputation (whether owe and amount) |
| MOOP | Annual MOOP spending for premiums, copays, nonprescription medical care products | NO (ascertains whether pays premium, receives premium subsidy); requires imputation (amount) |
Suggested Citation:
"Appendix 6B: SPM/PPM Resource Components - Availability in the CPS-ASEC and ACS." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2023. An Updated Measure of Poverty: (Re)Drawing the Line. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
doi: 10.17226/26825.
| Component | CPS-ASEC | ACS |
|---|---|---|
| REQUIRED FOR RECOMMENDED PPM | ||
| EXPANDED CHILDCARE EXPENSE DEDUCTION | Extended to parent(s) in school, disabled | Extended to parent(s) in school, disabled |
| Education/disability status; childcare costs | Education and disability status ascertained; requires expanded childcare cost questions | Education and disability ascertained; requires childcare cost questions |
| HEALTH INSURANCE COVERAGE | Required to determine applicable poverty threshold; caps for MOOP costs/subsidies | Required to determine applicable poverty threshold; caps for MOOP costs/subsidies |
| Type of health Insurance | YES; current coverage by: Medicare; Medicaid; state Medicaid; VA; job (private employer, government, military); privately purchased; parent or spouse; Medicare supplements; exchange; group; school; months of coverage | YES; current coverage by: current/former employer/union; privately purchased; Medicare; Medicaid; TRICARE; VA; Indian Health Service; other plan |
| Health insurance premium subsidized by government/employers (capped at health insurance need in threshold) | Asks whether premium subsidized; requires imputation (amount) | Asks whether premium subsidized; requires imputation (amount) |
| IMPLICIT NET RENT (owners) (capped at housing need in threshold) |
Implicit rent (including utilities) net of ownership expenses added to owner resources | Implicit rent (including utilities) net of ownership expenses added to owner resources |
| What unit would rent for (owners) | NO; but home value available for imputation | NO; but home value available for imputation |
| Property taxes/insurance/condo fees/mobile home fees (subtracted for owners) | NO; requires added questions or imputation | YES; annual real estate taxes; annual fire, flood insurance; monthly condo fee; annual mobile home fees |
| Maintenance (subtracted for owners) | NO; requires added questions or imputation | NO; requires added questions or imputation |
| Mortgage payment (interest and principal on 1st mortgage) (subtracted for owners) | Whether mortgage (no amount, no indication of whether mortgage payment includes taxes/insurance); whether 2nd mortgage/home equity loan (no amount); requires added questions or imputation (also may require ascertaining principal separately from interest) | YES; whether 1st mortgage; monthly mortgage payment; does mortgage payment include taxes/insurance; whether 2nd mortgage/home equity loan, monthly payment on all such; may require ascertaining principal separately from interest) |
SOURCE: CPS-ASEC Questionnaire, www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/cps/techdocs/cpsmar21.pdf; ACS Questionnaire, www.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/methodology/questionnaires/2021/quest21.pdf?msclkid=20e8cd0cc00511ec9b0fd8cd62e6a9ae.
a See Fox et al. (2022) for imputation methods used for SNAP and other resource components to produce SPM measures for 2014–2017 from the ACS Public Use Microdata Files.
Suggested Citation:
"Appendix 6B: SPM/PPM Resource Components - Availability in the CPS-ASEC and ACS." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2023. An Updated Measure of Poverty: (Re)Drawing the Line. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
doi: 10.17226/26825.
Suggested Citation:
"Appendix 6B: SPM/PPM Resource Components - Availability in the CPS-ASEC and ACS." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2023. An Updated Measure of Poverty: (Re)Drawing the Line. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
doi: 10.17226/26825.
Suggested Citation:
"Appendix 6B: SPM/PPM Resource Components - Availability in the CPS-ASEC and ACS." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2023. An Updated Measure of Poverty: (Re)Drawing the Line. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
doi: 10.17226/26825.
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