Full Citation
Title: Women in Poverty During the Great Recession: Public Benefits Do Not Always Respond to Rising Need Variation Across States is Substantial
Citation Type: Miscellaneous
Publication Year: 2010
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Abstract: Women across the United States continue to feel the effects of the recession that began at the end of 2007. For women who live at or below the poverty line 1-especially women with dependents, and without personal savings, work benefits, or family supports-the hardships of the recession could be lessened through greater access to assistance through TANF, food stamps, and publicly provided health insurance. IWPR analysis of American Community Survey (ACS) data from the U.S. Census Bureau reveals that 15.5 million women live in poverty. 2 The data also show that the number of women who receive help through health coverage, nutritional support, or cash assistance is much smaller than the number of those whose income level suggests they need assistance. Although 10.6 million, slightly more than two thirds, of adult women in poverty have health insurance to help cover costs, another 4.9 million (32 percent) are not covered. For nutritional support, 5.9 million women in poverty are using food stamps, but 9.6 million (62 percent) are not. 3 Meanwhile, fewer than 750,000 poor adult women with children receive cash aid through TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families), while 5.4 million-a substantial majority of women in poverty with children (88 percent)-do not get that support. 4 As IWPR shows in this briefing paper, the rates of adult women in poverty during the recession who are not receiving assistance vary among different public programs and across the states and regions.
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Authors: Henrici, Jane M; Suppan Helmuth, Allison; Zlotnick, Frances; Hayes, Jeff
Publisher: Institute for Women's Policy Research
Data Collections: IPUMS USA
Topics: Other, Poverty and Welfare
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