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Poverty and the Incidence of Material Hardship, Revisited

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  • John Iceland
  • Claire Kovach
  • John Creamer

Abstract

Objective We examine trends in seven types of material hardship, such as food and housing hardships, and how their incidence by poverty status changed over the 1992–2011 period. Method We use data from multiple panels of the Survey of Income and Program Participation and logistic regressions to examine these relationships. Results We find declines in four of the seven hardships, with little change or moderate increases for the others. Declines were larger for hardships more dependent on longer term income flows, while those more sensitive to short‐term income fluctuations declined by less (or increased). Notably, declines in hardship were most evident among the lowest income groups over the period. Conclusion That short‐term hardships did not decline suggests that income volatility poses an important challenge for many households. Larger declines in hardship among the lowest income groups suggest a greater underreporting of income over time and the presence of family resources not comprehensively counted in the official poverty measure.

Suggested Citation

  • John Iceland & Claire Kovach & John Creamer, 2021. "Poverty and the Incidence of Material Hardship, Revisited," Social Science Quarterly, Southwestern Social Science Association, vol. 102(1), pages 585-617, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:socsci:v:102:y:2021:i:1:p:585-617
    DOI: 10.1111/ssqu.12922
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Bruce D. Meyer & James X. Sullivan, 2018. "Levels and changes in income poverty, consumption poverty, and material well-being: A response to Shaefer and Rivera (2018)," AEI Economics Working Papers 994431, American Enterprise Institute.
    2. Robert Moffitt & John Karl Scholz, 2010. "Trends in the Level and Distribution of Income Support," NBER Chapters, in: Tax Policy and the Economy, Volume 24, pages 111-152, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    3. Liana Fox & Christopher Wimer & Irwin Garfinkel & Neeraj Kaushal & Jane Waldfogel, 2015. "Waging War on Poverty: Poverty Trends Using a Historical Supplemental Poverty Measure," Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 34(3), pages 567-592, June.
    4. Meyer, Bruce D. & Sullivan, James X., 2004. "The effects of welfare and tax reform: the material well-being of single mothers in the 1980s and 1990s," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 88(7-8), pages 1387-1420, July.
    5. Bruce D. Meyer & Derek Wu & Victoria R. Mooers & Carla Medalia, 2019. "The Use and Misuse of Income Data and Extreme Poverty in the United States," NBER Working Papers 25907, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    6. Bruce D. Meyer & James X. Sullivan, 2011. "Viewpoint: Further results on measuring the well‐being of the poor using income and consumption," Canadian Journal of Economics/Revue canadienne d'économique, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 44(1), pages 52-87, February.
    7. repec:mpr:mprres:6195 is not listed on IDEAS
    8. Colleen Heflin, 2016. "Family Instability and Material Hardship: Results from the 2008 Survey of Income and Program Participation," Journal of Family and Economic Issues, Springer, vol. 37(3), pages 359-372, September.
    9. Bruce D. Meyer & James X. Sullivan, 2012. "Identifying the Disadvantaged: Official Poverty, Consumption Poverty, and the New Supplemental Poverty Measure," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 26(3), pages 111-136, Summer.
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    Cited by:

    1. Natasha V. Pilkauskas & Katherine Michelmore & Nicole Kovski & H. Luke Shaefer, 2024. "The expanded Child Tax Credit and economic wellbeing of low-income families," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 37(4), pages 1-35, December.
    2. Cai, Julie Y. & Wimer, Christopher & Berger, Lawrence & Maury, Matthew, 2023. "Intra-year employment instability and economic well-being among urban households: Mitigating effects of the social safety net," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 148(C).
    3. Hembre, Erik & Collins, J. Michael & Wylde, Samuel, 2024. "A rising tide lifts all homes? Housing consumption trends for low-income households since the 1980s," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 233(C).
    4. Natasha V. Pilkauskas & Brian A. Jacob & Elizabeth Rhodes & Katherine Richard & H. Luke Shaefer, 2023. "The COVID Cash Transfer Study: The Impacts of a One‐Time Unconditional Cash Transfer on the Well‐Being of Families Receiving SNAP in Twelve States," Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 42(3), pages 771-795, June.

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