Without government safety-net programs, millions more would be in poverty: Number of people in poverty, as measured by the Supplemental Poverty Measure, and additional number that would be in poverty without targeted government programs, 2014
| Number in poverty | |
|---|---|
| Currently in poverty | 48,390,000 |
| 0 | |
| Social Security | 25,909,000 |
| Refundable tax credits | 9,785,000 |
| SNAP | 4,726,000 |
| SSI | 3,778,000 |
| Housing subsidies | 2,829,000 |
| School lunch | 1,248,000 |
| Unemployment insurance | 932,000 |
| TANF/general assistance | 616,000 |
| WIC | 300,000 |
| LIHEAP | 300,000 |
EITC refers to the Earned Income Tax Credit; SNAP refers to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program; SSI refers to Supplemental Security Income; TANF refers to the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program; WIC refers to the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children; and LIHEAP refers to the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program.
Source: Adapted from Kathleen Short, The Supplemental Poverty Measure:2014, U.S. Census Bureau: September, 2015
This chart appears in: