Usage of public assistance among workers and their families, by program and hourly wage decile
| Wage decile | All | Bottom 10 percent | 2nd decile | 3rd decile | 4th decile | 5th decile | 6th decile | 7th decile | 8th decile | 9th decile | Top 10 percent | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total wage-earning population | 142,324,621 | 14,099,151 | 14,411,827 | 13,724,258 | 14,803,450 | 14,429,884 | 14,062,587 | 14,126,159 | 14,539,077 | 14,024,179 | 14,104,050 | |
| Any means-tested government assistance | Count | 41,221,812 | 8,651,448 | 7,721,333 | 6,051,452 | 5,397,587 | 4,265,331 | 3,106,351 | 2,053,807 | 1,612,668 | 1,238,744 | 1,123,092 |
| Rate of receipt | 29.3% | 59.8% | 52.6% | 43.8% | 36.5% | 29.9% | 22.5% | 15.0% | 11.5% | 9.1% | 8.2% | |
| Share of working recipients | 21.0% | 18.7% | 14.7% | 13.1% | 10.3% | 7.5% | 5.0% | 3.9% | 3.0% | 2.7% | ||
| Total value of benefits (in thousands) | $123,147,801 | $28,280,119 | $28,761,721 | $21,352,874 | $17,374,913 | $11,064,856 | $6,682,933 | $3,810,756 | $2,500,179 | $1,678,015 | $1,641,436 | |
| Share of assistance | 23.0% | 23.4% | 17.3% | 14.1% | 9.0% | 5.4% | 3.1% | 2.0% | 1.4% | 1.3% | ||
| Average benefits received | $3,281 | $3,454 | $3,971 | $3,803 | $3,494 | $2,839 | $2,404 | $2,163 | $1,916 | $1,810 | $1,948 | |
| Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) | Count | 41,410,520 | 9,752,752 | 8,225,982 | 6,303,669 | 5,573,399 | 4,324,017 | 2,926,768 | 1,568,175 | 1,080,863 | 872,141 | 782,753 |
| Rate of receipt | 29.4% | 60.4% | 52.1% | 43.7% | 36.9% | 30.2% | 21.8% | 12.1% | 8.2% | 6.9% | 6.1% | |
| Share of working EITC recipients | 23.6% | 19.9% | 15.2% | 13.5% | 10.4% | 7.1% | 3.8% | 2.6% | 2.1% | 1.9% | ||
| Total value of benefits (in thousands) | $63,414,659 | $12,480,063 | $14,852,355 | $12,086,658 | $10,122,600 | $6,372,052 | $3,478,051 | $1,602,935 | $984,781 | $766,121 | $669,045 | |
| Share of EITC benefits | 19.7% | 23.4% | 19.1% | 16.0% | 10.0% | 5.5% | 2.5% | 1.6% | 1.2% | 1.1% | ||
| Average benefits received | $1,531 | $1,280 | $1,806 | $1,917 | $1,816 | $1,474 | $1,188 | $1,022 | $911 | $878 | $855 | |
| Refundable Child Tax Credit (CTC) | Count | 25,973,208 | 4,813,226 | 5,358,089 | 4,496,361 | 3,921,800 | 2,788,185 | 1,874,845 | 1,213,750 | 722,091 | 450,802 | 334,058 |
| Rate of receipt | 18.7% | 32.9% | 35.4% | 31.8% | 26.3% | 19.8% | 14.0% | 9.2% | 5.4% | 3.5% | 2.6% | |
| Share of working CTC recipients | 18.5% | 20.6% | 17.3% | 15.1% | 10.7% | 7.2% | 4.7% | 2.8% | 1.7% | 1.3% | ||
| Total value of benefits (in thousands) | $26,319,137 | $3,833,555 | $5,448,026 | $4,848,016 | $4,396,065 | $3,207,021 | $2,096,131 | $1,188,874 | $652,715 | $373,178 | $275,557 | |
| Share of CTC benefits | 14.6% | 20.7% | 18.4% | 16.7% | 12.2% | 8.0% | 4.5% | 2.5% | 1.4% | 1.0% | ||
| Average benefits received | $1,013 | $796 | $1,017 | $1,078 | $1,121 | $1,150 | $1,118 | $980 | $904 | $828 | $825 | |
| Energy assistance (LIHEAP) | Count | 2,346,126 | 607,925 | 591,942 | 402,301 | 294,415 | 174,868 | 122,978 | 58,206 | 38,068 | 26,491 | 28,932 |
| Rate of receipt | 1.6% | 4.3% | 4.1% | 2.9% | 2.0% | 1.2% | 0.9% | 0.4% | 0.3% | 0.2% | 0.2% | |
| Share of working LIHEAP recipients | 25.9% | 25.2% | 17.1% | 12.5% | 7.5% | 5.2% | 2.5% | 1.6% | 1.1% | 1.2% | ||
| Total value of benefits (in thousands) | $741,902 | $185,051 | $182,040 | $118,573 | $99,393 | $59,217 | $47,967 | $17,939 | $12,920 | $10,147 | $8,655 | |
| Share of working LIHEAP benefits | 24.9% | 24.5% | 16.0% | 13.4% | 8.0% | 6.5% | 2.4% | 1.7% | 1.4% | 1.2% | ||
| Average benefits received | $316 | $304 | $308 | $295 | $338 | $339 | $390 | $308 | $339 | $383 | $299 | |
| Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) | Count | 14,553,176 | 3,797,192 | 3,308,405 | 2,350,229 | 1,761,052 | 1,118,839 | 787,902 | 529,235 | 399,612 | 248,770 | 251,939 |
| Rate of receipt | 10.4% | 26.2% | 22.6% | 17.1% | 12.1% | 8.0% | 5.8% | 3.9% | 2.9% | 1.9% | 1.9% | |
| Share of working SNAP recipients | 26.1% | 22.7% | 16.1% | 12.1% | 7.7% | 5.4% | 3.6% | 2.7% | 1.7% | 1.7% | ||
| Total value of benefits (in thousands) | $42,022,284 | $12,053,407 | $10,315,099 | $6,623,058 | $4,839,439 | $2,966,697 | $1,869,675 | $1,192,173 | $942,858 | $579,101 | $640,778 | |
| Share of SNAP benefits | 28.7% | 24.5% | 15.8% | 11.5% | 7.1% | 4.4% | 2.8% | 2.2% | 1.4% | 1.5% | ||
| Average benefits received | $3,221 | $3,494 | $3,414 | $3,162 | $3,077 | $2,970 | $2,742 | $2,673 | $2,720 | $2,722 | $2,884 | |
| Housing assistance | Count | 1,914,503 | 625,281 | 488,242 | 319,187 | 194,825 | 102,600 | 71,218 | 41,768 | 30,398 | 23,326 | 17,658 |
| Rate of receipt | 1.3% | 4.4% | 3.4% | 2.3% | 1.3% | 0.7% | 0.5% | 0.3% | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.1% | |
| Share of working housing assistance recipients | 32.7% | 25.5% | 16.7% | 10.2% | 5.4% | 3.7% | 2.2% | 1.6% | 1.2% | 0.9% | ||
| Total value of benefits (in thousands) | $6,841,676 | $2,469,512 | $1,683,773 | $1,055,921 | $671,014 | $331,409 | $223,684 | $150,509 | $125,080 | $67,300 | $63,473 | |
| Share of housing benefits | 36.1% | 24.6% | 15.4% | 9.8% | 4.8% | 3.3% | 2.2% | 1.8% | 1.0% | 0.9% | ||
| Average benefits received | $3,574 | $3,949 | $3,449 | $3,308 | $3,444 | $3,230 | $3,141 | $3,603 | $4,115 | $2,885 | $3,595 | |
| Medicaid | Count | 13,414,627 | 2,990,706 | 2,617,707 | 1,940,712 | 1,578,312 | 1,120,350 | 858,554 | 640,051 | 581,082 | 533,500 | 553,654 |
| Rate of receipt | 9.7% | 21.2% | 18.3% | 14.4% | 11.0% | 8.1% | 6.4% | 4.8% | 4.2% | 4.0% | 4.1% | |
| Share of working Medicaid beneficiaries | 22.3% | 19.5% | 14.5% | 11.8% | 8.4% | 6.4% | 4.8% | 4.3% | 4.0% | 4.1% | ||
| TANF/cash assistance | Count | 1,643,626 | 444,904 | 369,592 | 207,087 | 176,911 | 116,571 | 104,180 | 69,035 | 63,892 | 37,926 | 53,528 |
| Rate of receipt | 1.2% | 3.1% | 2.6% | 1.5% | 1.2% | 0.8% | 0.7% | 0.5% | 0.4% | 0.3% | 0.4% | |
| Share of working TANF recipients | 27.1% | 22.5% | 12.6% | 10.8% | 7.1% | 6.3% | 4.2% | 3.9% | 2.3% | 3.3% | ||
| Total value of benefits (in thousands) | $4,561,002 | $1,387,199 | $972,307 | $463,760 | $520,825 | $297,080 | $238,077 | $289,422 | $118,137 | $102,095 | $172,100 | |
| Share of TANF benefits | 30.4% | 21.3% | 10.2% | 11.4% | 6.5% | 5.2% | 6.3% | 2.6% | 2.2% | 3.8% | ||
| Average benefits received | $2,695 | $3,034 | $2,588 | $2,201 | $2,793 | $2,512 | $2,131 | $4,100 | $1,822 | $2,659 | $2,928 | |
| Supplemental Nutrition for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) | Count | 2,099,495 | 520,978 | 452,566 | 298,313 | 248,001 | 161,460 | 134,394 | 89,093 | 86,819 | 54,128 | 53,743 |
| Rate of receipt | 1.5% | 3.7% | 3.1% | 2.2% | 1.7% | 1.1% | 1.0% | 0.6% | 0.6% | 0.4% | 0.4% | |
| Share of working WIC recipients | 24.8% | 21.6% | 14.2% | 11.8% | 7.7% | 6.4% | 4.2% | 4.1% | 2.6% | 2.6% | ||
| Total value of benefits (in thousands) | $3,497,899 | $649,000 | $651,947 | $468,480 | $480,322 | $351,553 | $261,833 | $208,407 | $178,438 | $127,883 | $120,036 | |
| Share of WIC benefits | 18.6% | 18.6% | 13.4% | 13.7% | 10.1% | 7.5% | 6.0% | 5.1% | 3.7% | 3.4% | ||
| Average benefits received | $736 | $737 | $718 | $712 | $785 | $771 | $715 | $758 | $727 | $731 | $692 |
Note: Receipt rates include benefits received directly by workers or indirectly through a family member. All shares reflect shares of working recipients. Because the data are adjusted to match administrative totals for each program, they must be weighted separately. Consequently, the implicit population totals from each rate of receipt will not be consistent across programs. See Appendix A for further detail. Dollar figures are in 2014$. The average value of benefits received is conditional upon receipt.
Source: EPI analysis of Current Population Survey Annual Social and Economic Supplement microdata, pooled years 2012–2014