Usage of public assistance among workers and their families, by program and annual hours worked
| Annual hours worked | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All | Less than 1,000 hours | 1,000–1,499 hours | 1,500–1,989 hours | 1,990+ hours | ||
| Total wage-earning population | 142,324,621 | 20,804,361 | 13,177,869 | 18,201,533 | 90,140,857 | |
| Share | 100.0% | 14.6% | 9.3% | 12.8% | 63.3% | |
| Any means-tested assistance | Count | 41,221,812 | 9,771,177 | 5,687,048 | 6,439,029 | 19,324,558 |
| Rate of receipt | 29.3% | 46.6% | 42.9% | 35.5% | 21.9% | |
| Share of all working recipients | 100.0% | 23.7% | 13.8% | 15.6% | 46.9% | |
| Total benefit dollars (in thousands) | $123,147,801 | $28,896,140 | $19,256,494 | $22,285,767 | $52,709,400 | |
| Share of all assistance | 100.0% | 23.5% | 15.6% | 18.1% | 42.8% | |
| Average value of benefits received | $3,281 | $3,195 | $3,657 | $3,773 | $3,045 | |
| Earned-Income Tax Credit (EITC) | Count | 41,410,520 | 10,257,368 | 5,937,119 | 6,536,383 | 18,679,649 |
| Rate of receipt | 29.4% | 46.1% | 42.8% | 35.3% | 21.7% | |
| Share of working EITC recipients | 100.0% | 24.8% | 14.3% | 15.8% | 45.1% | |
| Total value of EITC benefits (in thousands) | $63,414,659 | $10,690,813 | $9,237,780 | $12,040,618 | $31,445,448 | |
| Share of EITC benefits | 100.0% | 16.9% | 14.6% | 19.0% | 49.6% | |
| Average value of benefits received | $1,531 | $1,042 | $1,556 | $1,842 | $1,683 | |
| Refundable Child Tax Credit (CTC) | Count | 25,973,208 | 4,720,015 | 3,516,967 | 4,445,312 | 13,290,914 |
| Rate of receipt | 18.7% | 22.8% | 26.4% | 24.4% | 15.4% | |
| Share of working CTC recipients | 100.0% | 18.2% | 13.5% | 17.1% | 51.2% | |
| Total value of CTC benefits (in thousands) | $26,319,137 | $3,424,339 | $3,320,777 | $4,760,353 | $14,813,667 | |
| Share of EITC benefits | 100.0% | 13.0% | 12.6% | 18.1% | 56.3% | |
| Average value of benefits received | $1,013 | $725 | $944 | $1,071 | $1,115 | |
| Energy assistance (LIHEAP) | Count | 2,346,126 | 808,687 | 385,621 | 420,000 | 731,819 |
| Rate of receipt | 1.6% | 3.9% | 2.9% | 2.3% | 0.8% | |
| Share of working LIHEAP recipients | 100.0% | 27.4% | 17.4% | 20.6% | 34.5% | |
| Total value of LIHEAP benefits (in thousands) | $741,902 | $256,583 | $125,207 | $127,540 | $232,573 | |
| Share of LIHEAP benefits | 100.0% | 34.6% | 16.9% | 17.2% | 31.3% | |
| Average value of benefits received | $316 | $317 | $325 | $304 | $318 | |
| Food stamps (SNAP) | Count | 14,553,176 | 4,350,146 | 2,429,694 | 2,505,121 | 5,268,215 |
| Rate of receipt | 10.4% | 20.7% | 18.4% | 13.9% | 6.0% | |
| Share of working SNAP recipients | 100.0% | 22.5% | 16.5% | 19.9% | 41.0% | |
| Total value of SNAP benefits (in thousands) | $42,022,284 | $13,598,564 | $7,392,912 | $7,274,466 | $13,756,342 | |
| Share of SNAP benefits | 100.0% | 32.4% | 17.6% | 17.3% | 32.7% | |
| Average value of benefits received | $3,221 | $3,361 | $3,304 | $3,241 | $3,044 | |
| Housing assistance | Count | 1,914,503 | 755,761 | 347,385 | 326,713 | 484,644 |
| Rate of receipt | 1.3% | 3.6% | 2.6% | 1.8% | 0.5% | |
| Share of working housing assistance recipients | 100.0% | 28.5% | 19.8% | 22.1% | 29.6% | |
| Total value of housing benefits (in thousands) | $6,841,676 | $2,941,165 | $1,290,063 | $1,086,720 | $1,523,728 | |
| Share of housing benefits | 100.0% | 43.0% | 18.9% | 15.9% | 22.3% | |
| Average value of benefits received | $3,574 | $3,892 | $3,714 | $3,326 | $3,144 | |
| Medicaid | Count | 13,414,627 | 4,068,022 | 2,160,551 | 2,085,655 | 5,100,399 |
| Rate of receipt | 9.7% | 19.7% | 16.6% | 11.8% | 5.9% | |
| Share of working Medicaid beneficiaries | 100.0% | 30.3% | 16.1% | 15.5% | 38.0% | |
| TANF/cash assistance | Count | 1,643,626 | 612,241 | 276,764 | 244,622 | 509,999 |
| Rate of receipt | 1.2% | 2.9% | 2.1% | 1.3% | 0.6% | |
| Share of working TANF recipients | 100.0% | 31.5% | 15.5% | 19.5% | 33.6% | |
| Total value of TANF benefits (in thousands) | $4,561,002 | $1,677,833 | $763,046 | $759,675 | $1,360,448 | |
| Share of TANF benefits | 100.0% | 36.8% | 16.7% | 16.7% | 29.8% | |
| Average value of benefits received | $2,695 | $2,706 | $2,681 | $2,981 | $2,551 | |
| Supplemental Nutrition for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) | Count | 2,099,495 | 660,924 | 342,484 | 383,483 | 712,605 |
| Rate of receipt | 1.5% | 3.2% | 2.6% | 2.1% | 0.8% | |
| Share of working WIC recipients | 100.0% | 16.8% | 13.4% | 19.3% | 50.5% | |
| Total value of WIC benefits (in thousands) | $3,497,899 | $718,987 | $456,197 | $578,956 | $1,743,760 | |
| Share of WIC benefits | 100.0% | 20.6% | 13.0% | 16.6% | 49.9% | |
| Average value of benefits received | $736 | $754 | $766 | $745 | $719 | |
Note: All shares reflect shares of working recipients. Receipt rates include benefits received directly by workers or indirectly through a family member. Because the data are adjusted to match administrative totals for each program, they must be weighted separately. Consequently, the implicit population totals from each receipt rate will not be consistent across programs, and program totals will not sum to the reported total for all programs. See Appendix A for further detail. Dollar figures are in 2014 dollars. The average value of benefits received is conditional upon receipt. The total benefit dollar amount in this table, and all subsequent ones, includes workers from both non-elderly and elderly families.
Source: EPI analysis of Current Population Survey Annual Social and Economic Supplement microdata, pooled years 2012–2014