The share of people living in the United States in families with income below the official federal poverty threshold has fluctuated between about 11 percent and about 15 percent over the past several decades. CBO analyzes a wide variety of federal programs that aim to reduce poverty, alleviate some of poverty's adverse consequences, and enhance income security.
Poverty and Income Security
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Federal Grants to State and Local GovernmentsMar 2013 - In 2011, the federal government provided $607 billion in grants to state and local governments, accounting for 17 percent of federal outlays and a quarter of spending by states and localities. Nearly half of that amount was for Medicaid.
Growth in Means-Tested Programs and Tax Credits for Low-Income HouseholdsFeb 2013 - During the past 40 years, federal spending for major means-tested programs and tax credits for low-income households more than tripled as a share of gross domestic product. In 2012, such spending totaled $588 billion.
Refundable Tax CreditsJan 2013 - The number and cost of refundable tax credits have grown considerably since 1975. Federal costs (in 2013 dollars) peaked at $238 billion in 2008, but costs will fall to $149 billion in 2013, CBO projects, before reaching $213 billion in 2021.
Supplemental Security Income: An OverviewDec 2012 - In fiscal year 2013, more than 8 million people will receive Supplemental Security Income payments at a federal cost of about $50 billion.
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (report, Infographic)Apr 2012 - One in seven U.S. residents received benefits through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly called Food Stamps) in 2011, at a total cost of $78 billion. Spending on SNAP benefits more than doubled between 2007 and 2011.
Unemployment Insurance in the Wake of the Recent RecessionNov 2012 - Between 2007 and 2010, unemployment benefits expanded nearly five-fold owing to high unemployment due to the weak economy, and decisions by policymakers to increase the number of weeks for which eligible unemployed workers could receive benefits.
Effective Marginal Tax Rates for Low- and Moderate-Income WorkersNov 2012 - Effective marginal tax rates among low- and moderate-income workers are about 30 percent, on average, with about one-third of that rate stemming from the federal income tax, more than a third from federal payroll taxes, and the remainder from state income taxes and the phaseout of SNAP benefits.
Letter to the Honorable John Boehner providing an estimate for H.R. 6079, the Repeal of Obamacare ActJul 2012 - CBO and the JCT have estimated the direct spending and revenue effects of H.R. 6079, as passed by the House of Representatives on July 11, 2012.
Estimates for the Insurance Coverage Provisions of the Affordable Care Act Updated for the Recent Supreme Court DecisionJul 2012 - Updated estimates of the budgetary effects of the health insurance coverage provisions of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) taking into account the Supreme Court decision that essentially made the expansion of the Medicaid program under the ACA a state option.
Policy Options for the Social Security Disability Insurance ProgramJul 2012 - The Disability Insurance program provided benefits to 8.3 million disabled workers in 2011. By 2022, CBO projects, the program will provide benefits to over 10 million disabled workers and total spending on benefits to those workers will exceed $190 billion.
Raising the Ages of Eligibility for Medicare and Social SecurityJan 2012 - This issue brief reviews how ages of eligibility affect beneficiaries under current law and how delaying eligibility would affect beneficiaries, the federal budget, and the economy.
2012 Long-Term Projections for Social SecurityOct 2012 - Over the next 20 years, the population will age and spending on Social Security will increase from about 5 percent of GDP to about 6 percent.
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H.R. 807, Full Faith and Credit Act
cost estimateApril 26, 2013Snapshot of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program
blog postApril 16, 2013The Unemployment Insurance System
blog postApril 1, 2013Snapshot of Child Nutrition Programs
imageMarch 13, 2013Snapshot of Child Nutrition Programs
blog postMarch 13, 2013S. 458, Improve Nutrition Program Integrity and Deficit Reduction Act of 2013
cost estimateMarch 8, 2013Federal Spending and Average Annual Growth Rates for the Federal Government’s Major Mandatory Spending Programs that are Primarily Means-Tested
reportMarch 5, 2013Federal Grants to State and Local Governments
reportMarch 5, 2013
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