Codes

This variable is not available for any of the currently selected samples.

Description

GOTWELFR indicates whether the respondent received income from public assistance during the previous calendar year.

For 1966-1967, the amount of public assistance income was combined with all other sources of unearned income in the INCUNERN variable. GOTWELFR in these samples simply identifies those who received public assistance income. Of people who are coded as receiving public assistance income in GOTWELFR in these samples, some (less than 10%) do not have unearned income in INCUNERN. Users should exercise caution when analyzing these cases.

Comparability

The original public use data files of the ASEC CPS for 1969-1975 also include the GOTWELFR variable, but the results are not reliable. For 1969-1975, many persons coded as yes in GOTWELFR do not have income amounts recorded in INCWELFR, which included interest for those years.

Between 1976 and 1987, GOTWELFR is derived from a Census recode that indicates whether or not the respondent received income from public assistance during the previous calendar year.

Universe

Flags

Unharmonized Variables

• UH_DUNERN_A2
• UH_INCS01_A2