Description

SRCWELFR reports the type of public assistance that respondents received from the state or local welfare office: 1) AFDC (Aid to Families with Dependent Children) or TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families); 2) other public assistance; or 3) both AFDC/TANF and other public assistance. Under the Welfare Reform Law of 1996, TANF replaced AFDC beginning July 1, 1997. "Other types of public assistance" included such programs as General Assistance, Emergency Assistance, Cuban/Haitian Refugee Assistance, and Indian Assistance. Food Stamps and SSI payments were not to be included.

Comparability

This variable is largely comparable over time. However, interviewers only mentioned examples of specific programs that qualified as "other public assistance" beginning in 1994, so responses may be more complete and accurate after that date.

Other variables related to welfare income include INCWELFR (amount of welfare income received during the previous calendar year), beginning in 1968, and MTHWELFR (number of months received welfare income), beginning in 1988.

Information on the receipt of SSI (Supplemental Security Income) was collected separately and is included in the INCSSI (amount of SSI income received during the previous calendar year) variable (for 1976 onward) and the SRCSSI (source of Supplemental Security Income) variable (for 1976-1982).

Universe

Flags

Unharmonized Variables

• UH_INCS05_A2
• UH_INCS22_A1
• UH_INCS22_A2
• UH_INCS22_A3
• UH_INCS22_A4