[PEN-L:6750] Re: Poverty query

[Bill Moore <billkatt@xxxxxxxxxx>]

On Thu, 17 Oct 1996 PBurns@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx wrote:

> Are there any official documents or declarations anywhere
> about the minimum daily food requirement in $ and c. below
> which people are regarded as "in poverty"?

I don't know whether USDHHS, et al, still use the methodology; but at one
time the estimation of the "official poverty line" was calculated by first
estimating the cost of a subsistence food budget, then multiplying it by
three.  As a rule of thumb, then, the process could be reversed as in:

1992 O.P.L. for family of four = $14,435 (divided by 3 = $4,812 for family)

I don't recall if there was any difference in the allocations between the
adults and the children, but if not, that would then be $1,203 per
person, or roughly $100 per month.  (That could probably be verified
empirically by doing a survey of grad students on assistantships.  8<)

If anyone has any more recent information on this subject, I, too, would
appreciate a copy or seeing it posted here...

Bill the Cat in _The Joy Of Poverty_ Cookbook Hat