Low-Income Families: Comparison of Incomes of AFDC and Working Poor
Families (Testimony, 01/25/95, GAO/T-HEHS-95-63).

In recent years, rapid growth in welfare caseloads, concerns about
program costs and beneficiaries' long-term dependence, and
dissatisfaction with current programs have again focused attention on
the nation's welfare system. This testimony focuses on four main points:
(1) the range of benefits that welfare and working poor families
receive, (2) welfare families' incomes and poverty status, (3) how
welfare families' incomes compare with those of working poor families
not on welfare, and (4) how work-related supports may help welfare
families move from welfare to work. In summary, GAO indicated that the
incomes of welfare families who also received benefits such as food
stamps and Medicaid were quite similar to the incomes of families with
earnings close to the minimum wage. In addition, the incomes of most
families in both groups fell below the poverty line.

--------------------------- Indexing Terms -----------------------------

 REPORTNUM:  T-HEHS-95-63
     TITLE:  Low-Income Families: Comparison of Incomes of AFDC and 
             Working Poor Families
      DATE:  01/25/95
   SUBJECT:  Aid to families with dependent children
             Disadvantaged persons
             Income statistics
             Tax credit
             Medicaid programs
             Food stamp programs
             State-administered programs
             Comparative analysis
             Single parents
             Women
IDENTIFIER:  AFDC
             Food Stamp Program
             National School Lunch Program
             Earned Income Tax Credit
             
------------------------------------------------------------------------

We regret that electronic text of GAO Testimony is not available at 
this time. 

See the GAO FAQ - Section 2.0 for printed copy ordering information.
The FAQ is automatically retrieved with all WAIS search results or 
can be obtained by sending e-mail to: [email protected]