There are two slightly different ways the federal government measures poverty.
Federal Poverty Income Thresholds: This original version of the federal poverty measure is updated every year by the Census Bureau. The thresholds are used for statistical purposes and are the way poverty population figures are calculated. The poverty thresholds determine what poverty level income is through a detailed matrix that accounts for family size, number of related children under the age of 18, and whether there are people over the age of 65 in the home.
Federal Poverty Income Guidelines: The guidelines are a simplified version of the poverty thresholds and are issued every year by the Department of Health and Human Services. The guidelines only take into account household size compared to household income to determine poverty status. These guidelines are primarily used for administrative purposes to determine a family’s financial eligibility for federal programs. The 2018 federal poverty guidelines, sometimes called “federal poverty level”, are in effect as of January 13, 2018.
The Federal Poverty Income Guidelines (FPIGs), and multiples of them (such as 125%, 133%, 175%), are used by many of the federal programs run by the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Energy, and more. For example, if a family’s income is at or below 125% of the FPIG they can access assistance from their local Community Action Agency. Other programs operate starting at higher multiples; for example, families are eligible for Weatherization Assistance at 200% of the FPIG, and SNAP (previously known as food stamps) at 160%.
The Annual 2018 Federal Poverty Income Guidelines are listed in the chart above. For each additional person in the household, add $4,320. For a complete list of the 2018 Federal Poverty Income Guidelines, CLICK HERE.
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