2. What is Poverty?
The state or condition of having little or no money, goods, or means of
support; condition of being poor (Dictionary.com).
Poverty is defined as low income. Less then $2 a day.
The poorest people in the world have the worst health.
3. History of Poverty in America
Industrialization brought a new kind of poverty to America in the 1820’s.
These changes created a new industrial working class extremely vulnerable to
poverty.
New York State bans children from poorhouses with the Children’s Law of 1875.
Poverty Rates skyrocketed during the great depression and people were left with
no money, no food, and no shelter.
Come the early 1960’s but poverty rates increased again when welfare wasn’t
available to two parent families in the 70’s, and in the early 80’s food stamps and
welfare cut their program by about $20 billion dollars.
Late 80’s Congress tried to pass JOBS (Job opportunities and Basic Skills) Act to
provide assistance for the poor to transition out of poverty. But unfortunately in
1996 $27 million dollars was again cut from the food stamps program.
9 million in poverty in 2010. America’s Government assistance has kept 40
million people out of poverty, close to 20 million from Social Security alone.
In 2013, 45.3 million people were in poverty.
(1650–Today. (n.d.). Retrieved November 8, 2014.)
4. This map shows that
almost half of our
country is living in
severe poverty.
Vermont being one
of the more “lucky”
states. More
populated states
suffer from much
severer cases of
poverty, especially
around big cities.
5. How Poverty is Measured
Poverty guidelines are issued
by the Dept. of Health and
Human Services. This
department uses this to help
determine what eligibility
they will get for federal
programs. The poverty
threshold is set by the
Census Bureau and are used
to measure poverty level.
Poverty Thresholds is what
the Census Bureau uses to
determine a family or
persons poverty status.
Poverty Measure Concepts Official and Supplemental
Official Poverty
Measure
Supplemental Poverty Measure
Measurement Units Families and unrelated
individuals
All related individuals that live at same
address, including any coresident
unrelated children who are cared for by
the family (such as foster children) and
any cohabiters and their relatives
Poverty Threshold Three times the cost of a
minimum food diet in 1963
The 33rd percentile of expenditures on
food, clothing, shelter, and utilities of
consumer units with exactly two children
multiplies by 1.2
Threshold
Adjustments
Vary by family size,
composition, and age of
householder
Geographic adjustments for differences
in housing costs by tenure and a three
parameter equivalence scale for family
size and composition
Updating Thresholds
Consumer Price index: all
items
Five year moving average of
expenditures on food, clothing, shelter
and utilities
Resource Measure Gross before-tax cash
income
Sum of cash income, plus noncash
benefits that families can use to meet
their needs for food, clothing, shelter,
and utilities, minus taxes (or plus tax
credits), minus work expenses, minus out-of-
pocket medical expenses and child
support paid to another household
6. Measure of Need
Poverty Thresholds Dollar amount used to determine poverty status
48 possible thresholds, each member of family is assigned one
Thresholds vary according to: Size of family and age of members
The same threshold is used in the entire U.S. The threshold is updated annually
for the inflation by the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers
People who CANNOT be determined are:
• Unrelated individuals under age 15
• Prisoners
• Military barrack
• Homeless
7. Specific Agencies That Can Help!
3SquaresVT (formerly food stamps)
Helps eligible Vermonters to put three square meals on their tables.
Child Care Financial Assistance
Helps eligible families with the cost of child care.
Choices for Care
helps eligible Vermonters pay for long-term care services in the setting of their choice.
Crisis Fuel Assistance
Helps with a heating crisis during the winter months (e.g., you are out of fuel or very close to running out of
fuel and have no money to buy more).
Disability Determination Services
determines the eligibility of Vermonters who apply for disability benefits under Social Security Disability
Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI). We also determine the medical eligibility of
Vermonters who apply for Medicaid based on having a disability.
Emergency / General Assistance
Helps individuals and families with their emergency basic needs with their emergency basic needs such as
housing (including temporary housing), utilities, food/personal needs items, and burial costs.
(Department of Children and Families)
8. Agencies That Can help! *Continued*
Energy Assistance Program
The Energy Assistance Program helps lower-income Vermonters afford energy for their homes. At this time,
energy assistance is only available for customers of Green Mountain Power and Vermont Gas.
Fuel Assistance
Helps eligible Vermonters pay their home heating bills.
Health Insurance
Find out how and where to apply for health care programs in Vermont.
Medicaid for the Aged, Blind or Disabled (MABD)
Medicaid for individuals who are applying based on being age 65 or older, blind, or disabled.
Phone Assistance
Helps make phone service more affordable for households with low income.
Reach Up
Helps families with children by providing cash assistance for basic needs and services that support work.
Weatherization Program
Helps low income residents to save fuel and money by improving the energy efficiency of their homes.
(Department of Children and Families)
9. Agency of Human Services
The services they provide:
Helping families get setup with
Healthcare such as Medicaid and
Health Connect.
Child care
Protection against child abuse-
Support for addiction of youth and
adults
Promotes health and prevention
Home and nursing home assistance
Helping the disabled to have greater
independence
Support victims and rehabilitation
offenders
10. Other Specific Agencies
Mental health agencies for adult and youth
Community Action Agencies: This is an agency of nonprofit and public organizations that were established under
the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964 to fight America’s war on poverty.
Area Agencies of Aging: Focuses on providing services to the elderly such as: meals on wheels, transportation to
and from appointments. Also to provide rides to activities or shopping. Employment services, senior centers, adult
daycare or long term care
Home Health Agencies: provides care for all ages with acute or long term illness
Parent Child Agencies: provide home visits and support services to families with children.
11. Ratio of Income to Poverty
A family of five members: two children, mother, father and great-aunt.
Their threshold was $28,498 in 2013. Equation being: [xls-48k]
Suppose the members’ incomes in 2013 were
• Mother $10,000
• Father $9,000
• Great-aunt $10,000
• First Child 0
• Second Child 0
Total Family Income $29,000
Take the total income with the family threshold: Income. Threshold-$29,000/$28,498 = 1.02
Since the income was greater than their threshold, the family is not, “in poverty” according to the official
definition.
The measurement is the 48 contiguous states and D.C.
Alaska and Hawaii have their own poverty guidelines.
12. Health Insurance in America
Medicaid: A health insurance provided in many states to cover low income people
such as children or people with disabilities. The services that are covered are
preventative, well child visits, vaccinations, hospital care, and medications.
Medicare: A health insurance provided by the government for people who are 65
and older or have disabilities, or end stage renal disease. This insurance covers
doctor, hospital, home health, hospice, skilled nursing and some have prescription
coverage.
COBRA: An insurance you can get in most cases to cover you if you leave your
job. This is insurance that you pay for to cover temporarily while you get other
insurance.
CHIP: A health insurance for children. This is a free or low cost health insurance
for low income children.
13. Affordable Care Act
A law passed in March, 2010, that gives all Americans the right to health care coverage and choice of plans that are
affordable.
This law mandates that all children under the age of 19 years of age have coverage.
Until age 26 years you can remain on your parent’s insurance plan.
A Person has the right to appeal a decision of denial of coverage to be reconsidered.
There is no lifetime limits on healthcare plans anymore
Insurance companies must justify increases publically.
Most of what a person pays is required to be spent on the healthcare not the administrative costs
No cost preventative care for all
The right to choose a primary care doctor
A person can receive care from an outside emergency facility
15 million Americans have enrolled that were not covered before by health insurance as of April 2014.
14. Promise Zones
2013, President Obama announced that he would
title 20 Promise Zones.
Urban, rural, and tribal communities where the
Administration would partner with local leaders to
create jobs, increase economic activity, improve
educational opportunities, and reduce violent
crime.
On January 9, 2014, the first urban, rural, and
tribal Promise Zones were announced
They are located in: San Antonio, Los Angeles,
Philadelphia, Southeastern Kentucky, and the
Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma.
The federal government will partner to help the
Promise Zones access the resources and expertise
they need.
To date, there are twelve federal agencies working
in close collaboration to provide resources and
expertise to urban, rural, and tribal Promise
Zones.
(“Promise Zones”, 2014)
15. Wealth Inequality in America- This video shows just
how our wealth in America is distributed from person to
person, Showing just how severe the problem with
poverty really is.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPKKQnijnsM
16. Sources:
United States Census Bureau. (n.d.). Retrieved November 8, 2014.
Frequently Asked Questions Related to the Poverty Guidelines and
Poverty. (n.d.). Retrieved November 8, 2014.
About the Law. (2014, October 24). Retrieved November 8, 2014.
Health Insurance. (2014, October 8). Retrieved November 8, 2014.
"Promise Zone." Promise Zone. U.S Department of Housing and Urban
Development, n.d.Web. 25 Oct. 2014.
CVAA empowers seniors to live well. (n.d.). Retrieved November 8, 2014.
Agency of Human Services. (n.d.). Retrieved November 8, 2014.
Dictionary.com
1650–Today. (n.d.). Retrieved November 8, 2014.
Department for Children and Families. (n.d.). Retrieved November 8, 2014.
