1. United States Census Bureau Panel Data: Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP)
Haksoon Ahn, PhD
Associate Professor
University of Maryland School of Social Work
Financial Capability and Asset Building
January 10th, 2018
Purpose of SIPP
Nationally Representative Longitudinal Study from 1983
Collects:
Federal and State program participation and eligibility
(AFDC/TANF, SSI, SNAP/FS, MA, etc.)
Demographic characteristics
Household dynamics ad composition
Income, asset, employment, etc

2. Methodology: Panel Sample Size and Redesign
Table 1: Panel Data Sample Size
1983
First SIPP Panel was conducted with 9 waves and a sample size of 20,897 households per wave.
1996
Welfare Reform: Redesign and implementation of SIPP
2008
Last completed Panel Set data
Includes 13 waves and sample size of 52,031 households per wave.
2014
Currently gathering Panel data with 53,000 Household sample per wave.
2014 Population Estimate - 318,857,056 people
(Source: Vintage 2014 Population Estimates: US, State, and PR Total Population and Components of Change)
Total Housing Units - 132,057,804 households
(Source: American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates)
Poverty Rate – 14.5 %
(Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Survey, 1960 to 2014 Annual Social and Economic Supplements.)
Number of Population living in poverty = 318,857,056 people x (poverty rate) = 46,234,273 people
Number of Population living in poverty = 132,057,804 households x (poverty rate) =19,148,381 households
(Source: U.S. Census Bureau, SIPP User’s guide sample design and interview procedures: Chapter 2.

3. Core and Topical Modules
Core Modules:
2014 Wave 1 Financial Variables
Repeated in every month or wave.
Data includes:
Was … unable to pay the utility bills?
Demographics,
Was.. Unable to pay rent or mortgage?
Labor force,
Income,
Could not afford valance meals?
Welfare participation
Amount of income received from trusts during the reference period.
Topical Modules:
Owned any money market accounts or money market funds during the reference period.
Specific program and policies questions.
Not repeatedly measured.
Owned any other financial investments during the reference period [such as coins, collectibles, jewelry, artwork, mortgages paid to him/her, other loans owned to him/her, and royalties]
Person-level sum of all debt
Household Composition
Income
Education
Housing
Health Insurance Coverage
Government Program Participation
Employment

4. SIPP Topical Module Categories and Uses of SIPP
Program Participation
- One of the most important reasons for conducting SIPP is to gather detailed information on participation in income transfer programs.
- How have changes in eligibility rules or benefit levels affected recipients?
- How do wealth and income patterns differ for various age, gender, and racial groups?
Longitudinal Survey
- What factors affect change in household and family structure and living arrangements?
- What are the interactions between changes in the structure
of households and families and the distribution
of income?
- What effects do changes in household
composition have on economic status
and program eligibility?
- What are the primary determinants of
turnover in programs such as Food Stamps?
Category
Topical Module
Health, Disability, & Physical Well-Being
Adult Well-Being; Extended Measures of Well-Being; Children’s Well-Being; Functional Limitations and Disability (Child and Adult); Health Status and Utilization of Health Care Services; Long-Term Care; Medical Expenses, Work Disability; Work Disability History.
Financial
Annual Income and Retirement Accounts; Assets and Liabilities; Real Estate Property and Vehicles; Recipiency History; Retirement Expectations and Pension Plan Coverage; School Enrollment and Financing; Wealth and Eligibility, Selected Financial Assets; Shelter Costs and Energy Usage; Support for Non-household Members; Taxes.
Child Care & Financial Support Child Care
Child Support Agreements; Child Support Paid; Support for Non-household Members.
Education & Employment
Education and Training History; Employment History; School Enrollment and Financing; Work-Related Expenses; Work Schedule.
Family Characteristics & Living Conditions
Household Extended Measures of Well-Being; Fertility History; Household Relationships; Marital History.
Personal History
Education and Training History; Employment History; Fertility History; Marital History; Migration History; Recipiency History; Work Disability History.
Welfare Reform
Eligibility for and Recipiency of Public Assistance; Job Search and Training Assistance; Job Subsidies; Transportation Assistance; Health Care; Food Assistance.
Source: (U.S. Census Bureau, 2008;

5. U. S. Census Bureau SIPP Website
Find all Panel Data under the Data Tab.
Describes SIPP Data Collection Process

6. Empirical Case Study: Using SIPP Multiple Panels to Analyze Effects of Welfare Reform on Income, Childcare, and Employment among Low-Income Single Mothers Ahn, H. (2015) Economic well-being of low-income single mother families following welfare reform in the USA. International Journal of Social Welfare, 24(1), Ahn, H. (2012). Child care subsidy, child care costs, and employment of low- income single mothers. Children and Youth Services Review, 34(2),