I’ve been poor, and I’ve been not so poor — and not being Poor is better.
Finally after 50 years of treating those in Poverty, as a bothersome statistic, the Federal Govt has begun to acknowledge, that there ARE individual stories, in that invisible demographic group:
Federal Gov’t Expands How It Measures Poverty
The Census Bureau will expand how it measures poverty beyond just cash income to get a more accurate picture of what people actually have to spend.
Frank James, NPR — March 2, 2010
NPR’s Pam Fessler summed up the changes for network’s newscast:
Things such as taxes, child care, housing and out-of-pocket medical expenses, along with the value of government benefits such as food stamps, will be included in the calculation. The official poverty measure, which is based on an individual’s cash income, will still be used to determine eligibility for government programs. The supplemental measure will be used to study poverty trends and the impact of anti-poverty programs. The change is something that’s been long sought by poverty experts. The new measure will be available next year.