Does the INCWELFR variable in 2008 exclude SSI?

USA
1

The description on IPUMS for the welfare variable states:

The following are included within INCWELFR:

  • federal/state Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments to elderly (age 65+), blind, or disabled persons with low incomes. (In the 2000 census, the ACS, and the PRCS, SSI payments are specified in INCSUPP only, not in INCWELFR);
  • Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC); and
  • General Assistance (GA). (This does not include separate payments for hospital or other medical care.)

Does the note at the end of the first bullent mean that, after 1999, incwelfr does NOT include SSI? If so, I suggest rewording that information to better reflect the current state of the variable, something like:

  • Before the 2000 census, in the ACS, and the PRCS, SSI payments are part of incwelfr; afterwards SSI is specified separately in INCSUPP
2

Thank you for this suggestion. You are indeed correct that after 1999 INCWELFRdoes not include social security income. I’ll send a note to the IPUMS USA team encouraging them to consider revising this detail of the documentation.