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You can find detailed information about the Federal poverty levels at: http://aspe.hhs.gov/poverty/. Additionally, at this site is information on research related to the definition of poverty level.
HHS programs using the guidelines (or percentage multiples of them--e.g., 125 percent of the guidelines) in determining eligibility include:
- Community Services Block Grant,
- Head Start,
- the AIDS Drug Assistance Program, and
- the State Children's Health Insurance Program.
A significant proportion of Medicaid eligibility determinations are made using the guidelines (although other portions of Medicaid do not use them).
Non-HHS federal programs using the guidelines include:
- Food Stamps,
- WIC (Women, Infants, & Children) program,
- National School Lunch Program, and
- Job Corps.
Some state and local governments and some nongovernment organizations have adopted the federal poverty guidelines for some of their own programs.
In general, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) does NOT use the poverty guidelines in determining eligibility. Other major federal programs which do NOT use the guidelines include Supplemental Security Income, the Earned Income Tax Credit, and HUD's housing assistance programs.
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HHS Administrative