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poverty level, federal poverty level (FPL), poverty line, poverty threshold (United States) - A family's annual income determined by the U.S. Census Bureau depending upon family size and ages necessary to cover the basic necessities of life including food, shelter, clothing, and health care. >> EXTREME POVERTY (GLOBAL)

poverty guidelines - A family's annual income at or below the amount determined by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (or a percentage multiple such as 150 percent) that determines eligibility for certain federal assistance programs such as food stamps, welfare, Medicaid.

working poor - Families whose annual income is under 200 percent of the federal poverty guidelines even though at least one person in the family is working fulltime year round.

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• The poverty rate in the United States is about 12.5 percent, which means that 37 million Americans are living at or below the poverty line.
  
  
  
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• "One in twelve working families lives below the official poverty line" according to The Working Poor Families Project.
  
  
  
• The poverty level is updated annually for inflation by the U.S. Census Bureau. Federal Poverty Guidelines are issued annually by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). In 2008, the poverty level for a family of four was $21,200 (higher in Alaska and Hawaii).
  
  
  
  
• Poverty guidelines (and percentage multiples of the guidelines such as 125 percent, 150 percent, 200 percent) are used to determine eligibility for Medicare, Food Stamps, the subsidized portion of Medicare/Prescription Drug Coverage, and the National School Lunch Program. The guidelines also determine eligibility for programs such as Legal Aid and Head Start.
  
  
  
• While Medicaid covers 53 million people (including 28 million children), there are 47 million Americans who have no health coverage or insurance and do not quality for Medicaid primarily because they earn too much.
  
  
  
• To provide health care for children whose families earn too much to qualify for Medicaid, Congress enacted the State Children's Health Insurance Program (S-CHIP). Each state sets the income eligibility level for S-CHIP, up to 200% of the federal poverty level.
  
  
  

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