Without government programs, millions more would be in poverty: Number of people in poverty, as measured by the supplemental poverty measure, and additional number that would be in poverty without specified government program, by age group, 2015
| Under 18 years | 18 to 64 years | 65 years and older | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Currently in poverty | 11,929,000 | 27,222,000 | 6,500,000 | 0 |
| 0 | 0 | |||
| Social Security | 1,571,000 | 7,878,000 | 17,137,000 | 0 |
| Refundable tax credits | 4,829,000 | 4,254,000 | 89,000 | 0 |
| SNAP/Food stamps | 2,001,000 | 2,228,000 | 366,000 | 0 |
| SSI | 587,000 | 2,107,000 | 619,000 | 0 |
| Housing subsidies | 861,000 | 1,203,000 | 473,000 | 0 |
| School lunch | 714,000 | 534,000 | 13,000 | 0 |
| TANF/general assistance | 351,000 | 304,000 | 9,000 | 0 |
| Unemployment insurance | 191,000 | 446,000 | 12,000 | 0 |
| Workers’ compensation | 114,000 | 249,000 | 14,000 | 0 |
| WIC | 215,000 | 156,000 | 0 | 0 |
| LIHEAP | 71,000 | 124,000 | 46,000 | 0 |
Source: EPI analysis of Trudi Renwick and Liana Fox, The Supplemental Poverty Measure: 2015, U.S. Census Bureau report #P60-258, September 2016.