Section 7.5.1

America's Second Harvest became Feeding America in 2008. This study was published prior to that name change in 2001.

7.5.1 - General Assistance, Welfare, and TANF in the Previous Two Years

Clients were asked whether they received general assistance, welfare, or TANF in the previous two years and, if so, whether the assistance had been discontinued. They also provided reasons for the discontinuation. Table 7.5.1 presents the results.

Table 7.5.1
GENERAL ASSISTANCE, WELFARE, AND TANF IN THE PREVIOUS TWO YEARS
  Pantry Client Households Kitchen Client Households Shelter Client Households All Client Households
Did you or anyone in the household receive general assistance, welfare, or TANF during the past two years?        
Yes 20.3% 20.4% 23.6% 20.5%
No 79.7% 79.6% 76.4% 79.5%
TOTAL 100% 100% 100% 100%
SAMPLE SIZE (N) 24,436 5,441 2,882 32,759
Clients for whom the assistance stopped during the past two years 40.8% 40.9% 54.5% 41.6%
SAMPLE SIZE (N) - Clients who received specified assistance 4,733 922 711 6,366
         
Reasons for the discontinuation of the assistance 1        
Change in household makeup 6.0% 9.7% 11.2% 6.9%
Time limit for receiving the help ran out 8.8% 10.0% 4.9% 8.7%
Sanctioned by welfare or another agency 12.8% 16.2% 5.0% 12.6%
Citizenship status 0.2% 0.0% 0.0% 0.1%
Too much hassle 5.7% 3.6% 16.0% 6.3%
Chose to stop receiving it 5.9% 4.9% 20.5% 6.9%
Other 1 20.8% 35.5% 26.2% 23.1%
Ineligible income level 41.2% 23.8% 20.7% 37.4%
SAMPLE SIZE (N) - Clients who received specified assistance, which then stopped during the previous two years 1,585 314 291 2,190

Source
This table was constructed based on usable responses to Questions 26, 27, and 28 of the client survey.

Notes
The percentages presented in this table are based only on usable responses, excluding missing, don't know, and refusal responses. All usable responses were weighted as described in Chapter 3 and in the Technical Appendix volume to represent all emergency food clients of the A2H network. The sample sizes (N) also include missing data.

For receiving assistance, missing, don't know, and refusal responses combined are 2.3% for pantry clients, for kitchen clients, 1.4% for shelter clients, and 2.3% for all clients.

For reasons for discontinuation of assistance, missing, don't know, and refusal responses combined are 9.7% for pantry clients, 6.5% for kitchen clients, 5.3% for shelter clients, and 8.9% for all clients.

1. This table was constructed based on usable responses to Questions 26, 27, and 28 of the client survey.


During the previous two years, 20.5% of the clients received general assistance, welfare, or TANF. Details include:

  • Among those who had received the specified assistance, 41.6% of them indicated that the assistance was discontinued.
  • As for the reasons for the discontinuation, 37.4% ascribed it to having an ineligible income level, 6.9% to change of household makeup, and 8.7% to time limit for the assistance.
  • In addition, 12.6% of the clients indicated that the assistance was discontinued because they were sanctioned by welfare or another agency, and 0.1% mentioned their citizenship status as a factor.
  • Also, 6.3% of the clients no longer received the assistance because it was too much hassle for them, and 6.9% chose to stop receiving the assistance.