Which New Yorkers Are Left Behind By Benefit Programs-
1. Which New Yorkers Are Left
Behind By Benefit Programs?
Should poverty alleviating benefits be expanded for dependent-less
heads of households?
Geoffery Mullings - April 2016
2. Do Only Tax Filers With Dependents Need
Poverty-Alleviating Help?
• 1 in 5 New York City Households live in poverty
• But nearly 1 in 4 New Yorkers live in poor households
• At least 60% of those poor residents are still below the poverty line after
receiving benefits.
*Chronically Poor/Stuck In Poverty: Remaining below the NYC Center
For Economic Opportunity Poverty Threshold even after accounting for
public benefits.
3. Do Only Tax Filers With Dependents Need
Poverty-Alleviating Help?
• Evidence suggests that a disproportionate segment of the deeply poverty-
stricken may be heads of households without dependents.
4. Potential Causes Of Sticky Poverty Floors
• High expenses (especially out of pocket Medical Expenses)
5. Case Study: Crushing MOOP Expenses
• Medical Out Of Pocket (MOOP)
expenses sunk respondent 1537’s
balance sheet.
• $14k income became nearly a net -
$100k.
• Received hardly $4,500 in benefits.
• Without MOOP considered, the
household was above the official
poverty line.
6. Potential Causes Of Sticky Poverty Floors
• High expenses (especially out of pocket Medical Expenses)
• Low pre-tax incomes ($6357 for the stuck poor vs. $12065 for the general
poor on average).
• Low benefit amounts ($1980 vs. $4794 on average)
• Potentially related to household composition.
7. Fewer Dependents Means Less Assistance
Almost a 1 to 1 ratio of children to heads of households in the
subset of New Yorkers raised above poverty.
9. Demographics of Those Stuck In Poverty
Disproportionately
Non-Citizens.
Many Renters.
10. Phenomenal Findings When Comparing Those
Stuck In Poverty To All Poor New Yorkers
Compared to all respondents:
Educational attainment of the chronically
poor significantly drops after HS.
Educational Attainment
Compared to poor respondents:
Educational attainment significantly
increases beyond HS.
11. Phenomenal Findings When Comparing Those
Stuck In Poverty To All Poor New Yorkers
Compared to all respondents: The
chronically poor are disproportionately
Black and Latino.
Ethnic Backgrounds
Compared to poor respondents: The
chronically poor are disproportionately
Asian and White, and less likely to be
Latino.
12. Do Only Tax Filers With Dependents Need
Poverty-Alleviating Help?
This analysis would suggest no, even those without dependents appear to need
help, but there are further questions to consider:
• What is poverty? Can it only be evaluated financially? Or do geographic and
social resources matter?
• Are the chronically poor stuck, or are they really in a temporary trough on
their way to a socioeconomic crest? Or both?
• If some of the chronically poor hold higher degrees, does
the quality of resources matter as well?
13. Money May Be A Problem, But More Money May
Not Be The Answer
Further longitudinal research is necessary to determine:
1. What happens to those identified as unassisted by benefits?
2. How long do they remain in poverty?
3. Where are they typically earning their educational credentials?
4. Is this a trend or related to economic conditions ie: The Great Recession.
14. Which New Yorkers Are Left
Behind By Benefit Programs?
Should poverty alleviating benefits be expanded for dependent-less
heads of households?
Geoffery Mullings
April 2016
Email: GeoffMullings@gmail.com