Means-Tested Programs

Means-tested programs limit eligibility to individuals and families whose incomes and or assets fall below a pre-determined threshold (means test). They are generally financed by tax revenues and may take the form of entitlements (e.g., Medicaid, SNAP/Food Stamps) or have spending caps (e.g., State Child Health Insurance Program, housing subsidies, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families).

Poverty Factsheet Icon

Wisconsin Poverty 101

  • Anna Emmerich
  • Poverty Fact Sheet
  • May 2012
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The Role of Child Support in the Current Economic Safety Net for Low-Income Families with Children

  • Kristen S. Slack, Lawrence M. Berger, Bomi Kim, Mi Youn Yang
  • Report
  • May 2012
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Recent Developments in Antipoverty Policies in the United States

  • James P. Ziliak
  • Discussion Paper
  • September 2011
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An Assessment of the Effectiveness of Anti-Poverty Programs in the United States

  • Yonatan Ben-Shalom, Robert Moffitt, and John Karl Scholz
  • Discussion Paper
  • June 2011
Fast Focus Research/Policy Brief Icon

The effects of the 2009 ARRA on poverty in Wisconsin

  • Timothy M. Smeeding, Julia B. Isaacs, Joanna Y. Marks, and Katherine Thornton
  • Fast Focus Policy Brief
  • December 2010
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Have Welfare-to-Work Programs Improved Over Time In Putting Welfare Recipients To Work?

  • David H. Greenberg and Philip K. Robins
  • Discussion Paper
  • November 2010
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Wealth and Welfare States: What Is the Real Story?

  • Irwin Garfinkel and Timothy Smeeding
  • Discussion Paper
  • October 2010
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Income Support Policies for Low-Income Men and Noncustodial Fathers: Tax and Transfer Programs

  • Ronald B. Mincy, Serena Klempin, and Heather Schmidt
  • Discussion Paper
  • June 2010