Families Coping without a Job or Cash Assistance

Sheila Zedlewski, Urban Institute
Sandi L. Nelson, Urban Institute

Some families with children report living without public assistance or earned income in national surveys. Questions arise as to whether some of these reports reflect inaccurate survey measurement, and for families reporting their situation accurately, how they cope with limited incomes. It is important to understand why some families do not have employment or public assistance as we continue to evaluate the effects of welfare reform. Time limits have eliminated the entitlement to welfare, and many states limit access to welfare benefits. This paper describes results of qualitative, telephone interviews with families with children that reported little or no income on the 2002 National Survey of America's Families (NSAF). Results show the extent of discrepencies between the NSAF data and families' current work and cash assistance status, and how families without work or cash assistance get by.