Why Do Eligible Households Not Participate in Public Antipoverty Programs

Research has long-noted that many households eligible for U.S. public antipoverty programs do not participate. Failing to understand the reasons for this leads to research and policy that incompletely addresses the needs of those living in or near poverty. This review of the literature on participation and nonparticipation in four major programs (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, Earned Income Tax Credit, and Medicaid/State Children’s Health Insurance Program) synthesizes our understanding of why eligible households may not participate in public programs, discusses gaps in our knowledge, and offers suggestions for future work in policy, practice, and research

Business · Earned income tax credit · Economic growth · Economics · Food insecurity · Food security · Food stamps · Health care · Health insurance · Medicaid · Political science · Poverty · Public assistance · Public economics · Public health · Public policy · Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program · Tax credit · Welfare · Food Security and Health in Diverse Populations · Gender, Labor, and Family Dynamics · Homelessness and Social Issues · Medicine · Nursing

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• Ineligible parents, eligible children

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