What is the federal poverty level for a family of 4 and why do cons keep lying about it?

Question

http://aspe.hhs.gov/poverty/07poverty.shtml

Answer 1

The $80,000 figure so often quoted is a clever half-truth designed to boil right wing blood, but has nothing to do with reality.

Indeed, the MAXIMUM family income to be eligible for the program would be $80,000. This is to give the states (which actually determine eligibility) the LATITUDE to cover the rare and special cases where families can't get coverage for their children. If you had 10 kids and 4 of them had hemophilia you would not be able to afford insurance even if you made $160,000/yr. Of course this is highly unusual and rare, and that is all the $80,000 figure applies to - the unusual and rare circumstance. No family is eligible simply because they make less than $80,000. Also, the amount of money in the program is fixed. The states have to only so much to spread. They are not going to spread it to families that do not need it. But yes indeed, there will always be a handful of families that have income, but can not get or afford private insurance. SOME of them would be covered - Exactly what the program is designed to do - provide insurance to children of families that cannot afford or get insurance.

Answer 2

He HAS a link to his question, the poverty level for a family of four in the continental US is a little over $20,600.

The bill would include those who made 300% of that, over $62,000 a year and some, not the $80,000-plus con alarmists keep trying to scare folks with. You dont add the 300% total TO the miminum wage amount; 300% of $20,000 is $60,000. This must be why "Deficits Don't Matter", Cons can't count or figure percentages correctly.

The sad fact is, a family of four making $60,000 a year in the US IS poor.

$60,000 divided by 12 months: $5,000 per month

Of that $5,000:

$1,500 for mortgage
$1,200 for two car payments
$1,000 for food and other consumer goods (soaps, cleaning supplies etc)
$500 a month in school supplies, kids clothes, etc.
$350 a month in auto insurance
$250 a month in health and dental insurance
$100 a month in house insurance
$250 a month in state, federal and excise taxes
$100 for cable
$300 for electrical and gas
$150 for cell phones
$ 50 for house phones
$175 for a IRA ($2000 max per year)

I have not figured in ANY entertainment into these numbers and the total, out of $5,000 per month?

$5,825.00- so, unless youre Dick Cheney, for whom "Deficits Don't Matter" a family of four cannot live in this country on that money. So now, things have to go, but you cant do without insurance, that's borderline child abuse. So you get a cheaper home with a better interest rate. OH Sorry no such thing as a cheaper home anymore, expecially one in a neighborhood where you would want to raise your children. And your retirement plans take a backseat because the kids need shoes, or braces and come to fins out, the job you've been working the last 15 years is closing down and re-opening in Taiwan, the pension you've paid into for all that time has been embezzled and you have nothing left.

By HEY all you need do is go out and work three minimum wage jobs and you will be starving in NO time!

Answer 3

Federal poverty level ranges monthly for different family size.
1 person - $1,062 monthly
2 people - $1,430 monthly
3 people - $1,799
4 people - $2,167
5 people - $2,535
6 people - $2,904
7 people - $3,272
8 people - $3,640
each additional member add $369

I'm not sure why anyone who lie about this as it seems like a very fair income amount per household size.

Answer 4

I don't understand what your point is. If someone is earning less than ten dollars an hour he must be in some entry level job. Why such a person would choose to have wife and two children is beyond me. But, of course, he is entitled to make that decision. Can four people survive on that amount? Yes they can and do. Will it be easy or comfortable? Probably not. That is why they should decide to do otherwise.

When we get into the whole minimum wage discussion we must keep in mind that, in a free country, people sometimes make bad decisions. Having a family of four while still in an entry level job is not very bright. Raising the minimum wage is not bright either.

Where did anyone ever get the idea that a minimum wage is supposed to support four people? It is not! It is supposed to support one person at the minimum level until they can increase their skill level and value enough to earn more.

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Answer 5

There has become such a disparity among different regions in America that one can do "OK in Iowa, but, the same figure in say, NYC, WOULD be essentially living "below the poverty line".

Answer 6

Who cares what the poverty level is? We are not a socialist country. Let them starve or work.

Answer 7

Because if they said 21K they would sound like the cold hearted uncaring-poor children haters that they are. And they'd look stupid for not knowing that 21k X 3=63K

Answer 8

For a family of four it is just above $20,000/yr. That sounds a tad bit high to me but much better than $82,000 for a family of eight which is a truly ridiculous number........

Answer 9

300% above that line is 60K, but the states have the right to increase that, and New York already does to 400% which is where the 80k number comes from. Read this section of the bill, you will begin to see that the Republicans are not lying.

SEC. 114. LIMITATION ON MATCHING RATE FOR STATES THAT PROPOSE TO COVER CHILDREN WITH EFFECTIVE FAMILY INCOME THAT EXCEEDS 300 PERCENT OF THE POVERTY LINE.

(a) FMAP Applied to Expenditures- Section 2105(c) (42 U.S.C. 1397ee(c)) is amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph:

`(8) LIMITATION ON MATCHING RATE FOR EXPENDITURES FOR CHILD HEALTH ASSISTANCE PROVIDED TO CHILDREN WHOSE EFFECTIVE FAMILY INCOME EXCEEDS 300 PERCENT OF THE POVERTY LINE-

`(A) FMAP APPLIED TO EXPENDITURES- Except as provided in subparagraph (B), for fiscal years beginning with fiscal year 2008, the Federal medical assistance percentage (as determined under section 1905(b) without regard to clause (4) of such section) shall be substituted for the enhanced FMAP under subsection (a)(1) with respect to any expenditures for providing child health assistance or health benefits coverage for a targeted low-income child whose effective family income would exceed 300 percent of the poverty line but for the application of a general exclusion of a block of income that is not determined by type of expense or type of income.

`(B) EXCEPTION- Subparagraph (A) shall not apply to any State that, on the date of enactment of the Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2007, has an approved State plan amendment or waiver to provide, or has enacted a State law to submit a State plan amendment to provide, expenditures described in such subparagraph under the State child health plan.'.

(b) Rule of Construction- Nothing in the amendments made by this section shall be construed as--

(1) changing any income eligibility level for children under title XXI of the Social Security Act; or

(2) changing the flexibility provided States under such title to establish the income eligibility level for targeted low-income children under a State child health plan and the methodologies used by the State to determine income or assets under such plan.

Answer 10

If you don't know what it is, how do you know anyone's lying about it? Your question doesn't make any sense.