Survey of Income and Program Participation

The survey's mission is to provide a nationally representative sample for evaluating annual and sub-annual income dynamics, movements into and out of government transfer programs, family and social context of individuals and households, and interactions among these items.

In order to create a more complete representation of national well-being, SIPP also collects extensive information concerning family dynamics, educational attainment, housing expenditures, asset ownership, health insurance, disability, childcare, and food security.

Thus, researchers may examine the ways in which these factors interact to influence financial well-being and movement into or out-of government assistance programs.

[5] The main objective of the SIPP is to provide accurate and comprehensive information about the income and program participation of individuals and households in the United States.

The survey's mission is to provide a nationally representative sample for evaluating: 1. annual and sub-annual income dynamics, 2. movement into and out of government transfer or assistance programs, and 3. effects of our changing family and social situations for individuals and households.

SIPP's longitudinal features allow the analysis of selected dynamic characteristics of the population, such as changes in income, eligibility for and participation in transfer programs, household and family composition, labor force behavior, and other associated events.

SIPP data can also be used to address the following types of questions: Because SIPP is a longitudinal survey, capturing changes in household and family composition over a multiyear period, it can also be used to address the following questions: In response to budget pressures, the Survey of Income and Program Participation nearly ceased to exist in 2006.

Examples include adjusting the age for retirement benefits, assessing people's ability to save for retirement, estimating the number of legally eligible people for Social Security divorce benefits, and evaluating and modifying the disability criteria for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) eligibility.

The SSA Supplement was a one-time survey conducted after Wave 1 of the 2014 SIPP panel, from September through November 2014.