Income Packaging Strategies of Economically Disconnected Women and the Implications for Social Policy and Practice

Authors

Andrea Hetling, Rugters, The State University of New JerseyFollow
Jinwoo Kwon, Rugters, The State University of New Jersey
Elizabeth Mahn, Rugters, The State University of New Jersey

Keywords

Economically disconnected women, income packaging, low-income families, public cash assistance

Abstract

Income packaging, or piecing together cash and non-cash resources from a variety of sources, is a common financial survival strategy among low-income women. This strategy is particularly important for economically disconnected women, who lack both employment income and public cash assistance receipt. Using data from the confidential Census Bureau versions of the Survey of Income and Program Participation, this study compares the use of public and private supports between disconnected and connected low-income women, controlling for differences in state welfare rules and county unemployment rates. Findings from bivariate comparisons and multilevel logistic regressions indicate that disconnected women utilize public non-cash supports at similar rates to connected women, but rely more heavily on private sources. Conclusions focus on the policy implications for outreach and program development.

Recommended Citation

Hetling, Andrea; Kwon, Jinwoo; and Mahn, Elizabeth (2014) "Income Packaging Strategies of Economically Disconnected Women and the Implications for Social Policy and Practice," The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare: Vol. 41: Iss. 3, Article 6.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.15453/0191-5096.3969
Available at: https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/jssw/vol41/iss3/6