2011 Field Test of the Re-engineered Survey of Income and Program Participation

Attachment G

What have we learned
from SIPP?

We never reveal
information about you.

Because you and thousands of others 
have helped us with this survey, we have
learned that:

49 percent of households in the
United States are receiving benefits
from at least one government

program.

All the information you provide the U.S.
Census Bureau is confidential by law (Title
13, United States Code, Section 9). Every
Census Bureau employee takes an oath and
is subject to a jail penalty and a fine for
improperly disclosing any information that
would identifyan individual or a household.
Published information is presented only in
the form of statistical summaries, and no
identifiable information is ever released.
The Census Bureau has established rigid
procedures and guidelines to ensure data
confidentiality and is proud of the excellent
reputation it has earned in this respect.

There are 9.7 million residents of
households who need assistance from
another person for physical or home
management activities.

The median net worth among all U.S.
households was $79,000 in 2004.

Not only does the SIPP provide data like
these, but it indicates the number of
families who may have a certain source of
income one month but not the next. The
SIPP can also show the combinations of
income that families might have. These
kinds of information help in evaluating the
economic status of the nation, show how
things change, and give policy makers the
facts that enable them to make better
economic decisions.

You Represent Your Nation

Issued September 2010
SIPP-4006A(2011)

USCENSUSBUREAU
Helping You Make Informed Decisions

Attachment G

What is SIPP?
The Survey of Income and Program Participation
(SIPP) is an important survey conducted by the
U.S. Census Bureau to determine the economic
situation of people living in the United States.
It provides information on a wide variety of
topics and measures the changes in our
economic status over time. The survey
collects data on the types of jobs and sources
of income that people have, as well as the number and the characteristics of people who participate in various government programs. By
conducting this survey, the Census Bureau can
get an accurate picture of the financial health of
the nation and how well government assistance
programs are aiding people who need help the
most.
To obtain this information, we combine SIPP
data with data from other government
agencies to create a comprehensive set of
summary information. We—along with the
Department of Health and Human Services, the
Department of Labor, and other agencies—use
this information to help make policy decisions
about Social Security, taxes, health care
programs, and welfare programs. Private
researchers also use data summaries to
analyze the economic health of
the nation.

How is the survey
designed?
As the economy changes, the worth of a person’s
income and assets may also change, and as the
size and composition of a household changes, a
family’s economic situation may also be affected.
SIPP gathers information over several years in
order to study any changes in individual and
family financial situations over time.
The 2011 SIPP survey is changing from the traditional way we administer the SIPP survey. Instead
of collecting data by visiting a household every
4 months over a period of 3–4 years, field representatives will visit the household only once each
year and ask questions about what occurred over
the previous calendar year. This re-engineered
survey includes topics such as: household
relationships, work, participation in assistance
programs, health insurance, health care usage
and disabilities, assets and liabilities, and commuting expenses. This data helps us understand
how these factors affect a person’s or a family’s
economic situation.

Why did you choose me?
We scientifically selected your address among
4,000 similar addresses selected that represent
residential addresses in the country. We initially
chose these addresses without knowing the
residents of the houses or apartments. Because
your address was scientifically selected, we
cannot substitute your next door neighbor or
another house around the corner.
We selected only a sample of households
because interviewing every address in the
country would be too costly and take too much
time, and we believe that the 4,000 household
sample is sufficient to make reliable estimates
from the information we collect—if we have
your cooperation.

Why are my answers
important?
The United States is made up of many types of
people—and you are one of them. Our statistics
need to be representative of all persons—rich
and poor, young and old, employed and
unemployed. When we interview your household, your answers represent thousands
of other households similar to yours.
Your participation in this survey
guarantees the completeness and
accuracy of the final results.
Of course your participation in this

survey is voluntary, and we appreciate

your cooperation.