ASEC 2021 Letter to OMB

October 8, 2020
TO:

Desk Officer for the U.S. Census Bureau
Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA)

FROM:

SUBJECT:

Digitally signed by DAVID
DAVID
WADDINGTON
David Waddington
WADDINGTON
Date: 2020.10.13 10:38:21 -04'00'
Chief, Social, Economic, and Housing Statistics Division

Request for Approval of Non-Substantive Change: Annual Social
and Economic Survey

The Census Bureau is writing to request approval of a Non-Substantive Change to the questions
administered on the Current Population Survey, Annual Social and Economic Survey (ASEC)
questionnaire approved on December 10, 2018 (OMB No. 0607- 0354). Refer to the 60-day
notice in the Federal Register, (83 FR 42252), published August 21, 2018. This request is in
keeping with the Census Bureau’s commitment to foster transparency in its efforts to produce
new, relevant and timely data on the social and economic experiences individuals are having
during this period of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The requested change consists of an additional four questions to the ASEC, and are designed to
collect new relevant information. These questions are based on approved questions added to the
Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP). The added questions will assist researchers
to evaluate the impact of governmental assistance programs on economic well-being, particularly
for the Supplemental Poverty Measure (SPM).
•

Given widespread school closings in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, many school
districts have shifted to alternative ways to distribute free school meals to children.
However, the ability for families to take up these programs likely varies in ways that
cannot be uniformly predicted, so adding a follow-up question about receipt of school
meals during school closures helps to improve data quality on the market value of these
benefits.

•

The three stimulus questions are necessary to allow researchers to estimate the amount of
stimulus payments received by households. The coronavirus stimulus payments
disbursed in 2020 were based on income from CY2018 or CY2019, making it nearly
impossible to model with only CY2020 income. We need to add these questions to get
accurate information on stimulus payments received to properly estimate after-tax income
for the SPM.

Please see Attachment NSC-1 for documentation of these proposed changes. Thank you for your
consideration. Please let us know if you have any questions or concerns

Attachment NSC-1 OMB Approval 0607-0464: Non-Substantive Change Request re: Current
Population Survey, Annual Social and Economic Survey
PROPOSED (September 15, 2020)

Question Universe: Household level question. If any child is reported as receiving free/reduced price
school lunch in Q83
1. ECVDMEAL
Did your children continue receiving free/reduced price meals through your school or
school district if schools were closed during the Coronovirus-COVID-19 pandemic?
1) Yes
2) No
3) Schools were not closed

Question universe: Household level question. All households.
1. ECVD_EIP
During 2020, did you or anyone in your household received any stimulus payment or
payments from the Department of the Treasury due to the Coronavirus-Covid-19
pandemic?
Do not include refunds on annual income taxes, unemployment compensation, or
payments from an employer.
1)
2)

Yes  Go to ECVD_COV
No  Go to end of supplement

2. ECVD_COV
Who was the stimulus payment for?
Enter all that apply, separate using the space bar or a comma.
Probe: Anyone Else?
 Go to ECVD_AMT
3. ECVD_AMT
What was the amount of the stimulus payment(s) that you received for all the covered
adults and children in 2020?
Enter dollar amount

________________
 Go to end of supplement