Federal Poverty Guidelines

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Family and Consumer Sciences Programming - EFNEP
Federal Poverty Guidelines - 2012

The poverty guidelines are issued each year in the Federal Register by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The guidelines are simplification of the poverty thresholds for use of administrative purposes-for instance, determining financial eligibility for certain federal programs. For more information about poverty guidelines log on to the Institute for Research on Poverty’s Website: http://aspe.hhs.gov.

2012 HHS Poverty Guidelines

Size of Family
Unit

48 Contiguous States and District of Columbia
(Excluding Alaska and Hawaii)

185 % Poverty

For families/ households with more than 8 persons, add $3,960 for each additional person.

$11,170

$15,130

$19,090

$23,050

$27,010

$30,970

$34,930

$38,890

$20,644

$27,990

$35,316

$42,642

$49,968

$57,294

$64,620

$71,946

SOURCE: Federal Register, Vol. 77, No.17, January 26, 2012, pp. 4034-4035

Please note that an additional column has been added to the 2012 Federal Poverty Guidelines to include figures for 185 percent of poverty. The column was added to increase the income criteria used to determine eligibility for participation in EFNEP. The figure of 185% poverty was chosen based on similar income eligibility criteria for other programs such as WIC, Head Start, Food Stamp Program, National School Lunch Program, the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program and the Children’s Health Insurance Program. Note that in general, cash public assistance programs (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families and Supplemental Security Income) do NOT use the poverty guidelines in determining eligibility. The Earned Income Tax Credit program also does NOT use the poverty guidelines to determine eligibility.

Revised: January 30, 2012

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Cooperative Extension Service Departments Family and Consumer Sciences Programming - EFNEP Federal Poverty Guidelines - 2012

Cooperative Extension Service Departments
Family and Consumer Sciences Programming - EFNEP
Federal Poverty Guidelines - 2012