This report contains data on the characteristics of households receiving selected noncash benefits in 1981. These data were obtained from the March 1982 Current Population Survey (CPS) conducted by the Bureau of the Census. Noncash benefits can be defined as benefits received in a form other than money that serve to enhance or improve the economic well-being of the recipient. The Census Bureau began in March 1980 to supplement the collection of annual money income data in the CPS with questions designed to collect information on a selected group of noncash benefits.

The data collection in March 1982 concentrated on two major categories of noncash benefits: those that could be defined as public transfers and those that could be categorized as employer- or union-provided benefits to employees. In the area of public noncash transfers, the survey covered the following programs: the Food Stamp Program, the National School Lunch Program, public and other subsidized housing, Medicare health insurance, Medicaid health insurance, and CHAMPUS, VA, or military health insurance. Data were collected for two types of employer- or union-provided noncash benefits: pension plans and group health insurance plans.