This report uses data from the Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP) to examine the attachment of persons to the welfare system over a 32-month period. The source of the data is the full panel file from the 1984 SIPP. The first wave of interviews for this panel was conducted during the months of October, November, and December 1983, and January 1984. One-fourth of the sample was interviewed in each of these months and each sample household was visited at 4-month intervals thereafter. The final interviews for the 1984 panel were conducted in 1986.

The panel file contains records for each person for whom a reasonably complete set of data for a 32-month period was obtained. Efforts were made during the life of the panel to follow persons who moved to ensure that the sample remained representative of the noninstitutional population of the United States.

During a SIPP interview, information is collected on the income, labor force, and program participation characteristics of persons during each month of the reference period (the reference period is the 4 months preceding the interview month). It is therefore possible to classify persons by the number of months over the 32-month period that the person participated in one or more assistance programs.

The program participation data in this report refer to the following major programs: (1) Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC), (2) General Assistance, (3) Supplemental Security Income (SSI), (4) Medicaid, (5) Federal food stamps, and (6) Federal and State rent assistance.

The tables in this report show data for persons. Persons are considered recipients of AFDC, General Assistance, or food stamp assistance if they are the primary recipient or if they are the spouse or minor child of the primary recipient. Persons receiving SSI payments are considered to be recipients of welfare assistance as are persons covered by Medicaid or living in public or subsidized housing.