Participation in Government Programs - Appendix 5

Variables Created

• CVC_GOVNT_PRG_EVER--number of months cash or transfer payments were ever received from government programs
• CVC_GOVNT_PRG_YR.80 - CVC_GOVNT_PRG_YR.xx--number of months cash or transfer payments were received from government programs during the year.
• CVC_AMT_GOVNT_PRG_YR.80 - CVC_AMT_GOVNT_PRG_YR.xx--total amount received from other government programs during the year

This program creates several variables describing the respondent's participation in government programs for the economically disadvantaged. During the interview, respondents report amounts received and months of participation in Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC); food stamps; and Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). There is also an "other assistance" question to capture information about any other government program from which respondents may have received assistance. 

The program to create these variables first creates month-by-month participation arrays for four categories of assistance (AFDC, food stamps, WIC, and other programs). These month-by-month variables constitute part of the event history array for program participation; see Appendix 7 for more information. After all the arrays are created, this program uses the array data to create the seven summary variables listed above.

Worker's Compensation. In early survey rounds, comparable variables were created for receipt of worker's compensation. These variables included:

• CV_AMT_WC_YR (1997-2001)--dollar amount of the worker's compensation received during each year
• CV_WC_WKS (1997)--number of weeks the respondent ever received worker's compensation
• CV_WC_EVER (1998-99)--number of months the respondent ever received worker's compensation
• CV_WC_YR (1997-1999)--number of months the respondent received worker's compensation during each year

Because worker's compensation can be reported either as a lump sum received on a single day or as payments over the period of time that the respondent was not working, the number of weeks/number of months summary variables were discontinued after round 3. The total benefits received in each calendar year were calculated through round 5. Since that time, respondents have simply been asked their total income from worker's compensation in each year and so no created variable is needed.

The logic and structure of the SAS code for the creation of the early-round worker's compensation variables is the same as that shown below for the other program participation variables. Because it is embedded in the full program participation variable creation code for those rounds it is not reproduced here. Users who need exact code should contact NLS User Services.

Link to Participation in Government Programs program file