Perhaps nostalgia isn’t what it used to be, but the new (2010) poverty levels are just what they used to be – in 2009. You can find the new, old poverty guidelines in the August 3 Federal Register.

I won’t “tip my hat to the new constitution,” but will tip it instead to a post yesterday on the Say Ahhh! blog by the Center for Children and Families at Georgetown, which explains why the guidelines are unchanged this year. If you’re trying to determine eligibility standards for public benefit programs, you Won’t Get Fooled Again if you use the tables on the WI Budget Project’s website. They show the new, old federal poverty level (FPL) for various family sizes, and translate the annual figures into comparable amounts for monthly and hourly income.  They also show the income at different percentages of the FPL, ranging from the 115% income limit for Wisconsin Works up to the 300% limit for participation of pregnant women in BadgerCare Plus.

A simpler table, which also contains links to federal websites relating to the poverty level, can also be found on our website.

Jon Peacock, Research Director