Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP) 1996 Panel

This data collection is part of a longitudinal surveydesigned to provide detailed information on the economic situation ofhouseholds and persons in the United States. These data examine thedistribution of income, wealth, and poverty in American society andgauge the effects of federal and state programs on the well-being offamilies and individuals. There are three basic elements contained inthe survey. The first is a control card that records basic social anddemographic characteristics for each person in a household, as well aschanges in such characteristics over the course of the interviewingperiod. These include age, sex, race, ethnic origin, marital status,household relationship, education, and veteran status. Limited dataare provided on housing unit characteristics such as units instructure, tenure, access, and complete kitchen facilities. The secondelement is the core portion of the questionnaire, with questionsrepeated at each interview on labor force activity, types and amountsof income, and participation in various cash and noncash benefitprograms for each month of the four-month reference period. Data foremployed persons include number of hours and weeks worked, earnings,and weeks without a job. Nonworkers are classified as unemployed ornot in the labor force. In addition to providing income dataassociated with labor force activity, the core questions cover nearly50 other types of income. Core data also include postsecondary schoolattendance, public or private subsidized rental housing, low-incomeenergy assistance, and school breakfast and lunch participation. Thethird element consists of topical modules, which are a series ofsupplemental questions asked during selected household visits.Topical modules include some core data to link individuals to the corefiles.The Wave 1 Topical Module covers recipiency and employmenthistory. The Wave 2 Topical Module includes work disability, educationand training, marital, migration, and fertility histories, andhousehold relationships. The Wave 3 Topical Module covers medicalexpenses and utilization of health care, work-related expenses andchild support, assets and liabilities, real estate, shelter costs,dependent care and vehicles, value of business, interest earningaccounts, rental properties, stocks and mutual fund shares, mortgages,and other assets. The Wave 4 Topical Module covers disability, taxes,child care, and annual income and retirement accounts. Data in theWave 5 Topical Module describe child support, school enrollment andfinancing, support for nonhousehold members, adult and childdisability, and employer-provided health benefits. Data in the Wave 6Topical Module provide information on medical expenses, work-relatedexpenses and child support paid, assets and liabilities, real estate,shelter costs, dependent care and vehicles, value of business,interest-earning accounts, rental properties, stock and mutual fundshares, mortgages, other financial investments. Wave 7 Topical Moduleincludes annual income and retirement accounts, home health care,retirement expectations and pension plan coverage, and taxes. Wave 8Topical Module covers adult well-being and welfare reform. Wave 9Topical Module is the same as Waves 3 and 6 Topical Modules. Wave 10Topical Module focuses on work schedules, disablility, taxes, childcare, and annual income and retirement. Wave 11 includes childsupport, support for nonhousehold members, and adult and childdisability. Wave 12 Topical Module is the same as Waves 3, 6, and 9but also includes child well-being.