1. Testimony to the U. S. House of Representatives, Select Committee on Hunger (March 28,1989);Neuhauser,1993
2. Lamison-White L. Poverty in the United States: 1996. U.S. Bureau of the Census, Current Population Reports, Series P60-198.Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1997.
3. 1998 Green Book: background material and data on programs within the jurisdiction of the Committee on Ways and Means,1998
4. Food pantries and food pantry use in Allegheny County;Daponte,1994
5. In determining eligibility, the Food Stamp program considers two aspects of household “wealth”: income and assets (excluding the value of a house). Income eligibility is determined by subtracting from the total adjusted income (80% of earned income plus all unearned income) a portion of expenditures on shelter, child (or dependent) care, and health (only for elderly or disabled persons).This latter amount, Net Monthly Income, is used to determine eligibility and benefit levels.To be income eligible, the household's income must fall below a specified level that varies by household size. If the household meets the income eligibility criteria, it must still be judged to be asset eligible. If the household has at least one disabled or elderly (over the age of 59) member, then the household is eligible for Food Stamps if it has less than $3000 in applicable assets. If no one in the household is disabled or elderly, then the applicable asset threshold is $2000. Applicable assets include the sum of monetary holdings and a portion of the value of the household's vehicle. Monetary holdings include retirement funds, bank accounts, cash on hand, stocks, bonds, certificates of deposit, and property solely held by a member of the household and on which the household does not reside. The rules guiding the applicable amount of the household's car(s) value are complex. Generally, for the first car, its value minus $4600 is applied to the asset limit. The entire value of a second or third vehicle may or may not apply, depending on how the vehicle is used.