Welfare & the safety net

During the last 7 days, did you or anyone in your household get free groceries from a food pantry, food bank, church, or other place that helps with free food? Select only one answer.

Do you or does anyone in your household receive benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) or the Food Stamp Program? Select only one answer.

Have you received Unemployment Insurance (UI) benefits in the last 7 days? Select only one answer.

Since January 1, 2024, have you received Unemployment Insurance (UI) benefits? Select only one answer.

Since January 1, 2024, have you applied for Unemployment Insurance (UI) benefits? Select only one answer.

Where did you get free groceries or free meals? Choose all that apply. - Shelter or soup kitchen

Where did you get free groceries or free meals? Choose all that apply. - Food pantry or food bank

Where did you get free groceries or free meals? Choose all that apply. - Home-delivered meal service like Meals on Wheels

Where did you get free groceries or free meals? Choose all that apply. - Church, synagogue, temple, mosque or other religious organization

Where did you get free groceries or free meals? Choose all that apply. - Other community program

Where did you get free groceries or free meals? Choose all that apply. - Family, friends, or neighbors

Thinking about your experience in the last 7 days, which of the following did you or your household members use to meet your spending needs? Select all that apply.

Where did you get free groceries or free meals? Choose all that apply. - Free meals through the school or other programs aimed at children

A. Where would you place yourself on this scale, or haven't you have up your mind on this?

Did the student(s) ...(select all that apply)

Thinking about your experience in the last 7 days, which of the following did you or your household members use to meet your spending needs? Select all that apply.

Do you or does anyone in your household receive benefits from... Select all that apply.

Do you or does anyone in your household receive benefits from... Select all that apply.

Did the student(s) ...(select all that apply)

Did the student(s) ...(select all that apply)

Thinking about your experience in the last 7 days, which of the following did you or your household members use to meet your spending needs? Select all that apply.

Thinking about your experience in the last 7 days, which of the following did you or your household members use to meet your spending needs? Select all that apply.

Thinking about your experience in the last 7 days, which of the following did you or your household members use to meet your spending needs? Select all that apply.

Thinking about your experience in the last 7 days, which of the following did you or your household members use to meet your spending needs? Select all that apply.

Thinking about your experience in the last 7 days, which of the following did you or your household members use to meet your spending needs? Select all that apply.

Thinking about your experience in the last 7 days, which of the following did you or your household members use to meet your spending needs? Select all that apply.

Thinking about your experience in the last 7 days, which of the following did you or your household members use to meet your spending needs? Select all that apply.

Thinking about your experience in the last 7 days, which of the following did you or your household members use to meet your spending needs? Select all that apply.

Thinking about your experience in the last 7 days, which of the following did you or your household members use to meet your spending needs? Select all that apply.

What type of benefits did you apply or attempt to apply for since March 13, 2020? Select all that apply.

Since March 13, 2020, did you receive Unemployment Insurance (UI) benefits? Select only one answer.

Since March 13, 2020, have you applied for Unemployment Insurance (UI) benefits? Select only one answer.

Do you or does anyone in your household receive benefits from... Select all that apply.

Unemployment income - In the past 12 months, did you (and/or your spouse or partner) receive any income from the following sources:

Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) - In the past 12 months, have you (and/or your spouse or partner) received any of the following?

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP or food stamps) - In the past 12 months, have you (and/or your spouse or partner) received any of the following?

Thinking about your use of the payments from the "Child Tax Credit" did you:

The next questions ask about your household's spending in last 4 weeks. Please only include experiences that occurred in the last 4 weeks. In the last 4 weeks, did you or anyone in your household receive a "Child Tax Credit" payment, that is an advance payment from the expansion of the child tax credit as part of the Federal Government's 2021 American Rescue Plan? Please report "yes" if you received the payment as a paper check or as a direct deposit.

Thinking about your use of the payments from the "Child Tax Credit" did you:

Thinking about your use of the payments from the "Child Tax Credit" did you:

Thinking about your use of the payments from the "Child Tax Credit" did you:

In which month(s) were SNAP or food stamp benefits received? Select all that apply.

In which month(s) were SNAP or food stamp benefits received? Select all that apply.

In which month(s) were SNAP or food stamp benefits received? Select all that apply.

In which month(s) were SNAP or food stamp benefits received? Select all that apply.

In which month(s) were SNAP or food stamp benefits received? Select all that apply.

In which month(s) were SNAP or food stamp benefits received? Select all that apply.

In which month(s) were SNAP or food stamp benefits received? Select all that apply.

Including yourself, how many people in your household received Unemployment Insurance (UI) benefits since March 13, 2020? Please enter a number.

In which month(s) were SNAP or food stamp benefits received? Select all that apply.

In which month(s) were SNAP or food stamp benefits received? Select all that apply.

In which month(s) were SNAP or food stamp benefits received? Select all that apply.

In which month(s) were SNAP or food stamp benefits received? Select all that apply.

In which month(s) were SNAP or food stamp benefits received? Select all that apply.

Housing assistance from government program - In the past 12 months, have you (and/or your spouse or partner) received any of the following?

Did you ever--because of sickness, unemployment, or any other reason--receive anything like welfare, unemployment insurance, or other aid from government agencies?

Supplemental Security Income (SSI), TANF, or cash assistance from a welfare program – In the past 12 months, did you (and/or your spouse or partner) receive any income from the following sources:

Free or reduced price school lunches for your children - In the past 12 months, have you (and/or your spouse or partner) received any of the following?

Do you or does anyone in your household receive benefits from... Select all that apply.

Do you or does anyone in your household receive benefits from... Select all that apply.

What did you and your household mostly spend the "Child Tax Credit" portion of your refund on? Select all that apply.

Did the student(s) ...(select all that apply)

What type of benefits did you apply or attempt to apply for after January 1, 2021? Select all that apply.

F. Provide a decent standard of living for the unemployed.

Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) nutrition program benefits - In the past 12 months, have you (and/or your spouse or partner) received any of the following?

Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) nutrition program benefits - In the past 12 months, have you (and/or your spouse or partner) received any of the following?

I. Provide decent housing for those who can't afford it.

A. People should be willing to help others who are less fortunate

B. Those in need have to learn to take care of themselves and not depend on others

Do you or does anyone in your household receive benefits from... Select all that apply.

Do you or does anyone in your household receive benefits from... Select all that apply.

Financial assistance from a religious or community organization - In the past year, have you (and/or your spouse or partner) received each of the following?

Free groceries or meals through a food pantry, religious, or community organization - In the past year, have you (and/or your spouse or partner) received each of the following?

Charity, church, or other organization - Who outside of your household provides you with regular financial supportor helps you with bill payments?

Internet research - You indicated that you (or your spouse or partner) received income from unemployment insurance in the past year. Did you learn about your eligibility for these benefits from each of the following sources?

Employer - You indicated that you (or your spouse or partner) received income from unemployment insurance in the past year. Did you learn about your eligibility for these benefits from each of the following sources?

And who do you think should primarily cover the costs of this help to these elderly people?

Friends or family - You indicated that you (or your spouse or partner) received income from unemployment insurance in the past year. Did you learn about your eligibility for these benefits from each of the following sources?

Who do you think should primarily provide this help?

News stories - You indicated that you (or your spouse or partner) received income from unemployment insurance in the past year. Did you learn about your eligibility for these benefits from each of the following sources?

Government agency - You indicated that you (or your spouse or partner) received income from unemployment insurance in the past year. Did you learn about your eligibility for these benefits from each of the following sources?

Union - You indicated that you (or your spouse or partner) received income from unemployment insurance in the past year. Did you learn about your eligibility for these benefits from each of the following sources?

F. The government should provide a decent standard of living for the unemployed.

[Free or reduced price school lunches] In the past 12 months, have you received any of the following?

[Cash assistance from a welfare program, such as TANF] In the past 12 months, have you received any of the following?

NOTE: This variable originates on the GSS Next follow-on, and should not be analyzed without the GSS Next-specific weights WTSSPS_NEXT or WTSSNRPS_NEXT

Please indicate whether the next statement was often true, sometimes true, or never true in the past month for the children living in your household who are under 18 years old. "The children were not eating enough because we just couldn't afford enough food."

Didn’t have time to apply - Are each of the following reasons why you have not applied for government rental assistance?

Didn’t know how or where to apply - Are each of the following reasons why you have not applied for government rental assistance?

Didn’t want or need help - Are each of the following reasons why you have not applied for government rental assistance?

Application process was too difficult - Are each of the following reasons why you have not applied for government rental assistance?

Landlord would not participate - Are each of the following reasons why you have not applied for government rental assistance?

What was the outcome of your application for emergency rental assistance?

Didn’t know about rental assistance - Are each of the following reasons why you have not applied for government rental assistance?

Have... Applied for unemployment benefits

Since March 2020, have you and/or your spouse/partner either received or applied for each of the following forms of income or assistance, or not? Free groceries or meals through a food pantry, religious, or community organization

Since March 2020, have you and/or your spouse/partner either received or applied for each of the following forms of income or assistance, or not? Financial assistance from a religious or community organization

How does the income that you and/or your spouse/partner received from unemployment insurance compare to the income that you and/or your spouse/partner previously received at work?

For each of the following tell us whether you support or oppose these decisions. [Require able-bodied adults 18 to 49 years of age who do not have dependents to have a job in order to receive food stamps.]

Since March 2020, have you and/or your spouse/partner either received or applied for each of the following forms of income or assistance, or not? SNAP (sometimes known as Food Stamps)

Since March 2020, have you and/or your spouse/partner either received or applied for each of the following forms of income or assistance, or not? Unemployment insurance

Unemployment income - In the past 12 months, did you [and/or your spouse/parnter] receive any income from the following sources:

The social benefits from the government make people lazy.

[Assistance with housing payments from a state, county, or federal program] In the past 12 months, have you [and/or your spouse/partner] received any of the following?

E. Provide disability benefits for (NAME).

C. Provide housing for (NAME) if (NAME) can't afford it.

A. First, provide a job for (NAME) if (NAME) wants one.

D. Provide financial help for education if (NAME) can't afford it.

A. Giving businesses and industry special tax breaks for locating in poor and high unemployment areas.

C. Provide special college scholarships for children from economically disadvantaged backgrounds who maintaIn good grades.

B. Spending more money on the schools in poor neighborhoods especially for pre-school and early education programs.

A. First, requiring that people must work in order to receive welfare.

B. Second, reducing welfare benefits to make working for a living more attractive.

E. The government should spend less on benefits for the poor.

G. The government should provide everyone with a guaranteed basic income.

D. Helps keep people's marriage together in times of financial problems?

F. Discourages young women who get pregnant from marrying the father of the child.

B. Helps people get on their feet when facing difficult situations such as unemployment, a divorce or a death in the family.

E. Helps to prevent hunger and starvation.

A. Makes people work less than they would if there wasn't a welfare system.

Have you personally ever received income from Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC), General Assistance, Supplemental Security Income, or Food Stamps? CIRCLE ONE CODE ONLY.

C. Encourage young women to have babies before marriage.

E. If social welfare benefits such as disability, unemployment compensation, and early retirement pensions are as high as they are now, it only makes people not want to work anymore.

B. For some time there have been discussions about how concerned the government should be about the social welfare of people. We have listed here two different opinions. With which opinion do you agree the most? READ STATEMENTS A & B. CIRCLE ONE CODE.