Figure 1. Rise of the middle class safety net

Note: Based on author’s calculation. Means-tested transfers include Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Supplemental Security Income (SSI), housing assistance programs, low-income subsidies for Medicare Part D (prescription drug coverage), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF, formerly Aid to Families with Dependent Children), child nutrition programs, cost-sharing reduction payments (as part of Affordable Care Act), state and local assistance programs, and the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program.
Source: Source: Congressional Budget Office Get the data