Underreporting of Welfare Utilization in Current Population Survey Data Evidence for Matched California Administrative Data (CPS)

The Underreporting of Welfare Utilization in Current Population Survey Data Evidence for Matched California Administrative Data (CPS) study examined the incidence of under- and over-reporting of welfare participation in the Current Population Survey (CPS) through comparison of CPS data with administrative data from California's MEDS files.

The major research question concerns the accuracy of CPS data with regard to welfare participation. The report also considered accuracy for certain subgroups as defined by demographics, employment status, family structure and welfare participation history. It determined the prevalence of false positive and false negatives.

This study matched responses to the CPS survey on questions concerning the receipt of welfare with administrative records in California to ascertain the accuracy of the CPS responses.