Understanding and Improving Data Quality Relating to Low-Income Households

FaHCSIA Policy Research Paper No. 24

89 Pages Posted: 20 Dec 2010

See all articles by Rosanna Scutella

Rosanna Scutella

University of Melbourne - Melbourne Institute: Applied Economic & Social Research

David Thomas Johnson

Government of South Australia - Department of Treasury and Finance

Date Written: April 1, 2005

Abstract

This report explores issues concerning the reliability of data and the implications for the measurement of inequality, poverty and social welfare.

The authors analyse ways to measure the lot of low-income households by comparing data from a range of weekly and annual income surveys; expenditure and income surveys; income survey data and administrative data from government transfer records; and income survey data with income expected from eligibility criteria. The report finds that factors affecting measurements of the circumstance of low-income households include:

- conceptual issues such as the choice of the most appropriate unit of observation, period of observation, metric of measurement and source of data; and - practical issues including changing circumstances, underreporting of income, between-household transfers of income and consumption goods, and issues concerned with household definition.

Suggested Citation

Scutella, Rosanna and Johnson, David Thomas, Understanding and Improving Data Quality Relating to Low-Income Households (April 1, 2005). FaHCSIA Policy Research Paper No. 24, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1728589 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1728589

Rosanna Scutella (Contact Author)

University of Melbourne - Melbourne Institute: Applied Economic & Social Research ( email )

Level 5, FBE Building, 111 Barry Street
Parkville, Victoria 3010
Australia
+61 3 8344 8175 (Phone)
+61 3 8344 5630 (Fax)

HOME PAGE: http://wff1.ecom.unimelb.edu.au/iaesrwww/people/rscutella/

David Thomas Johnson

Government of South Australia - Department of Treasury and Finance

233 North Terrace
Adelaide SA 5005
Australia

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