what is the federal poverty level

The federal poverty level (FPL) is an economic measure used to decide whether the income level of an individual or family is below the poverty line and, therefore, eligible to receive certain welfare benefits. It is the minimum amount of income required by a family for food, clothing, transportation, shelter, and other necessities. The FPL is published by the Department of Health and Human Services annually and is used to determine eligibility for various federal and state assistance programs, such as Medicaid, CHIP, and housing vouchers. For example, in 2023, the FPL for a family of four is $27,750 for the 48 contiguous states, and it is slightly higher for Alaska and Hawaii. The FPL is different from the poverty threshold, which defines poverty and provides statistics on the number of people living under such conditions