Perry Singleton funded by University of Kentucky poverty center
Perry Singleton, associate professor of
economics, received a $46,500 grant from the University of Kentucky’s Center
for Poverty Research to fund his project, "The Effect of Social Security Retirement
Benefits on Food-Related Hardship among Older Americans."
Singleton’s project builds from earlier
research showing that individuals who file early claims for Social Security
retirement benefits at the age of 62 are more likely to face economic hardship.
His research will examine whether those facing food hardship before they turn
62 are able to use Social Security benefits to reduce this hardship, or whether
transitioning to a fixed income through social security increases the
persistence of food hardship. This project will also assess whether increased
food insecurity among the working class during the Great Recession affected the
relationship between Social Security benefits and food-related hardship.
The University of Kentucky’s Center for Poverty
Research (UKCPR) was established in 2002 in order to support research on
causes, consequences, and correlates of poverty, inequality, and food
insecurity across the United States. UKCPR works at the interdisciplinary
juncture of economics, public policy, political science, public health,
sociology, and social work. It also sponsors conferences of low-income
populations and helps with grant-making and mentoring programs.
Singleton, who is also a senior research
associate with the Center for Policy Research, specializes in public finance
and health economics. His research has been published in journals including Journal of Public Economics, Journal of
Human Resources, and National Tax
Journal. Singleton’s work has previously received funding from institutions
including the U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Social Security Administration.
You can read more about the UKCPR on their website.
04/27/20