This variable is based on the current monthly net household income asked for directly in the household questionnaire (“screener”). Since everyone in SOEP over the age of 16 is also interviewed personally, this income can be calculated based on the current individual monthly incomes of all household members. Possible underestimation in “screener” can thus be assessed and corrected. However, in the case of item-nonresponse on the original screener, the procedure is only used for households surveyed completely, without item-non-response on the variables in question.
For personal income, we use monthly net income (from dependent employment and self-employment), extra earnings, pensions, widow’s pensions, unemployment benefits or relief, maintenance payments, early retirement payments, maternity benefits, BaFoeG (state higher education grants), military or civil service pay, compulsory child support, as well as other forms of support from the P files.
Civil servants’ pensions income is taxed at the flat rate of 20% and multiple entries on the use of employment office services are corrected for by calculating a median value.
We add all the individual incomes of all interviewed household members, also adding to this sum all income from the household context (housing subsidies, child benefits, welfare and home nursing subsidies, social assistance; since 2005 also Unemployment Benefit II (“ALG II”) or Social Benefit).
When no answer was provided on net household income, we use the net household income calculated as described above, under the condition that all household members gave valid answers.
If the net household income generated in this way is higher than the household income stated in the questionnaire, we correct the value upwards. When no answer was given for the different components of income, we set the value of the particular component at zero.
HGAHINC was not generated from 2011 on.
This variable is based on the current monthly net household income asked for directly in the household questionnaire (“screener”). Since everyone in SOEP over the age of 16 is also interviewed personally, this income can be calculated based on the current individual monthly incomes of all household members. Possible underestimation in “screener” can thus be assessed and corrected. However, in the case of item-nonresponse on the original screener, the procedure is only used for households surveyed completely, without item-non-response on the variables in question.
For personal income, we use monthly net income (from dependent employment and self-employment), extra earnings, pensions, widow’s pensions, unemployment benefits or relief, maintenance payments, early retirement payments, maternity benefits, BaFoeG (state higher education grants), military or civil service pay, compulsory child support, as well as other forms of support from the P files.
Civil servants’ pensions income is taxed at the flat rate of 20% and multiple entries on the use of employment office services are corrected for by calculating a median value.
We add all the individual incomes of all interviewed household members, also adding to this sum all income from the household context (housing subsidies, child benefits, welfare and home nursing subsidies, social assistance; since 2005 also Unemployment Benefit II (“ALG II”) or Social Benefit).
When no answer was provided on net household income, we use the net household income calculated as described above, under the condition that all household members gave valid answers.
If the net household income generated in this way is higher than the household income stated in the questionnaire, we correct the value upwards. When no answer was given for the different components of income, we set the value of the particular component at zero.
HGAHINC was not generated from 2011 on.