“ALICE” is a acronym for “Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed.” Members of the ALICE class work to earn just enough to get by; anything unexpected—such as an illness or a car accident—cannot be afforded, and there are no savings. ALICE represents the working poor.
 
According to the United Way of Northern New Jersey, it coined the term “ALICE” in 2009.
 
     
myCentralJersey.com
10:22 AM, May 31, 2010
ALICE does live here, right in Central Jersey
Written by
PAUL C. GRZELLA
GENERAL MANAGER
ALICE works full time as a customer-service representative in a local business. She earns about $35,200 annually.
 
She has two children she is raising on her own in a modest Somerset County apartment, and also gets some child-care help from family members.
 
She is making her rent payments, but hasn’t been able to set aside any money for savings.
 
Twitter
Sal Curcuru
‏@SalCurcuru
ALICE-Asset Limited, Income Constrained, but Employed-those on the brink #fmas10
10:06 AM - 21 Sep 2010
 
OCLC WorldCat record
ALICE : asset limited, Income constrained, employed : a study of financial hardship in New Jersey
Author: Stephanie Hoops Halpin; United Way of Northern New Jersey.
Publisher: [Cedar Knolls, NJ] : United Way of Northern New Jersey, 2012.
Edition/Format:   Print book : English
United Way of Northern New Jersey
Pg. i:
ALICE was coined by United Way in 2009 after a pilot research project was conducted examining the low-income population of Morris County.
(...)
ALICE: Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed.
Although we have chosen a woman’s name, this population is comprised of households of men and women alike, and includes children and seniors.
 
Twitter
Penny Bernath
‏@penny_bernath
Do you know ALICE? Asset Limited Income Constrained Employed. In other words: the working poor. #ConnectTheLeft #P2
Lawrenceville, GA
10:40 AM - 2 Feb 2012
 
Twitter
Andy
‏@firstnameandy
ALICE —Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed - take heed, it’s an epidemic.
3:03 PM - 2 Feb 2012
 
Rutgers University-Newark
United Way Launching National ALICE Study with Rutgers University-Newark in Five States
BY LAURA BRUNO, UNITED WAY OF NORTHERN NEW JERSEY
January 14, 2014
Half a century after the War on Poverty was first waged, United Way is launching a national research project on the ALICE population, to ignite a nationwide dialogue around the size and scope of working Americans who are unable to afford basic needs today.
 
United Way is partnering with Rutgers University-Newark, School of Public Affairs and Administration to undertake a study of the ALICE population in five states.
(...)
ALICE is a United Way project that stands for Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed. ALICE represents residents who earn more than the U.S. poverty line, but less than the basic cost of living. Building on a 2012 study of New Jersey’s ALICE population that found one-third of the state’s households cannot afford basic needs, United Ways in five states are taking the lead to shed light on the issue across the country.
     
The Herald Bulletin (Anderson, IN)
LIVING ALICE
Gambling on education
For those on verge of poverty, is student debt worth the risk?
Posted: Monday, May 11, 2015 7:00 am
By Zach Osowski | The Herald Bulletin
(...)
Zimmerman is part of a large segment, about 28 percent, of the population of Madison County who don’t qualify for most welfare but don’t earn enough money to pay their bills and handle irregular expenses such as car repairs and health care.
 
Last year, the Indiana Association of United Ways released a report on this financially insecure group and coined the acronym ALICE—Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed—to describe them. According to the report, 42 percent of the county’s population is below the ALICE threshold and are “struggling to survive financially.” About 14 percent of the population are in poverty and would qualify for government assistance. The 28 percent who fall into the ALICE category earn too much for many forms of assistance.