Final answer:
Critics argue that the U.S. poverty definition underestimates the extent of poverty by not accounting for expenditures beyond food, failing to adapt to contemporary budgetary proportions, and ignoring the higher relative costs incurred by the poor.
Step-by-step explanation:
Critics of the official U.S. poverty definition note that it fails to account accurately for expenditures other than food. In the United States, the federal poverty line (FPL) is based on a family's size, and the foundation for the poverty line is a standard for food expenditure that is updated for inflation and then multiplied by three. This multiplier is rooted in historical spending patterns where food was one-third of a family's budget in 1955, but critics argue that this is now an outdated method. Critics point out that food currently may only constitute about one-eighth of a family's budget. Consequently, the FPL does not appropriately account for other necessary expenditures such as housing, healthcare, childcare, and transportation, leading to an underestimation of poverty. Additionally, local variations in cost of living, taxes, and non-cash public benefits such as public housing, which may enhance well-being without increasing income, are not reflected in the FPL.