Reversing a recent positive trend, more St. Joseph County households were struggling financially in 2019, and the pandemic has likely worsened things for even more people, according to a new analysis by University of Notre Dame researchers. The federal government-determined poverty level, $26,500 annual income for a family of four, has long been the standard by which poverty is measured in the United States. But in recent years, the United Way has also been counting the âworking poor,â those whose work at one or more jobs pushes their income over the poverty line but below what it takes to pay bills and some debt while saving for the future.