INTRODUCTION
1. 'Principal source of cash income' is one of the three cash income variables. It is collected in a variety of ABS surveys to indicate how persons, income units, families and households derive the resources to fund their consumption.
2. 'Principal source of cash income' is the variable that identifies the source from which a person or other statistical unit of concern receives the largest amount of their cash income. Using the full question module such as for the Household Expenditure Survey (HES) and Survey of Income and Housing Costs (SIHC), amounts from each source are collected separately, and 'Principal source of cash income' can then be derived for aggregate units - income unit, family or household. Question modules other than the full module ask respondents their main source of income and this is then used as the principal source of income for these collections. In these modules, principal source of income cannot be derived for aggregate units such as the family or household. Information about main source of income has to be obtained for each level of unit for which principal source of income is to be output.
3. This document is intended to be read in conjunction with the 'Framework for standard cash income variables' which provides conceptual background, the Classification of sources of cash income, the question modules used to collect cash income data and definitions of all relevant terminology. Further information can be obtained by contacting the Standards Support Hotline on 02 6252 5736 or by email to: social.classifications@abs.gov.au.
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