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• means test
  means test

  noun

  an investigation into the financial position of a person applying for aid from public funds.
• means-test
  means-test

  verb (used with object)

  to subject (a person or a specific benefit) to a means test.

means test

¹ American  

noun

1. an investigation into the financial position of a person applying for aid from public funds.

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means-test ² American  

[meenz-test] / ˈminzˌtɛst /

verb (used with object)

1. to subject (a person or a specific benefit) to a means test.

   The government proposes to means-test Medicare.

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verb (used without object)

1. to perform a means test.

   fair and responsible means-testing.

means test British  

noun

1. a test involving the checking of a person's income to determine whether he qualifies for financial or social aid from a government Compare needs test

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Other Word Forms

• means-tested
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of means test¹

First recorded in 1925–30

Origin of means-test²

1960–65

Example Sentences

At primary level in Wales, universal free school meals "saves families around £500 a year per child", Ms Harwood said, but a strict means test still applied for secondary age children.

From BBC • Sep. 1, 2025

A more ambitious bill approaching the idea of UBI introduced by Representatives Rashida Tlaib and Mondaire Jones, would eliminate the means test, thereby creating a universal child allowance.

From Scientific American • Jan. 6, 2023

Food banks generally don’t means test for this reason.

From Slate • Sep. 23, 2022

ADA officials say a means test would ensure the benefit is helping those who really need it and save money for the Medicare program.

From Salon • Dec. 16, 2021

One reason was plainly the rigors of the means test, which required documentation of income, assets and in-kind support and inquiry into living arrangements.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 21, 2021