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Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences
Increasing Beneficiary Retention In Food Assistance Programs, Colin Gray, Christopher J. O'Leary
Increasing Beneficiary Retention In Food Assistance Programs, Colin Gray, Christopher J. O'Leary
Christopher J. O'Leary
No abstract provided.
Increasing Beneficiary Retention In Food Assistance Programs, Colin Gray, Christopher J. O'Leary
Increasing Beneficiary Retention In Food Assistance Programs, Colin Gray, Christopher J. O'Leary
Upjohn Institute Policy and Research Briefs
No abstract provided.
Do Snap Work Requirements Work?, Timothy F. Harris
Do Snap Work Requirements Work?, Timothy F. Harris
Upjohn Institute Working Papers
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act waived Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) work requirements nationally in 2010 and broadened the eligibility for receiving waivers in subsequent years for Able-Bodied Adults without Dependents (ABAWD). From 2011 to 2016, many states voluntarily imposed work requirements, while other areas became ineligible for waivers because of improved economic conditions. Did the work requirements increase employment as intended, or did the policy merely remove food assistance for ABAWD who—despite an improving economy—still could not find employment? Using data from the American Community Survey from 2010 to 2016, I analyze the influence of work requirements on …
An Apple A Day? Adult Food Stamp Eligibility And Health Care Utilization Among Immigrants, Chloe N. East, Andrew I. Friedson
An Apple A Day? Adult Food Stamp Eligibility And Health Care Utilization Among Immigrants, Chloe N. East, Andrew I. Friedson
Upjohn Institute Working Papers
In this study, we document the effect of food stamp access on adult health care utilization. While the Food Stamp Program provides one of the largest safety nets in the United States today, the universal nature of the program across geographic areas and over time limits the potential for quasi-experimental analysis. To circumvent this, we use variation in documented immigrants’ eligibility for food stamps across states and over time due to welfare reform in 1996. Our estimates indicate that access to food stamps reduced physician visits. Additionally, we find that for single women, food stamps increased the affordability of specialty …
How Well Does Snap Protect Families Against The Risk Of Food Insecurity And Poor Health During Economic Downturns?, Thomas Deleire, Bradley Hardy, Jay Bhattacharya
How Well Does Snap Protect Families Against The Risk Of Food Insecurity And Poor Health During Economic Downturns?, Thomas Deleire, Bradley Hardy, Jay Bhattacharya
University of Kentucky Center for Poverty Research Discussion Paper Series
Our research project addressed the question of how well SNAP and the social safety net protects families against the risk of food insecurity and poor health during economic downturns. Previous research has documented the relationship between reductions in family incomes and food insufficiency and has examined the effects of resources that mitigate the effects of income volatility. The U.S. social safety net, including SNAP, exists to mitigate the deleterious effects of swings in family income, particularly among low- and moderate-income households. This work compares outcomes for lower income families and higher income families in response to economic downturns. To the …
Using Natural Experiments To Identify The Effects Of Snap On Child And Adult Health, Daniel P. Miller, Taryn W. Morrissey
Using Natural Experiments To Identify The Effects Of Snap On Child And Adult Health, Daniel P. Miller, Taryn W. Morrissey
University of Kentucky Center for Poverty Research Discussion Paper Series
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP; formerly known as food stamps) can have important impacts that extend beyond its intended aims to improve food security and nutrition, particularly for health and health care use. This project examined the impact of SNAP receipt and benefit level on the health of adults and children using two natural experiments to address selection bias: 1) state policy variation in SNAP in an instrumental variables (IV) analysis; and, 2) the temporary expansion of SNAP benefits and eligibility provided through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) in a difference-in-difference (DD) approach. We used restricted data …
Impact Of Food Insecurity And Snap Participation On Healthcare Utilization And Expenditures, Seth A. Berkowitz, Hilary K. Seligman, Sanjay Basu
Impact Of Food Insecurity And Snap Participation On Healthcare Utilization And Expenditures, Seth A. Berkowitz, Hilary K. Seligman, Sanjay Basu
University of Kentucky Center for Poverty Research Discussion Paper Series
We tested three hypothesis related to food insecurity and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), America’s largest anti-food insecurity program. We hypothesized that 1)food insecurity would be associated with increased healthcare expenditures, 2)food insecurity would be associated with increased use of emergency department and inpatient services, and 3) SNAP participation would be associated with lower subsequent healthcare expenditures. We used data from the 2011 National Health Interview Survey linked to the 2012-13 Medical Expenditures Panel Survey. We used zero-inflated negative binomial regression to test the relationship between food insecurity and healthcare cost and use. We evaluated the association between SNAP …
The Real Value Of Snap Benefits And Health Outcomes, Hilary W. Hoynes, Erin Bronchetti, Garret Christensen
The Real Value Of Snap Benefits And Health Outcomes, Hilary W. Hoynes, Erin Bronchetti, Garret Christensen
University of Kentucky Center for Poverty Research Discussion Paper Series
The food stamp program (SNAP) is one of the most important elements of the social safety net and is the second largest anti-poverty program for children in the U.S. (only the EITC raises more children above poverty). The program varies little across states and over time, which creates challenges for quasi-experimental evaluation. Notably, SNAP benefit levels are fixed across 48 states; but local food prices vary widely, leading to substantial variation in the real value of SNAP benefits. In this study, we leverage time variation in the real value of the SNAP benefit across markets to examine the effects of …
Food Store Choice Of Poor Households: A Discrete Choice Analysis Of The National Household Food Acquisition And Purchase Survey, Sofia B. Villas-Boas, Rebecca Taylor
Food Store Choice Of Poor Households: A Discrete Choice Analysis Of The National Household Food Acquisition And Purchase Survey, Sofia B. Villas-Boas, Rebecca Taylor
University of Kentucky Center for Poverty Research Discussion Paper Series
Policymakers are pursing initiatives to increase food access for low-income households. However, due in part to previous data deficiencies, there is still little evidence supporting the assumption that improved food store access will alter dietary habits, especially for the poorest of U.S. households. This article uses the new National Household Food Acquisition and Purchase Survey (FoodAPS) to estimate consumer food outlet choices as a function of outlet type and household attributes in a multinomial mixed logit. In particular, we allow for the composition of the local retail food environment to play a role in explaining household store choice decisions and …
The Effects Of Benefit Timing And Income Fungibility On Food Purchasing Decisions Among Snap Households, Joshua P. Berning, Gregory Colson, Jeffery H. Dorfman, Travis A. Smith, Xiaosi Yang
The Effects Of Benefit Timing And Income Fungibility On Food Purchasing Decisions Among Snap Households, Joshua P. Berning, Gregory Colson, Jeffery H. Dorfman, Travis A. Smith, Xiaosi Yang
University of Kentucky Center for Poverty Research Discussion Paper Series
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is the largest nutritional safety net in the United States. Prior research has found that participants have higher consumption shortly after receiving their benefits, followed by lower consumption towards the end of the benefit month. This “SNAP benefit cycle” has been found to have negative effects on beneficiaries. We examine two behavioral responses of SNAP participants that may work in tandem to drive much of the cycle: short-run impatience – a higher preference to consume today; and fungibility of income – the degree of substitutability between a SNAP dollar and a cash dollar. Using …
Cost Of Living, Healthy Food Acquisition, And The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, Sanjay Basu, Christopher Wimer, Hilary K. Seligman
Cost Of Living, Healthy Food Acquisition, And The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, Sanjay Basu, Christopher Wimer, Hilary K. Seligman
University of Kentucky Center for Poverty Research Discussion Paper Series
We tested the hypothesis that high costs of living, such as from high housing rents, reduce the healthfulness of food acquisitions. Using the National Household Food Acquisition and Purchase Survey (2012-13), we examined the relationships between cost of living and food acquisition patterns among both SNAP participants and non-participants (N = 5,414 individuals from households participating in SNAP, 3,863 individuals from non-participating households <185% of the federal poverty threshold, and 5,036 individuals from non-participating households >185% of the federal poverty threshold). Indices for cost of living included county-level Regional Price Parities for major classes of expenditures and the geographic adjustment to the Supplemental Poverty Measure, which is based on rent prices. We …
The Relationship Between Neighborhood Food Environment And Food Store Choice On Purchasing Habits Among Snap And Lower Income Households, Usda Foodaps Data, Alison A. Gustafson, James E. Allen Iv, Nancy E. Schoenberg, Mark Swanson
The Relationship Between Neighborhood Food Environment And Food Store Choice On Purchasing Habits Among Snap And Lower Income Households, Usda Foodaps Data, Alison A. Gustafson, James E. Allen Iv, Nancy E. Schoenberg, Mark Swanson
University of Kentucky Center for Poverty Research Discussion Paper Series
The objective of the study was to determine relationship between neighborhood food store availability, store choice and food purchasing habits among Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participating households. The study sample consisted of SNAP households (n=1581) and low income households participating in the USDA's National Household Food Acquisition and Purchase Survey (FoodAPS) a nationally representative cross-sectional survey of American households with household food purchases and acquisitions data. Main Outcomes: 1) Food purchasing choices (sugar-sweetened beverages, fruits and vegetables, snacks, water, and milk) obtained from store receipts over a one-week period; 2) food shopping activities was obtained from a log book …
Influence Of Snap Participation And Food Environment On Nutritional Quality Of Food At Home Purchases, Amy Hillier, Benjamin Chrisinger, Tony E. Smith, Eliza Whiteman, Michael Kallan
Influence Of Snap Participation And Food Environment On Nutritional Quality Of Food At Home Purchases, Amy Hillier, Benjamin Chrisinger, Tony E. Smith, Eliza Whiteman, Michael Kallan
University of Kentucky Center for Poverty Research Discussion Paper Series
A growing body of research describes how individuals make food shopping decisions in both time and space. The FoodAPS dataset provides a unique opportunity for understanding these patterns among a large sample across income, SNAP status, and settings. We addressed three questions in our research: (1) Where do participants shop for food at home (FAH) and how do individual characteristics interact with store characteristics and distance? (2) How does the nutritional content of foods purchased change as time from SNAP distribution increases? and (3) How does store choice influence the nutritional quality of FAH purchases? We used a conditional logit …
Do Snap Recipients Get The Best Prices?, Conrad Lyford, Raymond J. March, Carlos E. Carpio, Tullaya Boonsaeng
Do Snap Recipients Get The Best Prices?, Conrad Lyford, Raymond J. March, Carlos E. Carpio, Tullaya Boonsaeng
University of Kentucky Center for Poverty Research Discussion Paper Series
This paper examines the relationship between SNAP participation and prices paid for food items. To test this relationship, we develop an expensiveness index following the method of Aguiar and Hurst (2007) and use the FoodAPS data set. Using both the ordinary least squares method and controlling for endogeneity using an instrumental variables approach, we found SNAP participation did not hold a statistically significant relationship with the prices paid for food items when we controlled for consumer behavior and food market variables. This suggests that SNAP participants are not systematically disadvantaged in their food purchases. Additional efforts to further educate SNAP …
Causes And Consequences Of The Calorie Crunch, Michael A. Kuhn
Causes And Consequences Of The Calorie Crunch, Michael A. Kuhn
University of Kentucky Center for Poverty Research Discussion Paper Series
Monthly welfare programs such as the Supplementary Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) produce consistent cycles of expenditure and consumption amongst recipients. Food insecurity and negative behavioral outcomes track these cycles. This paper leverages new data from the USDA, the FoodAPS survey, and to answer a variety of questions related to these phenomena: Are consumption and expenditure cycles correlated? Who bears the burden of food shortages at the end of each benefit month? Does diet quality track food expenditure? I find robust expenditure and consumption cycles in the FoodAPS data, but contrary to popular belief, they are only weakly correlated. The youngest …
An Overview Of Snap, Food Security, And Geographic Factors In Food Purchase And Acquisition Decisions, James P. Ziliak, Craig Gundersen
An Overview Of Snap, Food Security, And Geographic Factors In Food Purchase And Acquisition Decisions, James P. Ziliak, Craig Gundersen
University of Kentucky Center for Poverty Research Discussion Paper Series
In April 2012 the Economic Research Service (ERS) and the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) in the U.S. Department of Agriculture embarked on an ambitious new data collection enterprise known as the National Household Food Acquisition and Purchase Survey (FoodAPS). FoodAPS is innovative in that it is the first nationally representative household survey to collect comprehensive data on household food expenditures and acquisitions, including those obtained using benefits from food assistance programs. The survey includes data from 4,826 households, including Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) households, low-income eligible households not participating in SNAP, and higher income households. FoodAPS is specifically …
Should Ui Eligibility Be Expanded To Low-Earning Workers? Evidence On Employment, Transfer Receipt, And Income From Administrative Data, Pauline Leung, Christopher J. O'Leary
Should Ui Eligibility Be Expanded To Low-Earning Workers? Evidence On Employment, Transfer Receipt, And Income From Administrative Data, Pauline Leung, Christopher J. O'Leary
Christopher J. O'Leary
Recent efforts to expand unemployment insurance (UI) eligibility are expected to increase low-earning workers’ access to UI. Although the expansion’s aim is to smooth the income and consumption of previously ineligible workers, it is possible that UI benefits simply displace other sources of income. Standard economic models predict that UI delays reemployment, thereby reducing wage income. Additionally, low-earning workers are often eligible for benefits from means-tested programs, which may decrease with UI benefits. In this paper, we estimate the impact of UI eligibility on employment, means-tested program participation, and income after job loss using a unique individual-level administrative data set …
Should Ui Eligibility Be Expanded To Low-Earning Workers? Evidence On Employment, Transfer Receipt, And Income From Administrative Data, Pauline Leung, Christopher J. O'Leary
Should Ui Eligibility Be Expanded To Low-Earning Workers? Evidence On Employment, Transfer Receipt, And Income From Administrative Data, Pauline Leung, Christopher J. O'Leary
Upjohn Institute Working Papers
Recent efforts to expand unemployment insurance (UI) eligibility are expected to increase low-earning workers’ access to UI. Although the expansion’s aim is to smooth the income and consumption of previously ineligible workers, it is possible that UI benefits simply displace other sources of income. Standard economic models predict that UI delays reemployment, thereby reducing wage income. Additionally, low-earning workers are often eligible for benefits from means-tested programs, which may decrease with UI benefits. In this paper, we estimate the impact of UI eligibility on employment, means-tested program participation, and income after job loss using a unique individual-level administrative data set …
Use Of Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program Benefits By Unemployment Insurance Applicants In Michigan During The Great Recession, Christopher J. O'Leary, Kenneth J. Kline
Use Of Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program Benefits By Unemployment Insurance Applicants In Michigan During The Great Recession, Christopher J. O'Leary, Kenneth J. Kline
Christopher J. O'Leary
During the Great Recession, both the Supplementary Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the federal-state unemployment insurance (UI) program experienced dramatic increases in participation. Using Michigan program administrative data on all SNAP (2006–2011) recipients and all UI (2001–2010) applicants, we examine SNAP use before and after UI application. Both past and future receipts of SNAP are highly negatively correlated with meeting UI income and job separation eligibility requirements. Unemployment insurance applicants with insufficient wage credits or job separations because of quitting or employer discharge are much more likely to have received SNAP in the past. Furthermore, such UI applicants are also …
Use Of Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program Benefits By Unemployment Insurance Applicants In Michigan During The Great Recession, Christopher J. O'Leary, Kenneth J. Kline
Use Of Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program Benefits By Unemployment Insurance Applicants In Michigan During The Great Recession, Christopher J. O'Leary, Kenneth J. Kline
Upjohn Institute Working Papers
During the Great Recession, both the Supplementary Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the federal-state unemployment insurance (UI) program experienced dramatic increases in participation. Using Michigan program administrative data on all SNAP (2006–2011) recipients and all UI (2001–2010) applicants, we examine SNAP use before and after UI application. Both past and future receipts of SNAP are highly negatively correlated with meeting UI income and job separation eligibility requirements. Unemployment insurance applicants with insufficient wage credits or job separations because of quitting or employer discharge are much more likely to have received SNAP in the past. Furthermore, such UI applicants are also …
A Spatial Analysis Of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program And Economic Conditions In The Appalachian Region, Nyakundi M. Michieka, Archana Pradhan, Tesfa Gebremedhin
A Spatial Analysis Of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program And Economic Conditions In The Appalachian Region, Nyakundi M. Michieka, Archana Pradhan, Tesfa Gebremedhin
Regional Research Institute Working Papers
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) helps low income people and families buy food they need for good health. The main objective of this study is to examine the effects of changes in the economic conditions and welfare on SNAP participation in the Appalachian region. The study employs county level data to capture variation in SNAP participation. Spatial econometric models are developed to examine the relationship among the economic and business cycle conditions, changes in welfare reforms, demographic and household attributes, institutional factors, and SNAP participation. The findings from this study could be helpful in improving welfare programs in this region.
Income Volatility And Food Assistance In The United States, Dean Jolliffe Editor, James P. Ziliak Editor
Income Volatility And Food Assistance In The United States, Dean Jolliffe Editor, James P. Ziliak Editor
Upjohn Press
This book provides a much-needed look at recent trends in income volatility and its effects on the design of and participation in the nation's food assistance programs.