Access and Retention in SNAP and WIC: State-Level Patterns and Interventions

Session Submission Type: Panel

Abstract

Much of public benefit attainment in programs like SNAP and WIC relates to administrative processes and associated burdens, and many studies take as their premise that addressing these administrative barriers can increase benefit access and retention (Herd & Moynihan, 2018; Giannella et al, 2024; Wu & Meyer, 2021). In a policy environment with substantial devolution in programs like TANF and the potential for future devolution in others (Bruch et al, 2018), understanding patterns of benefit access and retention on a state-by-state level may inform how to make these programs more effective and resilient. Recent research demonstrates that increases in state-level administrative discretion have indeed increased differences in benefit attainment (Herd & Moynihan 2023). This panel brings together four state-level analyses of SNAP and WIC cases using administrative data to understand how different elements of program administration impact access and retention, particularly in ways that may impact existing disparities. The first paper, by Basurto et al., studies SNAP take-up differences based on state adoption of online applications. The second paper, by Fox-Dichter et al., describes patterns of churn in the New Jersey SNAP caseload, examining characteristics of the cases most likely to miss four or fewer months of benefits within a few years of SNAP versus those that stayed on SNAP for the duration of that time frame. The third paper, by Kim et al., focuses this discussion of churn on households with English-language-learners (ELL) in the state of Virginia, examining whether these patterns differ for ELL households. The fourth paper, by Bitler et al., examines WIC retention and whether the transition to WIC EBT on the county level impacted recertification in a mountain state. Taken together, these papers will provide insights into how local-level differences and discretion in program administration may impact participants’ access and retention of benefits, identifying opportunities for future state- and local-level improvement, and how states can make use of administrative data for program learning and improvement.

Policy Area

• Poverty and Income Policy

Secondary Policy Area

• Social Equity and Race

Chair

• Andrea Hetling, Rutgers University - New Brunswick

Organizer

• Sophia Fox-Dichter, Rutgers University - New Brunswick

Individual Presentations

• The Role of Technology in the Safety Net: Adoption of Online SNAP Applications - Presenting Author: Luis E Basurto, Cornell University

• Patterns of Churn in New Jersey's SNAP Caseload - Presenting Author: Sophia Fox-Dichter, Rutgers University - New Brunswick; Non-Presenting Co-Author: Andrea Hetling, Rutgers University - New Brunswick; Non-Presenting Co-Author: Kirsten Meidlinger, Rutgers University - New Brunswick

• Effects of EBT on Program Enrollment: Evidence from a Mountain State - Non-Presenting Co-Author: Marianne Bitler, University of California, Davis; Presenting Author: Caitlin Shamoly Dutta, University of Wisconsin-Madison; Non-Presenting Co-Author: Seojung Oh, University of North Carolina, Charlotte; Non-Presenting Co-Author: Jason B Cook

• The Voices We Don’t Hear: Identifying Barriers to SNAP Participation from Reddit Discussions - Presenting Author: Zhaowen Guo, Georgetown University