Food Assistance Programs and Outcomes in the Context of Welfare Reform^*

Abstract

Food assistance programs play an important role in meeting the basic needs of low-income households. We consider the complex interactions among food stamps, labor force participation, and food insecurity status of low-income households under different program designs and economic conditions. The analysis uses data from the Survey of Program Dynamics to jointly estimate the role of participation in the Food Stamp Program (FSP), labor market participation and well-being, measured as food security, through the use of a simultaneous equation model. The results of our research suggest that food insecurity has a positive effect on FSP participation while labor force participation reduces FSP participation. Furthermore, FSP participation is more responsive to changes in the program benefits than to changes in nonlabor income. The linkages among food program participation, labor force participation, and well-being, measured in terms of food insecurity, are complex. The structural approach provides evidence that, among low-income households, program parameters affect FSP participation but no evidence that the food assistance reduces food insecurity. AbstractFood assistance programs play an important role in meeting the basic needs of low-income households. We consider the complex interactions among food stamps, labor force participation, The results of our research suggest that food insecurity has a positive effect on FSP participation while labor force participation reduces FSP participation. Furthermore, FSP participation is more responsive to changes in the program benefits than to changes in nonlabor income. The linkages among food program participation, labor force participation, and well-being, measured in terms of food insecurity, are complex. The structural approach provides evidence that, among lowincome households, program parameters affect FSP participation but no evidence that the food assistance reduces food insecurity.

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Participation and Child Food Security

“…Asreviewed earlier, partsof the past literature have failed to find an association, or even found positive associations between SNAP and food insecurity. [27][28][29][30][31] Compared with these studies, our analysis suggests that SNAP is associated with substantial improvements in food security for children. Several studies also have found that SNAP is associated with reductions in household food insecurity, which concurs with the findings in this study for child food security.…”

“…[23][24][25][26] Most research studies have attempted to isolate SNAP' s effect on food insecurity from the compositional differences between participants and nonparticipants by using a variety of data and empirical methods, but evidence of the program' s effect on food security has been mixed. Some studies have found positive or no associations between SNAP and food insecurity, [27][28][29][30][31] whereas others, including some with the strongest designs, have found that SNAP was associated with a decrease in food insecurity. 23,[32][33][34][35][36][37][38][39] Furthermore, with few exceptions, 2 nearly all research examining the effects of SNAP on food security has focused on household food security (measured by using responses to questions about access limitations faced by adults and children in the household); little is known about how SNAP affects children' s food security (measured by using responses to questions about access limitations faced by children in the household).…”

How Much Does the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Reduce Food Insecurity?

“…Studies have found that SNAP participants are more likely than nonparticipants to be food insecure or insufficient (Alaimo et al 1998; Cohen et al 1999; Jensen 2002; Ribar and Hamrick 2003; Wilde and Nord 2005). Other studies have found that SNAP participation has no statistically significant effect on food insecurity or insufficiency (Gibson-Davis and Foster 2006; Gundersen and Oliveira 2001; Huffman and Jensen 2008). These studies acknowledge concerns about selection into SNAP and several take steps to address this selection.…”

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Participation Is Associated with an Increase in Household Food Security in a National Evaluation,

“…Most research studies attempted to isolate SNAPÕs effect on food insecurity from the compositional differences between participants and nonparticipants using a variety of data and empirical methods, but the evidence of the programÕs effect has been mixed. Some studies found positive or no associations between SNAP and food insecurity (7)(8)(9)(10)(11), whereas others, including some with the strongest designs, found that SNAP was associated with a decrease in food insecurity (3,(12)(13)(14)(15)(16)(17)(18)(19).…”