Food insecurity during the COVID-19 pandemic: evidence from a survey of low-income Americans

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic significantly increased food insecurity despite emergency legislation that put more resources into food assistance programs, increased unemployment benefits, and provided stimulus payments. We conducted a survey in the US on food insecurity among low-income Americans during the early months of the pandemic. While we cannot estimate causal effects, we are able to show important associations between food insecurity and nutritional and economic assistance that highlight the need to ensure that those newly at risk for food insecurity are able to connect to resources. For example, our results indicate that those who lost jobs due to the pandemic reported the highest level of food insecurity and also the lowest engagement with food assistance programs. The SNAP expansion appears to be important only among groups with higher levels of income stability including non-minority households and those not experiencing a job loss. Thus, the SNAP expansion may not have had a meaningful impact on those most at risk for food insecurity. Finally, our data highlight the importance of school meal programs during normal times. Those who took advantage of school meals before the outbreak are more likely to have experienced food insecurity during the pandemic-related school closures.

Patterns of Food Assistance Program Participation, Food Insecurity, and Pantry Use among U.S. Households with Children during the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…Similar declines in SNAP participation among vulnerable households in the months following the onset of the pandemic have been observed by others [ 30 , 42 ]. During the pandemic, initial SNAP policies that counted additional sources of benefits (e.g., unemployment insurance) towards household income may have made some households with children ineligible.…”

“…However, numerous barriers prevent some individuals from accessing these programs, including lack of information about the programs, difficulty applying, perception of stigma, and criteria restrictions [ 26 , 27 , 28 ]. While previous research has shown that participation in federal food and nutrition assistance programs increases during periods of economic hardship [ 29 ], pandemic-related barriers may have hampered program participation by some groups [ 30 , 31 ]. The use of food banks and pantries also increases in response to unmet food needs, as was evidenced by the long lines outside these facilities nationwide during the pandemic [ 32 ].…”

Rural Household Food Insecurity among Latino Immigrants during the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…Some mentioned the public charge rule as an impediment to SNAP enrollment, adding empirical evidence to support concerns about the rule's chilling effect on public assistance during the COVID-19 pandemic [26]. During the pandemic, there is evidence of inequitable SNAP utilization and expansion, namely reduced participation among low-income Latino households and a limited impact of SNAP expansion on minority households and those experiencing job loss [5]. While our study did not collect data on experiences with discrimination as a potential food access barrier, this is an important construct to assess in future work since racialized minorities can experience discrimination in a variety of settings, including food retail stores [51].…”

“…Food insecurity rates in the United States (U.S.) rapidly increased during the COVID-19 pandemic [1,2], with elevated rates in Black, Latino, and low-income households [3][4][5]. Food insecurity is associated with greater health care expenditures [6] and worse health behaviors and outcomes [7], including lower-quality diet [8][9][10], diet-related chronic illness (e.g., diabetes, cardiovascular disease) [7,[11][12][13][14][15], and premature death [16,17].…”

Food Insecurity During the First Year of COVID-19: An Analysis of Employment and Sociodemographic Factors Among a Longitudinal Cohort (CHASING COVID)

“…Unsurprisingly, sectors where participants had high percentages food insecurity also had high percentage with any income loss due to the pandemic, as seen in several other studies. 4,26,[30][31] Many occupations within these industries commonly have lower wages and minimal or no benefits such as sick leave and health care, further compounding the impact of the pandemic. A study based on the Census Household Pulse Survey found an inverse relationship between pre-pandemic income levels and financial hardship during the pandemic, which disproportionately affected Black and Hispanic Americans.…”