Administrative Burdens and Economic Insecurity Among Black, Latino, and White Families

Abstract

This study investigates how administrative burdens influence differential receipt of income transfers after a family member loses a job. Using the panel component of the Current Population Survey from 1990 through 2019, we find that administrative burdens have increased in the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families and Unemployment Insurance programs but declined for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. These administrative burden effects generally contribute to lower income replacement rates for Black and Latino families experiencing job loss relative to White families, though results are sensitive to adjustments for benefit underreporting. Moreover, states with higher shares of White residents have smaller administrative burden effects, on average. Reducing administrative burdens in income transfer programs would likely reduce racial-ethnic inequalities in economic insecurity.