Ascertaining who is eligible for SNAP: Are we using the correct metric?

Abstract

Extensive research has shown that the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) reduces food insecurity. This work, however, has generally defined eligibility based on only the gross income criterion (ignoring the asset and net income criteria). Using data from the 2018 Survey of Income and Program Participation, these central results emerge: the composition of eligible households differs by choice of metric; state's discretion to remove the asset test, compared to setting a higher gross income threshold, has a larger impact on the eligible sample; and previous research examining the effect of SNAP on food insecurity is likely robust to sample choice.