Recent Trends in Food Stamp Usage and Implications for Increased Work Requirements

With the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP/food stamps) up for renewal, its critics are rallying behind efforts to expand SNAP work requirements to all recipients that they consider to be “work capable.” These critics argue that “work-capable” adults are increasingly taking up SNAP benefits while working less. But are these claims valid? In light of the far-reaching impacts that changes to work requirements would have, our latest research brief provides new empirical evidence regarding benefit take up and work effort of “work-capable” adults. We find that “work-capable” adults do not represent a growing segment of the SNAP caseload and a majority of “work-capable” adults who receive SNAP are working during the year that they receive benefits. Our results reinforce a body of research indicating that families receive SNAP in times of distress and unemployment, or times for which the safety net was designed.