Data and code for: Issuance and Incidence: SNAP Benefit Cycles and Grocery Prices
Principal Investigator(s): View help for Principal Investigator(s) Jacob Goldin, Stanford University; Tatiana Homonoff, New York University; Katherine Meckel, University of California-San Diego
Version: View help for Version V1
| Name | File Type | Size | Last Modified |
|---|---|---|---|
| Replication_Files | 04/28/2021 01:34:AM |
Project Citation:
Goldin, Jacob, Homonoff, Tatiana, and Meckel, Katherine. Data and code for: Issuance and Incidence: SNAP Benefit Cycles and Grocery Prices. Nashville, TN: American Economic Association [publisher], 2022. Ann Arbor, MI: Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributor], 2022-01-28. https://doi.org/10.3886/E134181V1
Project Description
Summary:
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Many safety-net programs issue benefits as monthly lump-sum payments. We investigate how the timing of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefit issuance affects food purchases and the incidence of the transfer. Using scanner data from a large sample of grocery stores and state and time variation in SNAP issuance schedules, we document large, SNAP-induced intra-month cycles in food expenditures. However, we find that retailers do not adjust prices based on these predictable patterns of demand. Our results therefore suggest that reforming issuance schedules may reduce costs from SNAP-induced demand surges but are unlikely to affect the incidence of SNAP benefits.
Many safety-net programs issue benefits as monthly lump-sum payments. We investigate how the timing of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefit issuance affects food purchases and the incidence of the transfer. Using scanner data from a large sample of grocery stores and state and time variation in SNAP issuance schedules, we document large, SNAP-induced intra-month cycles in food expenditures. However, we find that retailers do not adjust prices based on these predictable patterns of demand. Our results therefore suggest that reforming issuance schedules may reduce costs from SNAP-induced demand surges but are unlikely to affect the incidence of SNAP benefits.
Scope of Project
JEL Classification:
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H00 Public Economics: General
H22 Taxation and Subsidies: Incidence
I38 Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty: Government Programs; Provision and Effects of Welfare Programs
H00 Public Economics: General
H22 Taxation and Subsidies: Incidence
I38 Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty: Government Programs; Provision and Effects of Welfare Programs
Geographic Coverage:
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United States
Time Period(s):
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2006 – 2014
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