Econ Papers Daily / 期刊论文
在线福利兑换与SNAP参与：来自SNAP在线购买试点的证据
Online Benefit Redemption and SNAP Participation: Evidence From the SNAP Online Purchasing Pilot
摘要
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is the largest federal nutrition assistance program in the United States, yet many eligible households do not participate due to administrative burdens, stigma, and geographic access constraints. We examine whether the SNAP Online Purchasing Pilot (OPP), which allows beneficiaries to redeem benefits online, affects program participation. Using a difference‐in‐differences design with state‐level data from 2017 to 2021, we find that SNAP OPP increases program participation per capita by 13.7% (1.6 percentage points) and participation among individuals below the poverty line by 11.3% (11 percentage points). Event‐study estimates indicate effects emerge within three months and persist thereafter. Participation gains are larger in states with higher digital infrastructure (computer ownership and internet access) and greater vehicle access, indicating that online and physical access function as complements. States with higher shares of elderly residents and households with children also exhibit stronger responses. These findings suggest that enabling online benefit redemption can expand safety net access, though benefits vary systematically with local infrastructure and demographic composition.
中文摘要
补充营养援助计划（SNAP）是美国最大的联邦营养援助项目，但由于行政负担、污名化以及地理可达性限制，许多符合条件的家庭并未参与其中。我们考察了SNAP在线购买试点项目（OPP）——该试点允许受益人通过在线方式兑换福利——是否会影响项目参与率。利用2017年至2021年的州级数据，采用双重差分法进行分析，我们发现SNAP OPP使人均项目参与率提高了13.7%（1.6个百分点），贫困线以下个体的参与率提高了11.3%（11个百分点）。事件研究估计表明，该效应在三个月内显现并持续存在。在数字基础设施（计算机拥有率和互联网接入率）更完善以及车辆可及性更高的州，参与率增幅更大，这表明在线与实体可达性具有互补作用。老年居民比例较高以及有儿童家庭比例较高的州也表现出更强的响应。这些发现表明，允许在线福利兑换能够扩大安全网的可及性，但其效益会因当地基础设施和人口结构的差异而呈现系统性变化。