Working Paper: NBER ID: w27311
Authors: Tatiana Homonoff; Jason Somerville
Abstract: Recipients of means-tested program benefits must periodically document continued eligibility through a recertification process. We find evidence that the administrative burden associated with SNAP recertification leads to decreases in program participation. Cases assigned to later recertification interview dates, which leave less time to reschedule missed interviews, are over 20 percent less likely to recertify than cases assigned to interviews earlier in the month. Cases that fail recertification due to later assignments lose an average of $600 in benefits in the following year. These losses are highly skewed: many cases quickly re-enroll, while one quarter remain off SNAP for over a year post-recertification.
Keywords: SNAP; recertification; administrative burden; program participation
JEL Codes: H53; I14; I38
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| timing of recertification interview assignments (C41) | recertification success (C52) |
| timing of recertification interview assignments (C41) | SNAP program participation (H53) |
| cases failing recertification due to later assignments (K35) | loss of benefits (J32) |