State Variations in SNAP Flexibilities during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Background and Purpose:

The COVID-19 pandemic created financial challenges and food insecurity for millions of U.S. households. In response, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) authorized states to use flexibilities within the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), a federal program providing food assistance for financially challenged families. Beginning March 2020, states adopted various approaches to supplementing SNAP benefits, easing administrative burden, and ensuring access to meals for children missing school meals. Furthermore, the timeline for the implementation of these policies varied among states. With the expiration of these flexible measures, debates grew on whether such supports should continue and how SNAP can be refined to better meet families’ needs post-COVID-19. Understanding how states vary in SNAP flexibilities during COVID-19 is essential to inform the design of food assistance programs and research on SNAP effectiveness. Through a comprehensive policy review, this study examines 1) state variations in SNAP flexibilities during COVID-19; and 2) the relationships between the number and duration of implemented policy changes.

Methods:

Data on states’ COVID-related SNAP flexibilities was collected from the USDA spanning from March 2020 to September 2023. A set of key dimensions of policy flexibilities was identified, including whether states implemented SNAP emergency allotment (EA) and Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT); allowed state agencies to suspend SNAP flexibility in the time frame for establishing or disposing of new claims; extended certification periods; adjusted periodic requirements; waived face-to-face interview; and used periodic report procedures instead of the more extensive recertification process. Descriptive analysis summarized state variations in policy implementations and durations. Pearson’s correlation coefficient was employed to assess the relationship between the number of policy changes and their average duration across states.

Results:

State comparisons revealed variations in the identified SNAP changes. First, the number of implemented policy changes varied substantially by states. Maryland, Minnesota, Colorado, Rhode Island, and Hawaii implemented as many as eight policy changes, while Idaho and South Dakota implemented one policy with flexibilities. Timelines varied as well. For instance, the EA was initiated as early as March 25, 2020 (e.g., Virginia), while Utah commenced last on May 1, 2020. Idaho was the first to conclude EA on March 30, 2021, contrasting with California’s last issuance extension until May 20, 2023. The duration of EA varied significantly, with Virginia experiencing the longest span of 1,070 days and Idaho the shortest at 353 days.

Pearson’s correlation coefficient result revealed a weak to moderate negative correlation between policy count and average policy duration (r = -0.38, p < .05), indicating that states with a greater number of policies tended to have shorter average policy durations.

Conclusions and Implications:

This study underscores the dynamic nature of SNAP flexibilities during the COVID-19 pandemic, reflecting the federal and state government’s efforts to address the immediate needs of low-income families. The findings suggest a tendency for policy proliferation to be associated with reduced policy longevity. The assembly and dissemination of this comprehensive dataset on SNAP flexibilities across states provide a valuable source for further analyses of policy effectiveness.