Engaging Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) through a Human Rights Lens: Eligible Non-Participants Share Reasons for Non-Use and Policy Recommendations

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is the most important anti-hunger program in the United States (US). Yet some people who are eligible for SNAP do not participate in the program. In 2020, approximately 78% of eligible households participated in SNAP. A human rights lens helps to critically analyze why some households do not participate.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights calls for a right to an adequate standard of living, including food. The Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR) defines this as when every person has physical and economic access at all times to adequate food or means for its procurement.

International human rights principles are used to apply a human rights lens. This includes universality which states that human rights apply to everyone, accountability which indicates that those in power are responsible for the realization of human rights, participation states that all stakeholders should be involved in decision-making regarding their human rights, transparency which means that those in power are responsible for being clear and evident regarding decisions about human rights, human dignity which mean that everyone is entitled to care, respect, and self-determination, and equity - that human rights should account for systemic injustices.

Using a human rights lens, this study examined why some eligible households do not use benefits. A case study of SNAP in Connecticut was conducted using in-depth, semi-structured interviews with individuals who were eligible but not using SNAP benefits (n=15) and advocates or volunteers who assist with SNAP case processing (n=4). Participants were recruited from food pantries, soup kitchens and community food sites and completed a pre-screening survey to confirm eligibility.

With permission, interviews were audio recorded, transcribed, and coded. Provisional coding was used to examine transcripts for violations or compliance with human rights standards which include international human rights instruments and human rights principles. The data was analyzed using thematic analysis.

Results indicate that participants lacked economic accessibility to food. Violations to availability and adequacy were prevalent amongst the most vulnerable individuals such as those who were unhoused or experienced physical and/or mental disabilities. A review of human rights principles indicated that government entities are not facilitating access to adequate food, leaving rights-holders responsible for facilitating access themselves. There were several violations of transparency whereby participants were unclear with policy or unable to successfully communicate with the state agency. Most alarmingly were the violations of human dignity faced by individuals who lacked access to adequate food. These violations were perpetuated by state agency caseworkers who were critical in facilitating access to food benefits.

Recommendations from participants to better envision food and economic indicate that caseworkers should listen to their lived experience more during the SNAP interviews. Outside of SNAP, partnerships with farms to facilitate fresh food were suggested. These are critical policy recommendations to consider. Future research should incorporate the voices of individuals affected by food insecurity to develop policies that match their lived experiences. Social work practitioners should also be aware challenges to navigating SNAP when offering anti-hunger resources.