Glen Allen

Researchers are evaluating the effects of work requirements in public assistance programs like the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) and Medicaid, focusing on how these policies impact insurance coverage, SNAP participation, employment, and health. This study particularly examines changes in racial, ethnic, socioeconomic, and geographic disparities in these outcomes, using data from Virginia. The urgency of this research is heightened by the COVID-19 pandemic and economic downturn, which affect employment, health care, and food security. The study involves a randomized controlled trial in Virginia, where some participants receive additional exemption months before work requirements in SNAP become effective, along with extensions of the standard SNAP recertification period. This cross-randomized intervention tests the impact of delaying the enforcement of work requirements on program participation and related outcomes. Participants will be tracked for up to 24 months after randomization, with researchers collecting data on SNAP enrollment, employment status, and earnings covered or not covered by unemployment insurance. The study combines national administrative data with a new population survey to assess disparities during the ongoing public health and economic crises. The team will analyze the overall effects of the policies and determine which groups are most affected.