The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Online Purchasing Pilot’s impact on food insufficiency

Abstract

Mandated under the 2014 Farm Bill, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Online Purchasing Pilot (OPP) was initially intended to test the feasibility of allowing online SNAP benefit redemption for groceries. In early 2020, the OPP was rapidly expanded to address pandemic-induced barriers to food access among SNAP households in the United States. Using data from the Census Bureau's Household Pulse Survey and a difference-in-difference framework (that exploits state variation in OPP implementation), we examine the effects of the rapid initial expansion of OPP on food sufficiency among low-income families. Results obtained indicate the OPP decreased food insufficiency among low-income adults by 2 percentage points (an 8 percent decrease relative to mean food insufficiency). Additional analyses suggest online benefit redemption improved food sufficiency by mitigating food access barriers, especially affecting racial minorities and married individuals. Given the unprecedented food access barriers during the rollout period, future research should consider the effect of online benefit redemption in subsequent years on food hardship and accessibility.