The effects of lump-sum food benefits during the COVID-19 pandemic on spending, hardship, and health

Lauren Bauer, Krista Ruffini and Diane Schanzenbach

Journal of Public Economics, 2024, vol. 240, issue C

Abstract: This paper examines how providing families with lump-sum in-kind assistance during the pandemic affected food hardship, economic well-being, and maternal health. We study the introduction of a new program, P-EBT, that provided grocery vouchers worth approximately $300 per student during spring and summer 2020. Using cross-state variation in program timing, we find that families spent $18–42 per student per week in the 6 weeks after benefit receipt. Household food insufficiency and children’s food insecurity among low-income families declined by 27–49 % in the month following receipt, and maternal mental health improved by 0.9 standard deviation.

Keywords: Nutritional assistance; School meals; In-kind benefits (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: H51 H53 I18 I38 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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Working Paper: The Effects of Lump-Sum Food Benefits during the COVID-19 Pandemic on Spending, Hardship, and Health (2024)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:pubeco:v:240:y:2024:i:c:s0047272724002056

DOI: 10.1016/j.jpubeco.2024.105269

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