SNAP Work Requirements, Administrative Burden and Procedural Denials

Jason Cook, Elizabeth Cox and Chloe East

No 34698, NBER Working Papers from National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc

Abstract: Work requirements are often criticized for imposing administrative burdens that reduce access to benefits, yet prior research has struggled to isolate this mechanism from other sources of disenrollment. This paper provides direct evidence by examining procedural denials in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). We study work requirements for Able-Bodied Adults Without Dependents (ABAWDs) and exploit age-based exemptions that apply to individuals aged 50 and older. Using administrative data and difference-in-differences models leveraging waiver periods, we find that work requirements significantly increase procedural and overall denials. Our results indicate that these policies deter participation through imposed administrative burdens.

JEL-codes: H53 I38 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026-01
Note: LS PE
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