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‘$30 goes a long way’:
SNAP Households and the
Affordable Connectivity Program

FEBRUARY 2024

For almost 23 million American households with low incomes, navigating tight budgets and high living costs may soon get even tougher.

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Blog Posts

Learn more about how we're making the social safety net more user-friendly.

MARCH 2024

Can an app make a positive impact on an EBT cardholder’s overall financial health?

DECEMBER 2023

What Do Data Rights Mean for EBT?

NOVEMBER 2023

Building Broad Support for EBT Choice & Security

NOVEMBER 2023

Ensuring Choice & Security for EBT Users
 

MAY 2023

Connecting Providers to Tax Refunds & Creating New Filers
 

FEBRUARY 2023

10 Families Across 8 Months: Studying the Impact of the Child Tax Credit on Providers App Users

Monthly User Insights

We survey households every month to understand how external factors like a changing economy, public health, and policy interventions impact families. Around 3,000 of our users share their experiences with accessing government benefits and food, financial, and housing insecurity. 

In-Depth Reports

Deep-dives on the issues our users face in making it through the month, every month.

SEPTEMBER 2023

Case Study: Driving Medicaid Renewals
via Mobile App

JANUARY 2023

2022: A Year of Change and Challenge
 

AUGUST 2022

Pandemic-related food benefits are helping users cope with new challenges, but their days are numbered

FEBRUARY 2022

“I honestly don’t know how I am going to get by”: Parents are grappling with the loss of the monthly Child Tax Credit

OCTOBER 2021

The Child Tax Credit is bringing “a sense of security and relief” to parents

AUGUST 2021

Why does food insecurity persist despite pandemic-related expansions to benefits?

In the Media

See a selection of recent pieces featuring our users and their stories below.

PBS NewsHour

How a complicated benefits system lets some fall through the safety net

Amid many of the debates around entitlements and benefits, one thing is often lost to the public: Many people who qualify for help struggle to get and keep their benefits because it can be difficult to navigate the system. Economics correspondent Paul Solman looks at the challenge as part of our special series, America’s Safety Net.

March 11, 2024

GovTech

Federal Subsidy Vital to Internet Access, Users Say

A new survey of Affordable Connectivity Program users detailed the financial hardships recipients face in affording broadband, and found more than half access government services online.

February 28, 2024

MarketWatch

The return of student-loan payments doesn’t seem to have hurt consumer spending. But some low-income borrowers are feeling the pinch.

Some student-loan borrowers on government food assistance were late paying rent and utility bills, new data from Propel show

November 1, 2023

Business Insider

There's been a spike in Americans skipping meals since the end of pandemic-era benefits

Over half of Americans on SNAP benefits are eating less, a new report found.

September 27, 2023

Bloomberg

Food Insecurity Remains Elevated After Pandemic-Era Benefits End

High food prices continue to hit consumers and food pantries six months after an expanded government assistance program ended, according to report out Wednesday.

September 27, 2023

Partner Research

Research on our users from our partner organizations.

Author:

Julieta Cuéllar

Lifting Children Out of Poverty Takes More Than Access to Government Programs; It Demands Focus on User Experience

Authors:

Ariel Kennan, Sara Soka, and Katie Sullivan

Accessible Benefits Information: Reducing Administrative Burden and Improving Equitable Access through Clear Communication About Safety Net Benefits

Authors:

Southern Economic Advancement Project

Two years into pandemic, Southerners’ struggle with housing weighs heavy as lawmakers begin ARP spending plans

Author:

Julieta Cuéllar

The Tech-Enabled Social Safety Net: A Case Study of the EBT System

Author:

Andrew Hills

Salience through Information Technology: The Effect of Balance Availability on the Smoothing of SNAP Benefits

Authors:

Wendy De La Rosa, Joanne Yeh

Managing SNAP (Food Stamps) Efficiently

Authors:

Natasha Pilkauskas, Katherine Michelmore, Nicole Kovski, H. Luke Shaefer

The Effects of Income on the Economic Well-Being of Families with Low Incomes: Evidence from the 2021 expanded Child Tax Credit

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