Study Details | Pathways to Work

101036.04-Study of SNAP Works

Study quality: High

High

Reason for the rating: This study received a high study quality rating because it is a low-attrition randomized controlled trial with no known issues that suggest the findings cannot be attributed to the intervention.

Intervention: SNAP Works 2.0

Population and employment barriers:

Employment status (Unemployed), Public Benefits Recipients (Public benefits recipients)

Services provided:

Case management, Job readiness, Job search assistance, Performance- or behavior-based financial incentives, Transportation assistance

Setting: Tested in multiple settings

Study design

Design:

Randomized controlled trial

Study group formation:

The Georgia Division of Family and Children Services (DFCS) enrolled 5,000 SNAP participants in the pilot, randomizing roughly half to the SNAP Works 2.0 group and the other half to the control group.

Time period of study:

Three years

Primary outcome domains examined:

Increase short-term earnings, Increase long-term earnings, Increase short-term employment, Increase long-term employment, Decrease short-term benefit receipt, Decrease long-term benefit receipt

Other outcome domains examined:

The study reports impacts on food security, health, well-being, and housing status.

Study funded by:

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food Nutrition Service, Contract Number AG-3198-B-15-0002/12319818F0080

Results

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Outcome domain	Measure	Timing	Study quality by finding	Comparison group mean	Intervention group mean	Impact	Units	Sample size
Increase short-term earnings	Annual earnings	Year 1	High	7,565.00	7,311.00	-254.00	2017 dollars	4,596
Increase long-term earnings	Annual earnings	Year 3	High	9,335.00	9,889.00	554.00	2019 dollars	4,596
Increase short-term employment	Average number of quarters employed	Year 1	High	2.10	2.10		quarters	4,596
Increase short-term employment	Ever employed, quarterly	Quarter 6	High	51.50	51.30	-0.20	percentage points	4,596
Increase long-term employment	Average number of quarters employed	Years 1, 2, and 3	High	6.10	6.20	0.10	quarters	4,596
Increase long-term employment	Ever employed, quarterly	Quarter 12	High	47.30	47.10	-0.20	percentage points	4,596
Decrease short-term benefit receipt	Amount of AFDC/TANF benefits, annual	Year 1	High	1.00	1.00		2017 dollars	4,596
Decrease short-term benefit receipt	Amount of food stamps/SNAP benefits, annual	Year 1	High	1,242.00	1,290.00	48.00	2017 dollars	4,596
Decrease short-term benefit receipt	Medicaid, annual	Year 1	High	6.00	6.40	0.40	percentage points	4,596
Decrease short-term benefit receipt	Received AFDC/TANF, annual	Year 1	High	0.10	0.10		percentage points	4,596
Decrease short-term benefit receipt	Received food stamps/SNAP, annual	Year 1	High	96.90	97.80	0.90	percentage points	4,596
Decrease long-term benefit receipt	Amount of AFDC/TANF benefits, annual	Year 3	High	3.00	7.00	4.00	2019 dollars	4,596
Decrease long-term benefit receipt	Amount of food stamps/SNAP benefits, annual	Year 3	High	693.00	654.00	-39.00	2019 dollars	4,596
Decrease long-term benefit receipt	Medicaid, annual	Year 3	High	8.10	7.00	-1.10	percentage points	4,596
Decrease long-term benefit receipt	Received AFDC/TANF, annual	Year 3	High	0.20	0.40	0.20	percentage points	4,596
Decrease long-term benefit receipt	Received food stamps/SNAP, annual	Year 3	High	42.60	41.10	-1.50	percentage points	4,596

Short-term outcomes are those measured 18 months or fewer after participants are first offered services. Long-term outcomes are those measured between 18 months and 5 years after participants are first offered services. Very long-term outcomes are those measured 5 years or more after participants are first offered services.

Findings quality key:

High
Moderate

Study quality terms?

The findings quality describe our confidence that a given study’s finding is because of the intervention. We do not display findings that rate low.

Findings key:

A moderate-to-large favorable finding that is unlikely to be due to chance
A moderate-to-large favorable finding that might to be due to chance
A small favorable finding that is unlikely to be due to chance
A small favorable finding that might be due to chance
A favorable finding that is unlikely to be due to chance, but we cannot determine the standardized effect size
A favorable finding that might be due to chance, but we cannot determine the standardized effect size
A moderate-to-large unfavorable finding that is unlikely to be due to chance
A moderate-to-large unfavorable finding that might to be due to chance
A small unfavorable finding that is unlikely to be due to chance
A small unfavorable finding that might be due to chance
An unfavorable finding that is unlikely to be due to chance, but we cannot determine the standardized effect size
An unfavorable finding that might be due to chance, but we cannot determine the standardized effect size
A finding that is unlikely to be due to chance, but we cannot determine the standardized effect size or direction
A finding of no effect that might be due to chance

Favorable findings are impacts in a direction that is socially desirable. Statistical significance indicates the likelihood that a study finding is due to the intervention, rather than due to chance. Findings are described as moderate-to-large if the intervention produced a sufficiently large change in the outcome. An impact receives this designation if the standardized effect size is equal to or greater than 0.25 or equal to or less than -0.25.

Sample characteristics

SNAP Works 2.0 targeted able bodied adults without dependents.

Age

Mean age	33 years
Young adults	21%
Adults (age 25+)	79%

Sex

Female	48%
Male	52%

Participant race and ethnicity

Black or African American	80%
White, not Hispanic	13%
Hispanic or Latino of any race	3%
Asian	1%
Another race	1%
More than one race	3%

The race and ethnicity categories may sum to more than 100 percent if the authors reported race and ethnicity separately; in these cases, we report the category White, rather than White, not Hispanic.

Participant employment and public benefit status

Were employed	6%
Were unemployed	94%
Public benefits recipients	100%

Participant education

Had a high school diploma or GED	79%
Did not have a high school diploma or GED	21%
Postsecondary credential	22%

Intervention implementation

Implementing organization:

Georgia Division of Family and Children Services, Georgia Department of Labor - Local Workforce Investment Agencies (DeKalb Workforce Services, Atlanta Regional Commission, Coastal Workforce Services)

Program history:

SNAP Works 2.0 was one of 10 pilot programs across the country authorized and funded by the Agricultural Act of 2014 to offer enhanced SNAP E&T services to help connect SNAP participants to employment opportunities.

Intervention services:

SNAP Works 2.0 offered access to job search training and assistance, career planning and case management, support services, financial incentives, and access to education and occupational skills training opportunities. Services were mandatory.

Mandatory services:

Job search assistance

Comparison services:

The control group was eligible for existing SNAP E&T services and any employment and training services available in the community. Georgia's existing SNAP E&T program consisted of a mandatory, four-week independent job search activity, and provided some limited support services such as transportation assistance.

Service receipt duration:

Average length of participation was 23 days

Intervention funding:

Federal SNAP Pilot Funding

Study publications

Bigelow, Jonathan, James Mabli, Cynthia Miller, Brandon Hawkins, Stephen Freedman, Kelsey Schaberg, Gretchen Rowe, and Julie Hartnack (2022). Expanding Opportunities & Reducing Barriers to Work: Georgia Final Report Appendices. Alexandria, VA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service, Office of Policy Support. Available at: https://www.fns.usda.gov/research/snap-et/final-evaluation-pilot

Bigelow, Jonathan, James Mabli, Cynthia Miller, Brandon Hawkins, Stephen Freedman, Kelsey Schaberg, Gretchen Rowe, and Julie Hartnack (2022). Expanding Opportunities & Reducing Barriers to Work: Georgia Final Report. Alexandria, VA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service, Office of Policy Support. Available at: https://www.fns.usda.gov/research/snap-et/final-evaluation-pilot

Dotter, Dallas, James Mabli, Barbara Carlson, Julie Hartnack, Mason DeCamillis, Nora Paxton, Amy Defnet, Peter Schochet, Gayle Hamilton, and Stephen Freedman (2021). Expanding Opportunities & Reducing Barriers to Work: Interim summary report technical supplement. Alexandria, VA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service, Office of Policy Support. Available at: https://www.fns.usda.gov/research/snap-et/interim-evaluation-pilot

Dotter, Dallas, Kelley Monzella, James Mabli, Barbara Carlson, Julie Hartnack, Peter Schochet, Mason DeCamillis, Dan Thal, Leah Shiferaw, Amy Defnet, Nora Paxton, Stephen Freedman (2022). Expanding Opportunities & Reducing Barriers to Work: Technical supplement. Alexandria, VA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service, Office of Policy Support. Available at: https://www.fns.usda.gov/research/snap-et/final-evaluation-pilot

Hamilton, Gayle, James Mabli, Jonathan Bigelow, Stephen Freedman, Kelsey Schaberg, Gretchen Rowe, Richard Hendra, and Julie Hartnack (2021). Expanding Opportunities & Reducing Barriers to Work: Georgia interim report appendices. Alexandria, VA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service, Office of Policy Support. Available at: https://www.fns.usda.gov/research/snap-et/interim-evaluation-pilot

Hamilton, Gayle, James Mabli, Jonathan Bigelow, Stephen Freedman, Kelsey Schaberg, Gretchen Rowe, Richard Hendra, and Julie Hartnack (2021). Expanding Opportunities & Reducing Barriers to Work: Georgia interim report. Alexandria, VA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service, Office of Policy Support. Available at: https://www.fns.usda.gov/research/snap-et/interim-evaluation-pilot

Mabli, James, Gretchen Rowe, Gayle Hamilton, Julie Hartnack, and Peter Schochet (2021). Expanding Opportunities & Reducing Barriers to Work: Interim summary report. Alexandria, VA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service, Office of Policy Support. Available at: https://www.fns.usda.gov/research/snap-et/interim-evaluation-pilot

Rowe, Gretchen, James Mabli, Julie Hartnack, and Kelley Monzella. (2022). Expanding Opportunities & Reducing Barriers to Work: Final summary report. Alexandria, VA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service, Office of Policy Support. Available at: https://www.fns.usda.gov/research/snap-et/final-evaluation-pilot

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Study of SNAP Works 2.0