FOOD STAMP PARTICIPATION RATES AND BENEFITS: AN ANALYSIS OF 

VARIATION WITHIN DEMOGRAPHIC GROUPS 

May 2003 

Central Issue

Previous studies have shown that 

participation rates are higher among people 

eligible for a relatively large food stamp 

benefit than among those eligible for a 

comparatively small benefit. This analysis 

seeks to determine whether or not this 

relationship between participation rates and 

benefits holds for different demographic 

groups within the food stamp population. 

This analysis confirms that the relationship 

holds for most demographic groups. 

Surprisingly, the analysis also shows that 

there are many nonparticipating individuals 

eligible for relatively large benefits. 

Background 

The Food Stamp Program (FSP) is the 

foundation of America’s national nutrition 

safety net and the first line of the nation’s 

defense against hunger. A primary means by 

which the success of the FSP is measured is 

the degree to which eligible individuals and 

households participate in the program. 

Researchers have found that an expectation 

of low food stamp benefits is one of five 

causes why individuals who qualify for 

benefits do not participate in the FSP.1

 

McConnell, Ponza and Cohen (1999) found 

that 35 to 45 percent of the people in the 

subgroups they surveyed indicate that one of 

the reasons they did not participate in the 

program was the belief that they were 

eligible for a low benefit amount. Analyses 

of household survey data confirmed that 

participation in the FSP is likely to increase 

with the size of the benefit households would 

receive (Martini, 1992; Cunnyngham, 2002). 

This analysis examines the participation rates 

of varying demographic groups at different 

 

1 The other four categories are: perceived lack of need; lack of 

information; program features and administration; and stigma 

and other psychological reasons. 

food stamp benefit levels. Estimates of the 

number of eligible individuals were derived 

from March 2001 Current Population Survey 

(CPS) and estimates of participating 

households are based on food stamp 

administrative data for September 2000. The 

approach used in this analysis is similar to the 

method used to produce national estimates of 

overall food stamp participation rates. 

 

Findings 

Among most demographic groups, 

participants receive higher benefit amounts 

than would eligible nonparticipants. 

Participating children and nonelderly adults 

receive twice as much as their eligible 

nonparticipating counterparts. Participating 

elderly and noncitizens also receive more than 

their counterparts. It is only among disabled 

nonelderly adults, that participants would 

Table 1 

Average Household Benefits of Participants and 

Eligible Nonparticipants (2000) 

Demographic Group Participants 

Eligible 

Nonparticipants Ratio*

All Individuals 167 73 2.29 

 

 Children (under 18) 247 117 2.11 

 Nonelderly Adults 194 97 2.00 

 Elderly (60 or over) 63 52 1.21 

 

 Disabled Nonelderly 

 Adults 

94 115 .82 

 Nondisabled 

 Childless Adults 

139 118 1.18 

 Noncitizens 195 129 1.51 

 

Individuals in 

Households: 

 With Children 247 117 2.11 

 Without Children 74 57 1.30 

 

Individuals in 

Households: 

 With Earnings 205 N/A -- 

*Average household benefit of participants divided by average 

household benefit of eligible nonparticipants. 

United States 

Department of 

Agriculture

Food and 

Nutrition 

Service 

Office of Analysis, 

Nutrition, and 

Evaluation 
Page 2 

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S.W., Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (202) 720-5964 (voice and TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. 

Table 2 

Food Stamp Participation Rates By Benefit 

Level And Demographic Group (2000) 

Household Benefit Level: 

Demographic Group 

$0- 

$26 

$26-

$50 

$51-

200 

over 

$200 All 

All Individuals 28 45 58 76 59 

 

 Children (under 18) 21 34 66 81 72 

 Nonelderly Adults 37 46 59 73 60 

 Elderly (60 or over) 24 49 37 22 31 

 

 Disabled 

 Nonelderly 

 Adults 

48 78 59 34 53 

 Nondisabled 

 Childless 

 Adults 

10 26 31 22 27 

 Noncitizens 31 32 44 51 45 

 

Individuals in 

Households: 

 With Children 23 37 65 81 71 

 Without Children 29 50 48 21 38 

 With Earnings 15 24 47 68 50 

receive a lower benefit than their eligible 

nonparticipating counterparts (Table 1). 

Participation rates rise with benefit levels 

for most groups examined. Children, 

nonelderly adults, noncitizens and individuals 

in households with earnings follow the 

expected pattern. Participation rates among 

the elderly, disabled adults and childless 

adults peak at lower benefit levels (Table 2). 

A significant proportion of nonparticipants 

are eligible for relatively high benefits. 

Participation rates at the highest benefit levels 

are not 100 percent. An unexpected finding is 

that there are 2.6 million nonparticipating 

individuals who are eligible for a benefit over 

$200 (Table 3). Three-fourths of these are 

individuals in households with children and 

60 percent are in households with earnings. 

Summary 

This work supports previous findings that 

participation rates increase as benefit levels 

increase. However, this is not the case in all 

subgroups: elderly adults and disabled 

nonelderly adults do not display the same 

pattern. These two groups’ participation rates 

decline at higher benefit levels. 

The analysis also shows that there are 2.6 

million nonparticipating individuals eligible 

for benefits over $200/month. Many of these 

nonparticipants eligible for higher benefits are 

in households with children and/or households 

with earnings. This could mean that when 

designing outreach strategies, it would be a 

mistake to assume that low participation rates 

occur because benefits would be low. 

Table 3 

Nonparticipants Eligible for a Monthly Benefit 

Over $200

Demographic Group Number Percent 

All Individuals 2,663,000 100 

 

 Children 1,309,000 49 

 Nonelderly Adults 1,061,000 40 

 Elderly 294,000 11 

 

 Disabled 

 Nonelderly Adults 

395,000 

15 

 Nondisabled 

 Childless Adults 

193,000 

7 

 Noncitizens 285,000 11 

 

Individuals in Households: 

 With Children 2,020,000 76 

 Without Children 644,000 24 

 

Individuals in Households: 

 With Earnings 1,657,000 62 

References 

Cunnyngham, Karen. Trends in Food Stamp Program 

Participation Rates: 1994 to 2000. Washington, DC: 

Mathematica Policy Research, Inc., 2002 

Martini, Alberto. Participation in the Food Stamp Program: A 

Multivariate Analysis in Current Perspectives on Food Stamp 

Program Participation. Alexandria, VA: USDA, Food and 

Nutrition Service, 1992. 

McConnell, Sheens, Michael, Ponza, and Rhoda R. Cohen. 

Report on the Pretest of The Reaching the Working Poor and 

Poor Elderly Study, Vol.1. Washington, DC: Mathematica 

Policy Research, Inc., 1999.