State Agency Respondents

Attachment T. Administrative and Wage Data Collection Instructions

OMB No. 0584-[NEW]

Job Search as a Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Employment and Training (E&T) Component

January 14, 2021

Project Officer: Danielle Deemer

Office of Policy Support

Food and Nutrition Service

U.S. Department of Agriculture

1320 Braddock Place

Alexandria, VA 22314

703.305.2952

d[email protected]

Administrative and Wage Data Collection Instructions

This document provides instructions and requirements for submitting Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) administrative caseload data and employment and wage data as part of the Role of Job Search as a SNAP Employment and Training (E&T) Component study being conducted by the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS).

The following sections provide detailed instructions for preparing and submitting the data extract required to complete this study. These data include SNAP household characteristics and other case data, E&T participation data, and employment and wage record data. Below you will find the parameters of the requested data, the time period for the data, a specific list of variables requested, the format for the file, how to handle missing data, how to ensure confidentiality, and the process for submitting data.

Table A lists the requested SNAP administrative data variables, which we anticipate will come from the SNAP MIS. Table B lists the requested employment and wage record data variables, which are typically collected from employers by the State UI agency. Please note these lists reflect “wish lists,” and we recognize States vary in the types and formats of data stored in their MIS systems. As such, we would like to arrange a consultative discussion with the State SNAP director and someone familiar with the State data systems about this request to determine the type and the format of the data your State is able to provide. If not already discussed in prior conversations, we are also interested to learn more about the data request process for each type of data, which State agencies are responsible for which data, and how to most efficiently collaborate to compile the needed data.

Ideally, the SNAP caseload data and the employment and wage data would be merged into one file. However, we are happy to discuss with you the possibility of providing two separate SNAP and UI data files that Insight will link via Social Security numbers (SSNs).

1. What is the purpose of this administrative data request?

The Food and Nutrition Act of 2008, as amended through Pub. L. 113–128, enacted July 22, 2014 [7 U.S.C. 2026], provides the legislative authority for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) to administer the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Section 17 of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 provides the authority to FNS to conduct research to help improve the administration and effectiveness of SNAP. This information collected from States will enable FNS to inform program enhancements and SNAP E&T policy and guidance to States. Under the Privacy Act of 1974 and the System of Record Notice FNS-8 USDA/FNS Studies and Reports, any personally identifying information obtained will be kept private to the extent of the law. According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, an agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a valid OMB control number. The valid OMB control number for this information collection is 0584-xxxx. The time required to complete this information collection is estimated to average 14 hours per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to the following address: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Services, Office of Policy Support, 1320 Braddock Place, Alexandria, VA 22314, ATTN: PRA (0584-xxxx). Do not return the completed form to this address.

These data will be used to examine the characteristics, service receipt, and outcomes of SNAP job search participants and to assess the short- and long-term outcomes of participation in SNAP E&T job search activities.

2. What records should be included in the file and for how many months?

SNAP Caseload Data

The SNAP data file should include one record per individual for each month they received SNAP benefits during the 12-month period from October 1, 2017, to September 30, 2018 (FY 2018). This file should include all individuals age 16 and over who received SNAP benefits at least 1 month during this period. SSNs should be included in the file to facilitate linking to employment and wage data.

There should be up to 12 rows of data (1 row per month of SNAP benefit receipt) for every individual in the file. Months in which an individual is not in your State caseload system can be left blank or excluded from the file (however, please include any case closure codes for closed cases).

Please also submit a supplementary SNAP caseload data file for the most recent 1 month of data available at the time of data submission. These data do not need to be linked to employment and wage record data, though should follow the format and content of the main SNAP caseload data (e.g., include one record per individual age 16 years and older during the month).

Employment and Wage Data

The employment and wage data should include up to 8 quarters (24 months) of data linked to the SNAP caseload record for each participant in the SNAP caseload file described above for the period October 1, 2017, to September 30, 2019 (FY 2018 and FY 2019). Individuals starting SNAP in Q1 of FY 2018 will have up to 8 quarters of linked employment and wage data (i.e., 4 quarters of FY 2018 data and 4 quarters of FY 2019 data), and those beginning SNAP in Q4 of FY 2018 will only have up to 5 quarters of linked employment and wage data (i.e., 1 quarter of FY 2018 data and 4 quarters of FY 2019 data).

There should be one row of data for each SNAP participant per quarter per employer (e.g., a SNAP participant employed by one firm during a given quarter will have one row of data for that quarter, while a SNAP participant employed by three firms during a given quarter will have three rows of data in that quarter).

3. What variables should be included in the file?

Table A provides a list and description of the requested SNAP caseload file variables for every individual who received SNAP at any point during the 12-month period from October 1, 2017, to September 30, 2018. Please provide the variables in the order shown in table A.

If codes are used to identify information (e.g., reasons for sanctions, reasons for case closures), please submit a crosswalk of these codes and their descriptions with your file.

Table B provides a list and description of the requested employment and wage record data from the 24-month period from October 1, 2017 to September 30, 2019. These data should include information on the individuals listed in the SNAP caseload file.

Data Periods

• SNAP Caseload File (12 months): October 1, 2017 – September 30, 2018

• Employment and Wage Record File (up to 8 quarters; 24 months): October 1, 2017 – September 30, 2019

• Supplementary SNAP Caseload File (1 month): Most recent month available

4. What is the file format?

Preferred file formats are comma-separated values (.csv) or Excel (.xls). We can also receive other tabulated datafile formats, including SAS data files. Please discuss alternate formats with Insight.

5. How should missing/unknown information be handled?

Missing values should be indicated by a BLANK space

Please do NOT fill unknown values with zeroes. Zero should ONLY indicate an actual zero value, such as zero dollar income. For example, if the participant’s household stops receiving SNAP benefits, the household size and benefit fields should be BLANK, not zero.

For all yes/no indicator variables, a value of “1” should represent “yes,” and a value of “0” should represent “no.”

6. How will Insight ensure privacy and security of State data?

The data will be maintained on a secure server and available only to key project personnel. No personal identifiers will be disclosed in reports or to any nonproject staff. All project personnel have signed confidentiality pledges and have been trained in data security procedures.

The study will collect the submissions of SNAP administrative data and wage data electronically at http://snap.insightpolicyresearch.com using Insight’s file transfer protocol (FTP) site exchange or with a secure file transfer protocol (SFTP) utilizing a third party client. All data containing personally identifiable information (PII) will be stored on servers that are compliant with the Federal Information Security Management Act and the National Institute of Standards and Technology 800-171 data security procedures. PII will be used for linking files and for sampling, but all analysis will be completed with files in which PII has been replaced by Insight-generated unique IDs.

Data safeguards are further discussed in two system of record notices: (1) FNS-8 USDA FNS Studies and Reports published in the Federal Register on April 25, 1991, volume 56, page 19078; and (2) USDA/FNS-10 Persons Doing Business with the Food and Nutrition Service, published in the Federal Register on March 31, 2000, volume 65, pages 17251–17252.

7. How should we submit the files?

Data files that do not include PII may be submitted electronically at http://snap.insightpolicyresearch.com using Insight’s file transfer protocol (FTP) site exchange. Accessing this site will require a username and password that we will provide.

We request that you transmit files that include any PII using a secure file transfer protocol (sFTP) utilizing a third-party client that we will provide. This secure file transfer site encrypts both commands and data, preventing passwords and sensitive information from being accessed during transmission. Instructions for using this system will be sent separately.

If possible, submit a test data file to Insight that includes 3 months of data. The test file should include data on SNAP participants age 16 and over at any point during the period January–March 2018. This test file will enable Insight to review all data and clarify any remaining concerns before the first data submission.

8. Questions or concerns?

If you have any questions or concerns, contact the study’s quantitative analysis lead, Andrew Breck, at [email protected] or (571) 451-2924.

Table A. Requested SNAP Caseload Data Variable List

Variable Requested	Variable Name	Variable Description	Code/Categories Examples
Individual-Level Variables
Reference month and year	REF_MONTH_YEAR	Benefit reference month and year for the SNAP participant’s SNAP household If no SNAP benefit was received that month, still include a row for that month with data for the CLIENT_ID and REF_MONTH_YEAR	MMYYYY
Client ID	CLIENT_ID	Participant’s individual SNAP ID provided by the State to identify individual participants within a SNAP household If no SNAP benefit was received that month, still include a row for that month with data for the CLIENT_ID and REF_MONTH_YEAR	Example: 2130768 (character variable)
Social Security number	SSN	Social Security number	Example: 510981319
Received SNAP benefits	SNAP_FLAG_PER	Whether the participant received SNAP benefits this month	0 = no 1 = yes
First name	FIRST_NAME	Participant’s first name	Example: John
Last name	LAST_NAME	Participant’s last name	Example: Doe
Address line 1	ADDRESS_1	First line of participant’s street address	Example: 1233 Main St
Address line 2	ADDRESS_2	Second line of participant’s street address	Example: Apartment 12
State	STATE	Participant’s State of residence	Provide two-letter abbreviation
ZIP Code	ZIP	Participant’s ZIP Code of residence	20817
County	COUNTY	Participant’s county of residence	Example: Montgomery
Phone number—primary	PHONE	Participant’s primary phone number	508-645-5555
Phone number—secondary	PHONE_ALT	Participant’s secondary phone number	508-655-5555
E-mail address	EMAIL	Participant’s e-mail address	[email protected]
Date of birth	DOB	Participant’s date of birth	MMDDYYYY
Gender	GENDER	Participant’s gender	1 = male 2 = female
Race/ethnicity	RACE_ETHN	Participant’s race and ethnicity	Provide definitions of codes in separate crosswalk
Marital status	MARITAL	Participant’s marital status (e.g., married, single)	Provide definitions of codes in separate crosswalk
Relationship to case head	RELATION	Participant’s relationship to the case head (e.g., head of household, spouse, child, adult)	Provide definitions of codes in separate crosswalk
Primary language spoken or language used on application	LANGUAGE	Codes used to identify primary language for participant or participant’s household	Provide definitions of codes in separate crosswalk
Level of school completed	EDUCATION	Codes used to identify level of school completed (or whether SNAP participant received a high school diploma or GED)	Provide definitions of codes in separate crosswalk
Participant’s monthly earned income amount	INDIV_INCOME	Participant’s total individual monthly earned income amount	Example: 540
Individual received Medicaid benefits	MEDICAID_FLAG_PER	Whether the SNAP participant received Medicaid benefits this month	0 = no 1 = yes
Individual received Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) benefits	TANF_FLAG_PER	Whether the SNAP participant received TANF benefits this month	0 = no 1 = yes
Individual received Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits	SSI_FLAG_PER	Whether the SNAP participant received SSI benefits this month	0 = no 1 = yes
Able-Bodied Adults Without Dependents (ABAWD) exemption status	ABAWD_EXEMPT	Codes used to identify exemption status for ABAWD from ABAWD time limits	Provide definitions of codes in separate crosswalk
Work registrant exemption status	WR_EXEMPT	Codes used to identify whether SNAP participant is exempt or not exempt from work registration	Provide definitions of codes in separate crosswalk
Voluntary or mandatory SNAP E&T participation	MAND_OR_VOL	Indicator of whether the SNAP participant is identified as voluntary or mandatory E&T participant	1 = voluntary 2 = mandatory
E&T sanction status	ET_SANCT	Whether the individual is under E&T sanction this month	0 = no 1 = yes
SNAP E&T exemption status	ET_EXEMPT	Codes used to identify whether SNAP participant is exempt or not exempt from E&T	Provide definitions of codes in separate crosswalk
SNAP E&T referral status	ET_REFERRAL	Indicator of whether the SNAP participant was referred to SNAP E&T	0 = no 1 = yes
SNAP E&T participation status	ET_PART	Whether the referred SNAP E&T individual participated in E&T component	0 = no 1 = yes
Household-Level Variables
SNAP case identification (ID)	CASE_ID	Household or case ID provided by the State to identify the SNAP household of the individual participant	Example: 02076085 (character variable)
Received SNAP benefits (household)	SNAP_FLAG_HHLD	Whether the participant’s SNAP household received SNAP benefits this month	0 = no 1 = yes
SNAP benefit amount	BEN_AMT	Total SNAP benefit received by the SNAP household this month (rounded to nearest dollar)	Example: 357
SNAP household size	HH_SIZE	Number of individuals in the participant’s SNAP household this month	Example: 3
Certification/ recertification date	CERT_DATE	Certification or recertification date associated with household’s SNAP benefit month (the last review date associated with current SNAP benefit month)	MMDDYYY
County serving the case	COUNTY	County code or name of the county serving the participant’s SNAP household	Provide definitions of county codes in separate crosswalk
SNAP household’s gross income amount	GROSS_INC	Total monthly gross income for the participant’s SNAP household (i.e., gross income used to determine SNAP eligibility before deductions)	Example: 700
SNAP household’s net income amount	NET_INC	Total monthly net income for the participant’s SNAP household (i.e., net income after all deductions from gross income used to determine SNAP benefit amount)	Example: 600
SNAP household’s earned income amount	EARNED_INC	Total monthly earned income for the participant’s SNAP household	Example: 300
SNAP household’s receipt of Medicaid	MEDICAID	Indicator whether the household receives Medicaid	0 = no 1 = yes
SNAP household’s receipt of TANF	TANF	Indicator whether the household receives TANF	0 = no 1 = yes
SNAP household’s receipt of SSI	SSI	Indicator whether the household receives SSI	0 = no 1 = yes
Presence of elderly household member	ELDERLY	Indicator that at least one household member is over the age of 60	0 = no 1 = yes
Presence of children in household	CHILDREN	Indicator that at least one household member is under the age of 16	0 = no 1 = yes
Number of household members	NUM_HH	Number of individuals in the household	Example: 4
Closed case	CLOSED_CASE	Indicator that the SNAP case is closed	0 = no 1 = yes
Closure date	CLOSED_DATE	Date of SNAP case closure	MMDDYYYY
Closure reason	CLOSED_REASON	Reason for SNAP case closure (e.g., ABAWD time limit, sanction for failure to meet E&T requirements, missed recertification appointment, income over threshold, other)	Provide definitions of codes in separate crosswalk
E&T Activities and Outcomes
E&T provider serving SNAP E&T participant	PROVIDER_1 PROVIDER_2 PROVIDER_3 PROVIDER_4	Name of E&T providers serving the E&T participant	Provide name(s) of providers
Type of E&T service assigned	ET_SERVICE1 ET_SERVICE2 ET_SERVICE3 ET_SERVICE4	Codes used to identify the type of E&T service(s) participant was assigned to receive (e.g., assessment, English as a second language [ESL], high school equivalence, Institute of Higher Education, independent job search, job search training, workfare, work experience, on-the-job training, basic education, vocational training, self-employment training, WIOA program, job retention)	Provide definitions of codes in separate crosswalk
Type of job search assigned	JOB_SEARCH1 JOB_SEARCH2 JOB_SEARCH3 JOB_SEARCH4	Codes used to identify the type of job search service(s) the participant was assigned to receive (e.g., independent job search, job search assistance, job search training, job search combined with other services)	Provide definitions of codes in separate crosswalk
Start date of E&T assignment	ET_START1 ET_START2 ET_START3 ET_START4	Start date of E&T assignment to component for the E&T participant	MMDDYYYY
End date of E&T assignment	ET_END1 ET_END2 ET_END3 ET_END4	End date of E&T assignment to component for the E&T participant	MMDDYYY
Outcome of the SNAP E&T participation	ET_OUTCOME1 ET_OUTCOME2 ET_OUTCOME3 ET_OUTCOME4	Outcome of the SNAP E&T participation (e.g., completed a training, educational, work experience, or on-the-job training component; exempted for good cause; quit)	Provide definitions of codes in separate crosswalk
Whether participant dropped out of E&T component	ET_DROP1 ET_DROP2 ET_DROP3 ET_DROP4	Indicator whether the participant dropped out of E&T prior to completing the program or transitioning off benefits	0 = no 1 = yes
Reason participant stopped participating in E&T	ET_EXIT1 ET_EXIT2 ET_EXIT3 ET_EXIT4	Reason the participant stopped participating in E&T (e.g., finished component, got a job, quit)	Provide definitions of codes in separate crosswalk
Whether participant is in unsubsidized employment after E&T	EMPLOY_OUTCOME1 EMPLOY_OUTCOME2 EMPLOY_OUTCOME3 EMPLOY_OUTCOME4	Indicator of whether the participant is in unsubsidized employment after completing E&T program	0 = no 1 = yes
Start date of unsubsidized employment	EMPLOY_START1 EMPLOY_START2 EMPLOY_START3 EMPLOY_START4	Start date of unsubsidized employment obtained after the participant completed E&T program	MMDDYYYY
End date of unsubsidized employment	EMPLOY_END1 EMPLOY_END2 EMPLOY_END3 EMPLOY_END4	End date of unsubsidized employment obtained after the participant completed E&T program	MMDDYYY

Table B. Employment and Wage Record Data Variable List

Variable Requested	Variable Name	Variable Description	Code/Categories Examples
Individual-Level Variables
Employee Social Security number	UI_SSN	Employee’s Social Security Number		Example: 510981319
Employee first name	FIRST_NAME	Employee’s first name		Example: John
Employee last name	LAST_NAME	Employee’s last name		Example: Doe
Employer namea	EMPLOYER	Employer’s name		Example: Company Name
Federal Employer Identification Number (FEIN)	FEIN	FEIN		12-3456789
Employer address line 1	EMPLOYER_ADDRESS_1	First line of employer’s street address		Example: 1233 Main St
Employer address line 2	EMPLOYER_ADDRESS_2	Second line of employer’s street address		Example: Apartment 12
Employer State	EMPLOYER_STATE	Employer’s State		Provide 2 letter abbreviation
Employer ZIP Code	EMPLOYER_ZIP	Employer’s ZIP Code		20817
Date of hire	HIRE_DATE	Date of hire		MMYYYY
Employee quarterly earnings	EARNINGS_QUART	Employee quarterly earnings amount in dollars		Example: 4588.35
Employee wage amount	WAGE	Employee wage amount in dollars per hour		Example: 10.25
Reporting period	PERIOD	Calendar quarter in which wages were paid		Provide calendar quarter: 1YYYY 2YYYY 3YYYY 4YYYY 5YYYY 6YYYY 7YYYY 8YYYY
a Employment and wage record rows should include information for a single individual per employer per quarter. Individuals with multiple employers per quarter will have multiple rows in the datafile - one for each employer in each quarter.