Appendix D - Fact Sheet 10-1-2020

OMB Number: 0584-XXXX

Expiration Date: XX/XX/20XX

Appendix D – Fact sheet

FACT SHEET

SURVEY OF SNAP AND WORK

Purpose of the Survey

The purpose of the Survey of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Participation and Work (hereafter the Survey of SNAP and Work) is to provide State SNAP agencies and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) with information about the employment patterns and characteristics of nondisabled adult SNAP participants, information not currently collected in other surveys. In addition, the Survey of SNAP and Work will identify health, social, and personal factors that promote or inhibit employment among SNAP participants.

Study Objectives

The study objectives include:

1. Product descriptive statistics on:

   1. Sociodemographic and economic characteristics

   2. Employment status and employment characteristics

   3. Length of detachment from the workforce

   4. Education and training

   5. Health, social, and personal factors related to employment

2. Examine the individual associations between key characteristics and employment status adjusted for other relevant characteristics

The Study Team

The study team includes Westat, the primary survey contractor, and Social Policy Research Associates (SPRA). Westat, a social science research company, is responsible for the study design, data collection, and analysis. SPRA leads the survey instrument design and contributes to the study design and analysis. USDA FNS is sponsoring this data collection and provides oversight and guidance of the study.

Policy Context

The survey will provide information on the extent to which SNAP participants face challenges that interfere with compliance with work requirements or participation in training programs, and ultimately, obtaining and retaining jobs. By seeking to understand the employability of SNAP participants, this study will provide information about individuals vulnerable to losing SNAP benefits due to weak connection to the labor market. The results of this study can be used by SNAP E&T administrators to design programs that are tailored to the specific work histories and barriers faced by SNAP participants in their local environments.

Study Population

The study focuses on SNAP recipients who are nondisabled and ages 18 to 69. This population includes work registrants and Able-Bodied Adults without Dependents (ABAWDs), as well as individuals not required to register for work or participate in SNAP work programs.

The Survey Sample

The study team will use a two-stage sample design. In the first stage, we will select primary sampling units (PSUs) in each State and the District of Columbia (DC) to represent the proportional number of SNAP participants. PSUs will be counties or groups of small counties and include representation of rural and urban areas.

At the second stage, we will sample nondisabled SNAP participants ages 18 to 69 in each PSU. SNAP participants include all SNAP participants living in SNAP households and eligible to receive SNAP benefits. We will select the sample in each State from SNAP participants during a calendar month. We will need a sample of about 1,733 SNAP participants per state to achieve 780 completed interviews per State. These numbers will provide a high level of statistical precision for State-level statistics.

Data Collection

The data collection will include the use of a web survey and a telephone survey, followed by field location of a subsample of survey non-respondents. Within each State, the total data collection will be about 14 weeks. The data collection will occur in the first half of 2021 (after receiving federal approval for the data collection).

Analysis of Survey Results

The study team will conduct National-level and State-level analyses to answer the study objectives. Specifically, it will use descriptive analysis to understand the employment of SNAP participants and differences between key subgroups. We will use regression analysis to examine the association between employment and social, health, and personal factors. At the National-level, additional analyses will be possible owing to the high level of precision. These include estimates for small subgroups.

Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 2 minutes 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. An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Services, Braddock Metro Center II, 1320 Braddock Place, Alexandria, VA 22314 ATTN: PRA (0584-xxxx*).