ABSTRACT
This article examines the causal effects from Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefit enhancements on eligible food expenditures, the fiscal years 2020 and 2021 considered. Through a quasi-experimental research design embedded in a difference-indifference estimation method, the paper uses Consumer Expenditure Diary Survey data to yield interesting results. I find that enrolled households adjust their spending behavior in response to boosts in in-kind transfer. However, on eligible foods, increases in the program allocation levels disproportionately impacted participants spending. Estimates undergone several sensitivity checks which successfully validate their robustness. As policy implication, achieving a more meaningful impact requires food assistance experts to design some threshold of expenses for eligible expenditures.