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How do government transfer payments affect retail prices and welfare? Evidence from SNAP

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  • Leung, Justin H.
  • Seo, Hee Kwon

Abstract

We study the effect of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) on retail prices nationwide. State-level program adjustments motivate our identification strategy. A 1% increase in benefits per population raises grocery prices by a persistent 0.08%. A calibrated partial-equilibrium model implies a marginal benefit dollar raises a recipient’s consumer surplus from groceries by $0.7, producer surplus by $0.5, and lowers each non-SNAP consumer’s surplus by $0.05, because of a large marginal-propensity-to-consume-food out of SNAP, low elasticities of demand, and moderate market power. To guarantee the real intended spending power on food, benefits should be increased by 7%.

Suggested Citation

  • Leung, Justin H. & Seo, Hee Kwon, 2023. "How do government transfer payments affect retail prices and welfare? Evidence from SNAP," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 217(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:pubeco:v:217:y:2023:i:c:s0047272722001621
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jpubeco.2022.104760
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Consumption; SNAP; food stamps; incidence; prices;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • E31 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Prices, Business Fluctuations, and Cycles - - - Price Level; Inflation; Deflation
    • H53 - Public Economics - - National Government Expenditures and Related Policies - - - Government Expenditures and Welfare Programs
    • I38 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - Government Programs; Provision and Effects of Welfare Programs

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