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IZA Discussion Paper No. 18712
June 2026
Income vs. Asset Tests in the Safety Net: Impacts on Access, Targeting, and Costs in SNAP
Jeehoon Han, Derek Wu

Means-tested programs worldwide screen applicants on income and assets, yet little is known about which screen does more to expand access and target benefits effectively. We provide the first within-program comparison, exploiting the adoption of Broad-Based Categorical Eligibility in SNAP. Raising income thresholds reached more disadvantaged households than relaxing asset tests, even as it expanded access more. Half of the enrollment gain came from inframarginal households previously eligible but unenrolled. Average benefits per enrollee were similar across expansions. Simulations show that incorporating asset information into benefit formulas could improve targeting, pointing to an undervalued role for assets in program design.

Communications
Mark Fallak
mark.fallak@liser.lu
+352 585-855-526
World of Labour
Olga Nottmeyer
olga.nottmeyer-ext@liser.lu
+352 585-855-501
Network Coordination
Christina Gathmann
christina.gathmann@liser.lu

The IZA@LISER Network is a global community of scholars dedicated to excellence in labor economics and related fields, now coordinated at the Luxembourg Institute of Socio-Economic Research (LISER) following its transition from Bonn.

About IZA@LISER Network
Contact
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