Could the timing of food assistance payments affect crime rates?

Based on more than a decade’s worth of data across 36 U.S. states, a study in Contemporary Economic Policy finds that spreading out food assistance payments over more days reduces financially motivated crimes—especially robberies.

Compared with a single-day lump-sum monthly distribution through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), a disbursement schedule consisting of 15 or more distribution days was associated with a decline of 0.03 robbery incidents per 100,000 population. Similarly, when SNAP distribution was staggered across 15 or more days, the incidence of robbery also declined by 0.03 incidents per 100,000 population.

The study’s investigator estimated that an extended SNAP distribution schedule could potentially generate a benefit of $2.7 million in crime reduction in the United States over 1 year.

These findings offer a practical, cost-effective policy for improving community safety.

“Changing the SNAP benefit schedule is a nearly free policy change that could have enormous public benefits,” said corresponding author Licheng Xu, PhD, of Beijing Normal University, who conducted much of this work while earning his graduate degree in agricultural economics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

URL upon publication: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/coep.70005

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About the Journal
First published in 1982, Contemporary Economic Policy publishes scholarly research and analysis on important policy issues facing society. The journal provides insight into the complexity of policy decisions and communicates evidence-based solutions in a form accessible to economists and policy makers. Contemporary Economic Policy provides a forum for debate by enhancing our understanding of key issues and methods used for policy analysis.

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