Abstract
We investigate to what extent major safety net program benefits affect food insecurity in families. We impute program eligibility and benefits in each state for 2001-2009, accounting for cross-program eligibility rules. We use simulated eligibility and benefits for a nationally representative sample as instruments for imputed eligibility and potential benefits. Among non-immigrant, low-income single-parent families, $1000 in potential cash or food benefits reduces the incidence of food insecurity by 1.1 percentage points on a base of 33 percent. Cash and food both reduce food insecurity. The results highlight the importance of jointly considering a full range of safety net programs.
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