Food Stamp Leavers Research Study-Study of Nonwelfare Families Leaving the Food Stamp Program in South Carolina: Final Report

by Phillip Richardson, Gregg Scoenfeld, Susan LaFever, Frances Jackson, Mark Tecco, and Elizabeth Dagata

This report presents the results of a study of about 900 nonwelfare families who left the Food Stamp Program (FSP) in South Carolina between October 1998 and March 2000. Nonwelfare families were defined as families who did not receive any benefits under the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) program in the 12 months before leaving the FSP. The families were surveyed about 12 months after they left the FSP. The study results show that more than 80 percent of the respondents who were still off of food stamps were either working or living with an employed adult. Employment rates were much higher for Blacks than for Whites. More than 80 percent of the respondents who were working and still off of food stamps were working at least 30 hours per week. Among the unemployed who were still off food stamps, the most common reason for not working was the health condition of the respondent. Many respondents reported an increase in minor hardships since leaving the FSP but a few reported more serious hardships.

Keywords: Temporary assistance to needy families, TANF, welfare reform, food stamp program, FSP, food assistance

In this publication...

• Entire Report
• Chapter I: Introduction and Methodology
• Chapter 2: Respondent Characteristics and Recidivism
• Chapter 3: Employment, Earnings, and Household Income Among Respondents Still Off Food Stamps
• Chapter 4: Indicators of Family Well-Being Among Families Still Off Food Stamps
• Chapter 5: Child Outcomes and Well-Being Among Families Still Off Food Stamps
• Chapter 6: Public Assistance, Child Care, and Transportation Among Families Still Off Food Stamps
• Appendix A: Additional Analyses of Child Outcomes Among Families Who Were Still Off Food Stamps
• Appendix B: Administrative Data on the Survey Sample