2026/07/01 by Emily K. Loveland · 1 voice
Health Professions · Social Sciences · #Food Security and Health in Diverse Populations #Gender, Labor, and Family Dynamics #Dietetics, Nutrition, and Education
paper · pdf · doi:10.24926/jsepa.v4i2.6944
openalex publication_date 2026/07/01 · openalex created_date 2026/07/02 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/05
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is America’s most important antihunger program, but program participation varies by state. Administrative burdens, or the onerous experiences of individuals applying for public services, disproportionately impact Black and Hispanic SNAP applicants, making administrative burdens an equity issue. These burdens are products of state actions that may be formal, informal, intentional, or unintentional. This study applies an administrative burden framework to a qualitative case study of Connecticut’s SNAP, exploring barriers to program use. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with individuals who were eligible but not using SNAP benefits (n = 15) and advocates/volunteers who assist with SNAP eligibility (n = 4) to explore barriers to SNAP participation. Results indicate that formal state actions are burdensome as they are inconsistent with low-income families’ lived experiences. Burdens that result from informal actions are largely dependent on the flexibility afforded by SNAP eligibility staff as they process these applications. A human rights approach to research and evaluation of human service programs, which demands that individuals eligible for social welfare programs participate in decision-making of policy implementation, can help shift this burden to the states and contribute to a more equitable approach to public service.