Brief Assessing the Merits of Photo EBT Cards in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program
Gregory B. Mills, Christopher Lowenstein
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In seeking to reduce the trafficking of benefits in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), states are considering policies to require that SNAP electronic benefit transfer (EBT) cards include a photograph of the household head. Such policies have sparked controversy, placing in direct conflict the desires to bolster program integrity with the statutory rights of SNAP household members to utilize their program benefits and receive equal customer treatment. Drawing on Massachusetts’ 2013 implementation of a photo EBT policy, this brief suggests that such policies are not a cost-effective means to promote program integrity and may hinder benefit access.
Research Areas Social safety net
Tags Welfare and safety net programs Hunger and food assistance Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
Policy Centers Center on Labor, Human Services, and Population