This report provides a comprehensive picture of individuals’ patterns of participation in the Food Stamp Program during the early 1990s, a period of rapid caseload growth. Based on data from the 1990 and 1991 SIPP panels (national longitudinal surveys covering the period from late 1989 to early 1994), the research addresses questions about why individuals enter and leave the FSP, how long participants stay on the program, whether individuals return at a later time and what factors distinguish those who are more dependent on the program from those who are less dependent. 

The USDA budget for fiscal year 1997 (FY) included $4.2 million to support Food Stamp Program retailer authorization site visits to help prevent ineligible retailers from participating in the FSP. This money is being used primarily to fund store visits by contracted vendors, who will provide the information gathered to the Food and Nutrition Service field office staff making the eligibility decisions.

From October 1, 1993 to September 30, 1996, the Food and Nutrition Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture sponsored demonstration projects in Georgia, Hawaii, Missouri, South Dakota, and Texas to demonstrate the feasibility and effectiveness of operating the Food Stamp Employment and Training (E&T) program under the same legislative and regulatory terms as the Job Opportunities and Basic Skills (JOBS) program for Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) recipients. Common objectives of the demonstrations were to increase compliance with E&T participation requirements among mandatory work registrants, target services to individuals most at risk of long-term dependency and those most likely to benefit from E&T services, improve participant outcomes, and improve the cost efficiency of welfare to work services.

This study presents the first nationally representative profiles of FDPIR participant and program characteristics, and the food-assistance needs and preferences among this particular target population. This executive summary provides a brief historical perspective on the program, describes the objectives and methodology of the evaluation, and summarizes the major finding.

Prior to 1982, school districts were not required to verify the income or household size declared by households that applied for meal benefits. It was assumed that households were correctly reporting their income, and children from households that applied and declared a sufficiently Low income were given free or reduced-price meals. From 1982 to the present, the verification of household income for at least some of the approved application s for meal benefits has been part of each school district's responsibilities.