To ensure program integrity, school districts must sample household applications certified for free or reduced-price meals, contact the households, and verify eligibility. This process (known as household verification) can be burdensome for both school officials and households. Direct verification uses information from certain other means-tested programs to verify eligibility without contacting applicants. Potential benefits include: less burden for households, less work for school officials, and fewer students with school meal benefits terminated because of nonresponse to verification requests.
This report compares spending patterns across consumption categories for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) households, eligible nonparticipating households, and ineligible households with incomes between 130 and 300 percent of poverty. It also estimates how small increases in income are allocated across consumption categories, analyzes how SNAP eligibility might change under an expenditure-based poverty threshold, and explores the use of savings and credit across the three participation and eligibility groups.