From paper to plastic: Understanding the impact of eWIC on WIC recipient behavior. (February 2019)
- Record Type:
- Journal Article
- Title:
- From paper to plastic: Understanding the impact of eWIC on WIC recipient behavior. (February 2019)
- Main Title:
- From paper to plastic: Understanding the impact of eWIC on WIC recipient behavior
- Authors:
- Hanks, Andrew S.
Gunther, Carolyn
Lillard, Dean
Scharff, Robert L. - Abstract:
- Highlights: eWIC reduces time and potential stigma for WIC recipients. Transition to eWIC increased household WIC benefit redemptions. Introduction of eWIC had no impact on purchases of other goods. There is potential for states to partner with grocers to improved WIC redemptions. Abstract: Evidence shows that the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) is underutilized. WIC enrolls 52.7% of eligible persons and participants claim a fraction of available benefits. Researchers suggest that people underutilize WIC because of the time needed to enroll in and use WIC and because participants may believe that, if others notice them participating in WIC, community members will stigmatize them. Recently enacted policies may reduce both time costs and potential for stigma associated with WIC. Congress mandated that, by 2020, all states disburse WIC benefits through an Electronic Benefits Transfer (eWIC) system. Given that eWIC reduces the time required for each transaction and and makes it more difficult to identify beneficiaries, we expect WIC redemptions to increase. In addition, eWIC might also increase the chance WIC recipients choose non-WIC foods for redemption increasing non-WIC expenditures. To measure the impact of eWIC on WIC redemptions and non-WIC food expenditures we analyze data on grocery expenditures of 11, 887 WIC-participating households in one state over the period it implemented eWIC. We find that, after beneficiaries beganHighlights: eWIC reduces time and potential stigma for WIC recipients. Transition to eWIC increased household WIC benefit redemptions. Introduction of eWIC had no impact on purchases of other goods. There is potential for states to partner with grocers to improved WIC redemptions. Abstract: Evidence shows that the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) is underutilized. WIC enrolls 52.7% of eligible persons and participants claim a fraction of available benefits. Researchers suggest that people underutilize WIC because of the time needed to enroll in and use WIC and because participants may believe that, if others notice them participating in WIC, community members will stigmatize them. Recently enacted policies may reduce both time costs and potential for stigma associated with WIC. Congress mandated that, by 2020, all states disburse WIC benefits through an Electronic Benefits Transfer (eWIC) system. Given that eWIC reduces the time required for each transaction and and makes it more difficult to identify beneficiaries, we expect WIC redemptions to increase. In addition, eWIC might also increase the chance WIC recipients choose non-WIC foods for redemption increasing non-WIC expenditures. To measure the impact of eWIC on WIC redemptions and non-WIC food expenditures we analyze data on grocery expenditures of 11, 887 WIC-participating households in one state over the period it implemented eWIC. We find that, after beneficiaries began redeeming WIC benefits through eWIC, spending on non-WIC eligible foods did not change but redemptions of WIC benefits increased. … (more)
- Is Part Of:
- Food policy. Volume 83(2019)
- Journal:
- Food policy
- Issue:
- Volume 83(2019)
- Issue Display:
- Volume 83, Issue 2019 (2019)
- Year:
- 2019
- Volume:
- 83
- Issue:
- 2019
- Issue Sort Value:
- 2019-0083-2019-0000
- Page Start:
- 83
- Page End:
- 91
- Publication Date:
- 2019-02
- Subjects:
- WIC -- Food insecurity -- Low-income -- Electronic benefits transfer (EBT) -- Transaction costs -- Assistance programs -- Social benefits -- Stigma -- Redemptions
D12
Food supply -- Periodicals
Food security -- Periodicals
Food -- Quality -- Periodicals
Food Supply -- Periodicals
Alimentation -- Périodiques
Electronic journals
338.1905 - Journal URLs:
- http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/03069192 ↗
http://www.elsevier.com/journals ↗ - DOI:
- 10.1016/j.foodpol.2018.12.002 ↗
- Languages:
- English
- ISSNs:
- 0306-9192
- Deposit Type:
- Legaldeposit
- View Content:
- Available online (eLD content is only available in our Reading Rooms) ↗
- Physical Locations:
- British Library DSC - 3981.780000
British Library DSC - BLDSS-3PM
British Library HMNTS - ELD Digital store - Ingest File:
- 9735.xml