The Dynamics of Food Stamp Program Participation in the Early 1990s

This report provides a comprehensive picture of individuals’ patterns of participation in the Food Stamp Program (FSP) 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 research also replicated an earlier study based on SIPP data from the mid-1980s to determine how changing dynamics contributed to rising FSP caseloads.