Decreasing SNAP Denial Rates with a Text Campaign and Document Uploader

Last registered on December 06, 2023
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Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title
Decreasing SNAP Denial Rates with a Text Campaign and Document Uploader
RCT ID
AEARCTR-0012634
Initial registration date
December 01, 2023

Initial registration date is when the trial was registered.

It corresponds to when the registration was submitted to the Registry to be reviewed for publication.

First published
December 06, 2023, 8:30 AM EST

First published corresponds to when the trial was first made public on the Registry after being reviewed.

Locations

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Primary Investigator

Name
Blair Read
Affiliation
Office of Evaluation Sciences
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Other Primary Investigator(s)

PI Name
Julia Brown
PI Affiliation
Office of Evaluation Sciences
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PI Name
Stephanie Permut
PI Affiliation
Office of Evaluation Sciences
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PI Name
Mary Clair Turner
PI Affiliation
Office of Evaluation Sciences
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PI Name
Lauren Speigel
PI Affiliation
Code for America
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PI Name
Donald Moynihan
PI Affiliation
Georgetown University
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PI Name
Pamela Herd
PI Affiliation
Georgetown University
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PI Name
Sebastian Jilke
PI Affiliation
Georgetown University
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Additional Trial Information

Status
On going
Start date
2023-09-07
End date
2024-10-31
Keywords
Welfare
Additional Keywords
Social policy; Safety net; Social welfare programs; Poverty alleviation
JEL code(s)
Secondary IDs
Prior work
This trial does not extend or rely on any prior RCTs.
Abstract
The Office of Evaluation Sciences (OES) is collaborating with Code for America (CfA) and a state partner to evaluate the effectiveness of a text message campaign encouraging use of a new online document uploader to submit required documents for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) applications. The campaign is designed to make it easier to submit verification documents, reduce procedural denials, and increase access to benefits for eligible applicants. These findings will help identify strategies to decrease SNAP procedural denial rates, which can be scaled across other US states and possibly other public benefits programs. Conditional on data availability, this project will also build evidence on equitable outcomes by answering to what extent the intervention increased access to SNAP resources among underserved groups.
External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation
Brown, Julia et al. 2023. "Decreasing SNAP Denial Rates with a Text Campaign and Document Uploader." AEA RCT Registry. December 06. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.12634-1.0
Sponsors & Partners
Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)
The intervention is sending a text message with a link to a new document uploader to submit SNAP income verification documents. Applicants in both the intervention and control groups will be sent a series of text messages that prompt and remind them to upload their verification documents to complete their SNAP applications. The text message campaign between intervention and control only differ in whether applicants are sent a link to the Code for America document uploader (in the intervention group) or are not sent any link to an online document uploader. Applicants can receive a maximum of seven text messages over the course of the evaluation (an introductory message and up to six reminders).
Intervention Start Date
2023-09-22
Intervention End Date
2023-12-31

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)
(1) Submitted verification documents
(2) No procedural denial
(3) Enrolled in SNAP
Primary Outcomes (explanation)
Primary outcomes: The primary outcomes of interest are: (1) a dichotomous measure of whether the applicant uploaded any verification documents during the SNAP application process; (2) a dichotomous measure of whether the applicant was procedurally denied for SNAP, and (3) a dichotomous measure of whether the applicant was approved for SNAP benefits

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)
(1) Monthly dollar value of SNAP benefits
(2) Procedural denial for missing verification documents
(3) Procedural denial for missing an interview
(4) Ineligibility for SNAP
(5) Time to decision
(6) Opt out of text messages
Secondary Outcomes (explanation)
Secondary outcomes: The secondary outcomes of interest are: (1) a continuous measure of dollar value of SNAP benefits determined; (2) a dichotomous measure of whether an applicant was procedurally denied for missing verification documents; (3) a dichotomous measure of whether an applicant was procedurally denied for missing an interview; (4) a dichotomous indicator for whether an applicant was found ineligible for SNAP; (5) a continuous measure of the number of days between applying for SNAP and receiving a decision; (6) a dichotomous measure for whether the applicant opted out of receiving text messages from the implementing partner

Experimental Design

Experimental Design
The intervention is sending a text message with a link to a new document uploader to submit SNAP income verification documents. Applicants in both the intervention and control groups will be sent a series of text messages that prompt and remind them to upload their verification documents to complete their SNAP applications. The text message campaign between intervention and control only differ in whether applicants are sent a link to the Code for America document uploader (in the intervention group) or are not sent any link to an online document uploader. Applicants can receive a maximum of seven text messages over the course of the evaluation (an introductory message and up to six reminders).
Experimental Design Details
Not available
Randomization Method
Applicants will be randomized based on the time (tens seconds digit) they submit their application and the date treatment was assigned. Treatment is assigned a day after applicants submitted their application. Applicants are assigned to either a treatment or a control condition using the following algorithm:

1. Look first at the date of randomization. If the day field of the randomization date is an odd number (e.g. July 17, 19, 21, etc.), then proceed to step 2. If the day field of the randomization date is an even number (e.g. July 18, 20, 22, etc.), then proceed to step 3.

2. Look at the last digit of the second value of the timestamp (i.e. the bolded digit in a timestamp of the form HH:MM:SS). If this digit is an odd number, then assign the application to Treatment. If this digit is an even number, then assign the application to Control.

3. Look at the last digit of the second value of the timestamp (i.e. the bolded digit in a timestamp of the form HH:MM:SS). If this digit is an odd number, then assign the application to Control. If this digit is an even number, then assign the application to Treatment.
Randomization Unit
Units are randomized at the level of individual application ID. An application ID is linked to an applicant who applied on behalf of their SNAP unit (typically, a household).
Was the treatment clustered?
No

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters
25,000 - 35,000
Sample size: planned number of observations
25,000 - 35,000
Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms
We anticipate between 25,000 and 35,000 applicants in the final study, split roughly evenly between treatment and control.
Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)
The minimum detectable effect size for our primary outcomes is 2 percentage points with a sample of 25,000. This power analysis assumes 80% power, and a baseline rate of procedural denials of 50%, which is based on historical procedural denial rates in the study site. It adjusts for multiple comparisons of three hypothesis tests. The reported minimum detectable effect size is likely conservative, because we do not account for anticipated high correlation between the outcome variables.
Supporting Documents and Materials
IRB

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)

IRB Name
University of Maryland College Park (UMCP), College Park, MD
IRB Approval Date
2023-09-06
IRB Approval Number
2061656-2
Analysis Plan

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