The Analysis of the TANF and Food Stamp Programs with Matched Administrative and Survey Data

• Activity Number: 556
• Type: Invited
• Date/Time: Wednesday, August 4, 2010 : 2:00 PM to 3:50 PM
• Sponsor: Social Statistics Section
• Author(s): George Falco and Bruce D. Meyer*+
• Companies: NYS Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance and The University of Chicago

Abstract

Benefit receipt in major household surveys is often under-reported. This mis-reporting has important implications for our understanding of the economic circumstances of disadvantaged populations,take-up rates,the distributional effects of government programs,and studies of other program effects.We use administrative data on Temporary Assistance to Needy Families and the Food Stamp Program matched to household survey data from the ACS,CPS and SIPP.We first assess the level of agreement between the administrative and survey data.We then assess how misreporting-both false negatives and false positives-vary with individual characteristics.We also examine the determinants of program receipt,the distributional effects of benefit programs, and calculate more accurate benefit take-up rates and impact on poverty.Finally, we examine how our conclusions differ from those obtained using survey data.