A National Study of the SNAP Nonparticipation Rate Among Income-Eligible U.S. Refugee Households

Food insecurity (FI) prevalence rates among U.S. refugees can range up to 85%. FI-related health outcomes, such as hypertension and obesity, are also prevalent among refugees. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is an evidence-based federal nutrition assistance program that can reduce FI and improve health outcomes. Previous research shows that not every eligible refugee can access SNAP. What remains unknown is the SNAP nonparticipation rate among a representative sample of U.S. refugees. We estimated this rate using the 2021 Annual Survey of Refugees, which provides nationally representative data of U.S. refugees who were resettled between fiscal years 2016 and 2020. We determined the eligibility for SNAP by using the average monthly net household income of a household, the household size (i.e., the number of people residing in a household), and the SNAP net income eligibility thresholds for 2021. Percentages and their 95% confidence intervals were calculated with weighted data to be nationally representative of the U.S. refugee population. Results suggest that 28.6% (95% confidence interval: 23.4-33.8) of income-eligible refugee households (those with a net income below the federal poverty level) did not participate in SNAP. Future research should comprehensively identify barriers and facilitators in accessing SNAP and develop strategies to improve refugees' access to SNAP.