Kelsey Pukelis
kpukelis.bsky.social
Kelsey Pukelis
@kpukelis.bsky.social
Researcher at California Department of Social Services. PhD in Public Policy from Harvard. Passionate about SNAP, food assistance, and the safety net. All views are my own. https://kelseypukelis.com/
Reposting the URLs with hyperlinks here:

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www.icpsr.umich.edu/web/sbeccc/s...
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kelseypukelis.com/files/Pukeli...

11/10
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program COVID-19 Policy and Enrollment Data, United States, 1987-2024
www.icpsr.umich.edu
June 12, 2025 at 2:11 AM
Many thanks to the data curation team at ICPSR for helping make this data available and user-friendly

10/10
June 12, 2025 at 2:05 AM
This dataset is for researchers, policymakers, and anyone interested in how SNAP works.

Let me know how you use it — or if you’re interested in building on this work!

9/
June 12, 2025 at 2:05 AM
For example, the new county-level enrollment data includes enrollment across all calendar months, rather than just January and July.

And the new state-level enrollment data contains more detailed information, subject to state availability.

8/
June 12, 2025 at 2:05 AM
I compiled enrollment data from individual state websites, which is often more comprehensive and detailed than enrollment data from USDA’s SNAP Data Tables.

www.fns.usda.gov/pd/supplemen...

7/
www.fns.usda.gov
June 12, 2025 at 2:05 AM
This dataset release includes:
✅ Monthly state-level SNAP policy data (Mar 2020–Jun 2023)
✅ County-level enrollment figures
✅ State-level enrollment details, including breakdowns by apps, recerts, and demographics for select states

6/
June 12, 2025 at 2:05 AM
States increased benefit amounts, simplified application & recertification processes, and extended certification periods through policy waivers.

And we now have the data to study all of this in depth.

5/
June 12, 2025 at 2:05 AM
Why does this matter?

SNAP enrollment remained elevated for years following COVID-19. An important question is: why?

Was it the economy, or the new policies?

This data — and my analysis — shows: it was mostly *policy*

4/
June 12, 2025 at 2:05 AM
I compiled a comprehensive dataset capturing these pandemic-era SNAP changes across states and over time.

3/
June 12, 2025 at 2:05 AM
Between 2020–2023 in response to COVID-19, the U.S. overhauled how the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) worked — more benefits, simplified enrollment processes, and huge policy flexibility for states.

2/
June 12, 2025 at 2:05 AM