The Program Access Index (PAI) is one of the measures FNS uses to reward states for high performance in the administration of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Performance awards were authorized by the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (also known as the 2002 Farm Bill). The PAI is designed to indicate the degree to which low-income people have access to SNAP benefits. The purpose of this step-by-step guide is to describe the calculation of the Program Access Index (PAI) in detail. It includes all of the data, adjustments, and calculations used in determining the PAI for every state.

The U.S. Department for Health and Human Services Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality's report “Maternal and Child Health Outcomes Associated with WIC reviews evidence on whether participation in WIC is associated with nutrition and health outcomes for women and children.

FNS conducts a variety of studies, evaluations, and related activities that respond to the needs of policy makers and managers and help ensure that nutrition assistance programs achieve their goals effectively. These plans provide short descriptions of projects that have been or will be funded in each fiscal year.

List of FNS completed peer review plans and reports. 

FNS has historically estimated the participation rate of SNAP by using Census data and samples of SNAP administrative data, but modeling SNAP eligibility using survey data has a number of challenges. In response, FNS, the Economic Research Service, and the Census Bureau sought potential solutions to these issues by linking Census survey data with monthly administrative records at the person level.

This report is the latest in a series on SNAP participation rates, which estimate the proportion of people eligible for benefits under federal income and asset rules to those who actually participate in the program. This report presents rates for FY 2019, comparing them to rates for FY 2016-19 and showing participation rates by household characteristics.