Multiple Program Participation in the Safety Net: Incidence, Impediments, and Implications

Multiple program participation is a defining feature of the U.S. safety net, with half of recipients enrolling in two or more programs. Yet most research examines programs in isolation, missing the intensity of safety net attachment. We show implications of a multiple-program framework on take-up, targeting, and welfare, using administrative data and a reform streamlining SNAP, Medicaid, and TANF applications. The reform increased multiple program participation more than any program, with 38–62% of gains from single-to-multiple-program transitions among the most disadvantaged—a margin missed by single-program frameworks. Evaluating with multiple instead of single programs alters welfare calculations by up to 64%.