NPR.

This is the Indigator from Planet Money, I'm Darien Woods.

And I'm Whalen Wong.

We are entering a pivotal time for a program that affects tens of millions of people in

the US.

And that is the SNAP program, which helps people buy food every month.

In a few days, extra benefits that were paid out as part of pandemic relief efforts

are going away.

And a few months after that, the government will reinstate requirements around certain

people needing to work to get their benefits.

These work requirements are at the crux of a larger ideological debate about safety

net programs like SNAP and how they're designed.

Does government aid discourage recipients from working?

Or does it help bridge gaps while people try to improve their living situations?

Today on the show, we look at new economic research that tries to answer that perennial question

at the heart of welfare.

SNAP stands for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

It used to be called Food Stamps.

And the program can run a little differently state by state, but here's how it generally

works.

People qualify for SNAP if their household income falls below certain levels.

They get a debit card that's loaded with money every month, and they can use that card

...