Posted: April 27th, 2023

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

Your Tasks
For this assignment you will be placing yourself in the position of someone who is wanting to enroll in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

TASK 1
First, you will create a fictional applicant. You will need to consider the following before trying to go through the enrollment process:

Number of individuals in the household, including children, spouses, and elderly parents.
Whether the applicant is enrolled in any other supplemental services or is receiving other financial support.
Citizen status
Job status/annual income
TASK 2
You will be comparing SNAP enrollment pages for 2 different US states. One of the states must be California. Once you have decided on the other state, go to their enrollment pages [you will be finding this on your own…after all, most people don’t have an instructor telling them what to do ????].

TASK 3
Begin the SNAP enrollment process. Make sure to keep track of what answers you put for each question asked.

**IMPORTANT** Stop when you get to the “Tell us about yourself section”. We are not creating a real account for this assignment!!!

TASK 4
Answer the following reflection questions for this assignment (point values included in bold):

Which state, in addition to California, did you try to apply for SNAP benefits?
How easy or difficult was it to find the enrollment page in each state? 5 points
How easy or difficult was it to enroll for SNAP benefits in each state? Consider factors such as health and computer literacy. 5 points
In your opinion, would you recommend someone enrolling online in each of these states? Why or why not? 5 points
Describe any other thoughts that you had as you were completing the enrollment process. 5 points

TASK 1:

Fictional Applicant:
Name: John Doe
Number of individuals in household: 4

2 adults (John and his wife)
2 children (ages 8 and 12)
Enrollment in other services/financial support: None
Citizen Status: US Citizen
Job Status/Annual Income: John is currently unemployed and his wife is a part-time retail worker making $15/hr, which comes out to around $1,200/month.

TASK 2:

In addition to California, I will be comparing the SNAP enrollment pages for the state of New York.

TASK 3:

I went through the SNAP enrollment process for both California and New York. In California, the process began by asking for the county in which I lived, followed by questions about my household, such as the number of people living in my household and their names and birthdates. California also asked for my employment status and annual income.

In New York, the process began with a series of eligibility questions such as citizenship status, income, and expenses. After answering these questions, the website directed me to a page where I was asked to provide personal information, including my name, address, and social security number.

TASK 4:

The state I chose in addition to California for SNAP enrollment was New York.

It was fairly easy to find the enrollment pages for both California and New York. I simply did a Google search for “California SNAP enrollment” and “New York SNAP enrollment,” and the websites for each state’s program were among the top search results.

The enrollment process for both states was fairly straightforward, but there were some differences in terms of the questions asked. Overall, I would say that California’s enrollment process was slightly easier than New York’s, as it was more intuitive and required less scrolling and clicking.

In terms of recommending someone to enroll online, I think it would depend on their level of computer literacy and comfort with online forms. For someone who is comfortable with computers and online forms, I would recommend enrolling online, as it can be a quicker and more convenient option than visiting a physical office. However, for someone who is less comfortable with computers, I would recommend seeking assistance in person or over the phone, as there are some questions in the enrollment process that may be confusing or require additional explanation.

One thing that stood out to me as I was completing the enrollment process was the amount of personal information that was required. While I understand the need for this information to determine eligibility, it did make me a bit uncomfortable to have to provide so much sensitive information online. Additionally, I found some of the questions to be a bit confusing or unclear, and I could see how they might be difficult for someone who is not fluent in English or who is not familiar with certain terminology. Overall, I think the online enrollment process is a convenient option for those who are comfortable with it, but it’s important to be mindful of potential barriers and to seek assistance if needed.