Does Social Security promote food security? Evidence for older households

Abstract

This study examines the effect of Social Security benefits received in old age on food security among older adults. Using repeated cross sections from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics and an instrumental variable approach to address the endogeneity between the decision to claim Social Security and household food security, we find that an increase in Social Security benefits or becoming a Social Security beneficiary significantly increases the probability of being food secure. Our results were robust to changes of the dependent variable or the endogenous variable but were sensitive to some of the expansions or contractions of the sample.

Publication Date

11-30-2021

Journal Title

Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy

Publisher

Wiley

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

https://doi.org/10.1002/aepp.13218

Document Type

Article

Link to Full Text

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