Score contribution per author:
α: calibrated so average coauthorship-adjusted count equals average raw count
We provide evidence of a benefit redemption cycle in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). Using novel administrative data on item-level redemptions, we show that unlike SNAP, WIC redemptions peak at both the beginning and the end of the month. Beginning-of-the-month excess redemptions are concentrated among more fully redeemed items such as infant formula, while end-of-the-month excess redemptions are concentrated among less fully redeemed items such as infant meats. We document that a substantial share of beneficiaries go at least one month without redeeming anything and discuss how administrative burdens may drive the WIC cycle.