The social safety net is intended to provide a minimum standard of living for all Americans. As such, understanding how the social safety net affects total income as well as consumption adequacy is important measure of its’ effectiveness. This session explores the social safety net, with specific focus on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). It will discuss how the social safety net as a whole, and how SNAP in particular, affects poverty and food insecurity rates of participants. In doing so, the session will assess the performance of the current safety net before, during, and after the Great Recession, as well as inform its’ optimal design.