Recipients of government transfers are disadvantaged, yet little is known about how their circumstances evolve leading up to program receipt in the modern era. Using 1996–2020 data, we establish new findings around enrollment in the largest safety net programs in the United States. Incomes fall prior to enrollment in every program, coinciding with increased nonemployment and disability. Spousal separations and the presence of a young child increase leading up to enrollment even in programs without mechanically related eligibility requirements. These analyses provide a comprehensive and identically measured look across programs to demonstrate that households “slide” into participation through multiple pathways.