Washington Post: Americans’ Food Stamp Use Nears All-Time High

Posted by Kendall Harmon

Fueled by rising unemployment and food prices, the number of Americans on food stamps is poised to exceed 30 million for the first time this month, surpassing the historic high set in 2005 after Hurricane Katrina.

The figures will put the spotlight on hunger when Congress begins deliberations on a new economic stimulus package, said legislators and anti-hunger advocates, predicting that any stimulus bill will include a boost in food stamp benefits. Advocates are also optimistic that President-elect Barack Obama, who made campaign promises to end childhood hunger and whose mother once briefly received food stamps, will make the issue a priority next year.

"We soon will have the most food stamps recipients in the history of our country," said Jim Weill, president of the Food Research and Action Center, a D.C.-based anti-hunger policy organization. "If the economic forecasts come true, we're likely to see the most hunger that we've seen since the 1981 recession and maybe since the 1960s, when these programs were established."

Read it all.

Filed under: * Culture-Watch • Dieting/Food/Nutrition • Poverty • * Economics, Politics • Economy • The Credit Freeze Crisis of Fall 2008/The Recession of 2007-- • * International News & Commentary • America/U.S.A.

10 Comments
Posted November 26, 2008 at 4:53 pm [Printer Friendly] [Print w/ comments]



1. Br. Michael wrote:

We have been doing this for years.  Why are people still going hungry?

November 26, 10:25 pm | [comment link]
2. The_Archer_of_the_Forest wrote:

This does not surprise me in the least. Part of my church job involves working in our food pantry, and we’ve been so swamped the last few months that we have almost had to start turning people away.

November 26, 10:36 pm | [comment link]
3. Juandeveras wrote:

This is a lot of baloney. The food stamp program has been massively advertising for people to use food stamps simply because the government has a huge supply of unused food stamps. It is much less a reflection of the economy than of the printing presses.

November 27, 12:37 am | [comment link]
4. Ken Peck wrote:

The source for this seems to be a right wing Chicago radio/tv station. And it doesn’t actually support what Juandeveras wrote.

The article indicates that if more people (those lining up at the soup kitchens and food pantries) applied for food stamps it would increase Illinois state revenue as well as economic benefit to retail and wholesale grocers (and probably Illinios farmers as well).

November 27, 12:17 pm | [comment link]
5. Juandeveras wrote:

Many states have worked to make more low-end workers aware of their food stamp eligibility. A recent switch from food stamp coupons to electronic debit cards has reduced associated stigmas attached to food stamps. Many people on hourly wages have had their hours reduced below 30/week ( so employers do not have to pay benefits ) and so apply for food stamps. Many states have simplified the application procedure. The following California web site instructs agencies how to promote food stamp outreach strategies: http://www.cdph.ca.gov./programs.

November 27, 12:53 pm | [comment link]
6. Juandeveras wrote:

Mr. Peck, I’m curious why those hungry food stamp applicants within your apparent state of Illinois failed to redeem $2.27 billion in issued food stamps in one year alone - 2005 - ( data from Chicago-based Sargent Shriver Poverty Center ) ?

November 27, 1:09 pm | [comment link]
7. Irenaeus wrote:

I’m curious why those hungry food stamp applicants within your apparent state of Illinois failed to redeem $2.27 billion in issued food stamps in one year alone —-Juandeveras [#6]

What’s your point?

If these recipients were as depraved as you seem to imply, wouldn’t they have redeemed nearly all of them?

November 27, 10:53 pm | [comment link]
8. Juandeveras wrote:

#7 - I believe the operative word as suggested ( not implied ) was “hungry”,  not “depraved”, Ms. I.  And, yes, why didn’t they redeem them ?

November 28, 12:25 am | [comment link]
9. Irenaeus wrote:

Juandeveras: St. Irenaeus was a man and so am I.

November 28, 8:40 pm | [comment link]
10. Juandeveras wrote:

Wonderful. Sorry. There weren’t many Irenaeuses on my block.

November 28, 11:27 pm | [comment link]
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