Food Stamp Use at Record Pace as Jobs Vanish
How bad will this get?
NYT-Driven by a painful mix of layoffs and rising food and fuel prices, the number of Americans receiving food stamps is projected to reach 28 million in the coming year, the highest level since the aid program began in the 1960s.
The number of recipients, who must have near-poverty incomes to qualify for benefits averaging $100 a month per family member, has fluctuated over the years along with economic conditions, eligibility rules, enlistment drives and natural disasters like Hurricane Katrina, which led to a spike in the South.
But recent rises in many states appear to be resulting mainly from the economic slowdown, officials and experts say, as well as inflation in prices of basic goods that leave more families feeling pinched. Citing expected growth in unemployment, the Congressional Budget Office this month projected a continued increase in the monthly number of recipients in the next fiscal year, starting Oct. 1 — to 28 million, up from 27.8 million in 2008, and 26.5 million in 2007.
Que the “Americans are stupid, lazy and can’t manage their money” comments from bb and Aubrey.
It could end tomorrow if conservatives acted like conservatives…but then they would be accused of starving children, forcing grandma to eat dog food…etc. by libs like Lefty.
They took out the “shame factor” apparently because they turned “food stamps” into a credit card. And p.s. I still wouldn’t recognize a food stamp if I saw one.