U.S. food stamp use up sharply.

[J.J.]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080609/us_nm/food_usa_stamps_dc

U.S. food stamp use up sharply, sign of hard times

By Charles AbbottMon Jun 9, 6:24 PM ET

Some 27.88 million Americans received food stamps in March, up 1.5 million from a year earlier, according to the latest U.S. government figures which antihunger experts pointed to on Monday as a sign of economic distress.

"What's happening is we have a large number of families in poverty who are losing income while their expenses are going up," said Stacy Dean of the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities, a think tank.

Food stamps help poor people buy food. Benefits average $1 per meal.

Enrollment totaled 27.88 million in March, the latest month for which figures are available, up by 219,000 people from February and up 1.5 million, or 5.7 percent, from March 2007. The Agriculture Department, which runs the program, made the figure public late last week.

"Food stamps is the tail, not the dog. The economy is in decline so people turn to food stamps for help," Dean said.

The record for food stamp participation is 29.85 million people in November 2005, which included emergency benefits to victims of hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma, said USDA. Second-highest was 27.97 million people in March 1994, said the Food Research and Action Center, an antihunger group.

"Now is the time for Congress to pass temporary increases in food stamps, extended unemployment insurance and other targeted relief that will stimulate the economy and help struggling families," said James Weill, FRAC's president. He pointed to May's increase in unemployment, to 5.5 percent.

Food stamp enrollment has exceeded 27 million people each month this fiscal year. USDA estimates enrollment will average 27.98 million people in fiscal 2009, which begins on October 1, at a cost of $40.3 billion.

A U.S. Agriculture Department spokesman declined to comment.

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Wow, almost 28 million people. That's nearly 1 in every 10 Americans.

[Legacy]

Well, on the bright side... the people that process all those forms have job security. :idunno

Hmm...:scratch wonder if they're hiring?

[denny272]

Well, on the bright side... the people that process all those forms have job security. :idunno

Hmm...:scratch wonder if they're hiring?

Good point......:)

[tfcrew]

Food stamps.
Oodles of them are sold at a discount for drugs.
Instead of being able to only use them for staples [bread, milk, fruit and vegetables etc.] they are used to buy beer, soda, and some stores are even taking them for cigarettes

[lilbitsyspider]

Food stamps.
Oodles of them are sold at a discount for drugs.
Instead of being able to only use them for staples [bread, milk, fruit and vegetables etc.] they are used to buy beer, soda, and some stores are even taking them for cigarettes

There will always be crimnals, and people manipulating the system. Though there are some people doing this, most of the people are using them the way they are supposed too. We can't put a "Scarlet Letter" on every one.

[upNORTderHEY]

Food stamps.
Oodles of them are sold at a discount for drugs.
Instead of being able to only use them for staples [bread, milk, fruit and vegetables etc.] they are used to buy beer, soda, and some stores are even taking them for cigarettes

Most food stamp benefits are distributed using an ATM type card that can only be used for food purchases
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Food_stamps

[tygerkittn]

By law, you can't use them to buy alcohol or cigarettes, and to look down on someone because they're using them to buy a mountain dew or twinkies for their kid is not very charitable. That's how people who use money shop, should we tell the food stamp recipients "We'll keep you alive but don't buy sweets or anything you might enjoy?" Junk food is cheaper than fresh veggies, if it's about how much they spend shouldn't we be more incensed when they buy healthy food? Otherwise we're just resenting that they're having something they enjoy on our dollar. God loves a cheerful giver, not a resentful one.

[Sister-N-Christ]

Unfortunately, someone has to pay for all those food stamps, and I can see it going out of our paychecks every month. We pay almost half our salary in taxes now, between property tax, federal tax and state tax. It is completely out of control. It almost pays to NOT work.

[Jubilee21]

As a single parent, who left my home under extreme duress and lived in a Domestic Violence shelter for 9 mos..I worked, and 30% of what I earned was taken out for rent, and I Paid taxes as well on my income with four children.

I was eligible for food stamps, but did not pursue them as well as other subsidies,and this went on for the 14years I raised these children on my own, and put them through college as well in spite of chronic and severe medical issues, that have left me disabled..

I am on disability and make a whopping $627.00 a month as my only income, of which $100.00 a month comes out to pay down over $12,000.00. of medical bills I incurred that were not covered by insurance and while going on disability and unable to work, used every dime of my modest saving's on medical bills..and I recieve all of $147.00 of food stamps a month.

For the 52 years I have been on this earth, I have worked over 32 years out of them and paid "taxes" since I was 15 years old and worked as much as twenty hours a week while in highschool and full time in the summers...so did my husband when we were married ,but copped out on support every chance he could for those 16 years I was on my own with four kids

So did my father as a Doctor who is now gone nor ever tooka dime of charity and often provide his services at no cost to himself for those who needed it and served his country in the Korean War

So did my sons when they also put in over 12 years combined military service for this country and made very little and are just getting back on their feet as civilians after doing this and facing all these costs with very little in the bank from the military payroll.. My children got athletic and academic scholarships for school as well as the GI bill to finish their degrees and I covered all their other expenses.

So my "benefits" have not been paid by anyone elses "taxes", except perhaps my families contributions along with mine over the course of 80 years and then some from my parent to myself.. as I see it, and my condition is terminal..so I willnot be "burdening" any other tax payers over the duration of their lifetimes either..:rolleyes

So IMHO, not all folks are guilty of "abusing" the system, nor are the folks who think they are paying for someone elses free ride to not work ,in fact are..as in my case..and in the case of many others..to others who percieve I am on charity, perhaps, but ironically it is a bill myself and my family paid into for such things and the contributions far exceed wht I am recieving monthly or will over the duration I do.

It would take over 22 years of my living at this leval and on these benefits before I even met the amount of taxes I personally paid in my "32 years" much less anything else my family contributed in their taxes..lol!!

So please do not feel its worth not working or that I am the "problem" as are many who are not anothers "problem' albeit having a few of their own to contend with..simply not true and very uncharitable..direct the gripes towards those that do abuse the system if you must.

The illegal immigration may be a legitimate issue, how the government agencies manage budgets wheni t comes to wasteful spending, certainly, but many familes that are indeed working full time and have done so are facing rough times and finding themselves in dire straights..and like myself, would prefer not to be.

Trust me, I would prefer having my health back and to be "working" and even if it meant still paying "taxes"..there is nothing glamorous about having only $625.00 of net SS Disability income and $147.00 out of the maximum of $162.00 of monthly food stamps..and in my case as in the case of my family, it "paid " to work and to work hard over all those years albeit life sometimes throws its curves at some of us as it did in my case.

I am very grateful for my food stamps..nor ashamed to have them or to use them..In fact, am able to use quite a signifigant portion of them to put into food ministries I still participate in with my community and church..they are very grateful to for these donations that keep such burdens off others and take them off those that need help from time to time..

my immediate family can not support me nor afford my medical bills which is another issue about my welfare and not simply a 'welfare' issue but they step in and subsidize as much as the expenses as they can..

Hope this comforts some that not all social welfare programs are being abused ..or "evil"..from some other perspectives of the negative circumstances of life that brings storms and why folks find themselves needing help.:hug

[tygerkittn]

I would far prefer ALL of my taxes used to help the poor and people in this country, rather than bailing out corporations so they'll send the politicians kickbacks and sending "aid" to other countries just so they'll "like" us and buying $5000 hammers so the supplier will offer the politician a job when he's out of office and overpaying contractors because they're friends of someone high up and just generally lining the pockets of the elected. I'd rather it go to those who need it than those who DON'T. The Bible says to invite someone poor to eat with you, rather than someone rich whom you're just hoping will invite you back. There are a lot of verses that command equal justice for the poor And of course, there's always this:
31 "When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. 32 All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, just as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on His right, and the goats on the left. 34 Then the King will say to those on His right, 'Come, you who are blessed by My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.

35 For I was hungry

and you gave Me something to eat;

I was thirsty

and you gave Me something to drink;

I was a stranger and you took Me in;

36 I was naked and you clothed Me;

I was sick and you took care of Me;

I was in prison and you visited Me. '

37 "Then the righteous will answer Him, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You something to drink? 38 When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or without clothes and clothe You? 39 When did we see You sick, or in prison, and visit You?'

40 "And the King will answer them, 'I assure you: Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you did for Me. ' 41 Then He will also say to those on the left, 'Depart from Me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the Devil and his angels!

42 For I was hungry

and you gave Me nothing to eat;

I was thirsty

and you gave Me nothing to drink;

43 I was a stranger

and you didn't take Me in;

I was naked

and you didn't clothe Me,

sick and in prison

and you didn't take care of Me.'

44 "Then they too will answer, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or without clothes, or sick, or in prison, and not help You?'

45 "Then He will answer them, 'I assure you: Whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for Me either. '

46 "And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."

How can we be "cheated" by feeding the poor, when we've been promised a reward for it? We should be grateful for every opportunity.