The Rise Of Food Stamp Use In America
Jul 12, 2013, 01:59 IST
Earlier today, the House passed the Farm Bill without any funding provision for food stamps.
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For some context, here's a chart tweeted on Monday by Bloomberg Briefs' Economist Michael McDonough.
The cost of the program — which spiked during the recession — currently accounts for nearly 14% of grocery store sales, with 47.8 million Americans receiving the subsidy.
One explanation for the spike in people on food stamps is higher participation rates. Ten years ago, far fewer people who qualified for food stamps actually got them.
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Participants receive an average of $133.14 per month in food stamps, hardly enough to live on.